Nintendo Switch 2: 15 New Details We Spotted About The Console

After months of leaks and speculation, Nintendo finally lifted the curtain on its Switch successor, the Switch 2. Compared to its previous generations of game consoles, Nintendo appears to be building on the foundation of its wildly successful hybrid console with visual and technical tweaks to the system instead of launching a device that's wildly different from what came before.

There are still a lot of questions that'll need to be answered--and you'll have to wait until April for that Nintendo Direct--as we still don't know how much the Switch 2 will cost, its exact release date in 2025, or if the Switch 2 carts will be coated in a vile substance that'll encourage kids not to chew on them. If you are looking to see and play on the Switch 2 before you commit to buying one, Nintendo will be hosting special events in major cities around the world in April where you can go hands-on with it.

Fortunately, the reveal trailer did show a lot of the new system off, and we've gathered together several of the interesting details we spotted in that trailer. We've also rounded up all of the burning Switch 2 questions we don't yet have answers to.

One of the biggest changes--quite literally--is a larger screen for the Switch 2. While Nintendo hasn't confirmed how much bigger it is, previous reports have claimed that it'll be 8.4 inches, a pretty substantial increase when compared to the current Switch consoles. But will it be an LCD or an OLED screen? We'll have to wait until April to find out in a dedicated Nintendo Direct livestream.

This is a minor change, but the sparkling effect on the Switch 2 body is subtle and very cool. Instead of being plain back, the shell shimmers under light when examined more closely.

One of the big quality-of-life changes to the Switch design we've spotted is that it'll have two USB-C ports. There's one mounted at the top of the console and another at the bottom, and the benefit to this is that it'll make it easier to charge the device in handheld mode and play on it at the same time.

We've also spotted a traditional headset 3.5mm jack, volume control buttons, and a game cartridge slot here, making for a comfortably familiar layout.

Just like the original Switch console, you'll be able to flip out a stand located on the rear of the device for when you want to do some tabletop gaming. The stand is now C-shaped, and like the one found on the Switch OLED model, it's almost as wide as the console itself.

It can also dip very low, making this a very flexible feature on the Switch 2.

Compared to the first generation of Joy-Cons, the Switch 2 controllers sport a curvier shape. All the inputs you'd expect are also present, and hopefully, these will have Hall Effect joysticks. The original Joy-Cons are notorious for their stick drift issues, so adding some premium parts to the Switch 2 Joy-Cons would be most welcome.

Another interesting tweak here is in that it looks like you won't need a special attachment to make the shoulder buttons easier to use when you're sharing Joy-Con controllers. On the original Switch, the Joy-Cons came with a special rail device that could be slid into place, making the shoulder buttons stand out more. But on the Switch 2? It looks like this issue has been resolved with the redesigned Joy-Cons.

To paraphrase DeeDee from Dexter's Lab, what does that button do on the right Joy-Con? There is some speculation regarding its function, with some reports claiming that it might allow users to stream to their TV wirelessly from handheld mode or it might allow for voice-chat features. This will be another question that'll probably be answered during the April Direct.

Sliding a Joy-Con into place on a Switch is a neat little highlight of that system, but for the Switch 2, it looks like we'll be snapping them in thanks to some powerful magnets. While we're not sure how strong that magnetic design is, we did see that Joy-Cons will also attach via another electronic anchor point in the middle.

As confirmed by Nintendo, the Switch 2 will be backward compatible with most--but not all--Switch games. This applies to both digital and physical editions of your Switch games, so if you've built up a sizable library over the years, they're coming with you to the new Nintendo console.

Not exactly a radical departure from the Nintendo norm, the Switch 2 logo keeps things simple. Essentially the same logo but with a big number two shoehorned into place, Nintendo has clearly learned a lesson from the transition of the Wii to the Wii U, which caused confusion among some as to whether the Wii U was a new system or a Wii accessory.

A quick glimpse at a new Mario Kart game was shown off during the Switch 2 reveal, but beyond a brief look at Mario and pals burning some rubber, not much else is known about the upcoming game.

There's a good chance that Nintendo will have a brand-new Pro Controller shipping alongside the Switch 2, but if you don't feel like dropping some cash on that peripheral, you'll be able to slot your Joy-Cons into a cradle. Just like the original Switch, the Switch 2 has a quick-and-easy solution to make the detachable Joy-Cons feel like a traditional controller, thanks to this little accessory.

In case you're worried that you might send the fancy new Joy-Con hurtling into your wall during an intense game of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, it looks like the Switch 2 will include some handy wrist-straps.

Finally, the Switch will once again ship with a dock that can be used to connect your TV and charge the device. Design-wise, it's mostly the same as the Switch dock, but it has rounded edges at the top and the console logo is prominently display. Good news for anyone scared that they might lose an eye if they tripped and fell on it.

One of the early details in the video may have stood out to you. A small notch of sorts from the original Switch model is not visible when we see the screen of the new Switch 2. That's the brightness sensor, which enabled auto-brightness on the original Switch. It's possible the feature has been removed from Switch 2, but more likely, as with the Switch OLED model, the sensor has simply been moved (possibly to the top, near the new USB-C slot).