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The Nintendo Switch 2, the highly anticipated successor to the popular Nintendo Switch console, may bear a visual resemblance to its forerunner, but significant alterations have been implemented to its internal components and functionalities.
The Switch 2 is slated for release on June 5th, with a suggested retail price of $450 for the standalone unit or $500 as part of a bundle that includes Mario Kart World, a flagship title for the console’s launch lineup. Below is a detailed overview of the Switch 2, encompassing preorder information and feature comparisons to the original model.
For clarity, this comparison primarily contrasts the Switch 2 with the original Switch released in March 2017, as incorporating details from the Switch Lite and Switch OLED editions would introduce unnecessary complexity.
Design
In general terms, the Switch 2 represents a larger iteration of its predecessor, with all aspects appearing proportionally enlarged. This includes a broader physical footprint, an expanded screen, and bigger Joy-Cons.
Original Switch
The initial Switch model, when equipped with Joy-Cons inserted into its side rails, measured approximately 9.4 inches in width, 4 inches in height, and just over half an inch in thickness. It weighed around 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Joy-Cons are attached by sliding them into grooves located on the device’s sides from the top. For tabletop play, a slender plastic flap on the console’s rear serves as a kickstand.
The original Switch package also incorporated a dock, enabling console placement for both charging and video output to televisions or larger displays via an HDMI port.
Switch 2
The new Switch 2 expands in dimensions across all aspects, yet it retains the foundational shape and arrangement of the original. The updated Joy-Cons are now affixed to the console side via magnetic engagement, while also establishing connections through pins. The redesigned console features a wide, U-shaped kickstand that stretches across almost the entirety of its back panel, offering adjustable positioning for various viewing angles. Nintendo has indicated enhanced speaker performance, a feature slated for evaluation.
The Switch 2’s dock maintains largely comparable functionality, albeit with rounded edges and an integrated internal fan designed to cool the console during extended gaming sessions. Significantly, it supports 4K video output for compatible games when connected to TVs, enhancing visual fidelity for select titles.
Joy-Cons
The Joy-Cons were considered groundbreaking upon their debut with the first Switch. While their fundamental operation remains consistent in the successor, the Switch 2 controllers incorporate notable upgrades.
Original Switch
The Switch Joy-Cons are designed as both user-friendly and feature-rich controllers, attaching to and detaching from the console via plastic rails, with connectivity and charging facilitated through side-mounted pins. Upon detachment, they transition into independent micro-controllers, equipped with supplementary shoulder buttons.
Switch 2
The new console’s Joy-Cons are enlarged to match the Switch 2 dimensions and secure to the console’s sides using robust magnets. To detach the controllers, users engage small inward-facing buttons located next to the ZR and ZL triggers. These larger Joy-Cons feature elongated L and R external shoulder buttons, alongside significantly broadened SL and SR internal shoulder buttons intended for use when detached from the console.
Notably, the Switch 2 Joy-Cons can function as motion-based input devices, operable by placing their inner edges flat on a surface. Demonstrated during a Nintendo Direct presentation, this functionality enabled control in dynamic action games like the wheelchair basketball simulator DragXDrive and complex strategy titles such as Civilization VII.
Display Size
Original Switch
The original Switch featured a 6.2-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1,280×720 pixels. This display was considered reasonably advanced upon its 2017 launch but has since been surpassed by contemporary handheld devices boasting sharper screens. The Switch OLED model enhanced the display to a larger 7-inch size with improved black levels and color vibrancy, though it maintained the same resolution. The Switch Lite version incorporated a smaller 5.5-inch LCD screen.
Switch 2
As expected, the Switch 2’s increased size translates to a larger display. The updated console features a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen capable of achieving a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The choice to omit an OLED display might be attributed to cost considerations or potentially to reserve the option for a future Switch 2 OLED variant.
CPU/GPU
Original Switch
The original Switch is powered by a custom Nvidia Tegra X1 processor, which incorporates four ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores. According to technical analysis, it also includes an additional set of four A53 cores that remain inactive.
Switch 2
To date, Nintendo has not officially disclosed specific details regarding the Switch 2’s specs, even following its Nintendo Direct unveiling. The publicly available specs page for the Switch 2 identifies it as featuring a “custom processor made by Nvidia.”
However, insights from unofficial sources provide potential specifications. Tech informant Zuby_Tech suggested via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the Switch 2’s CPU will be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. They also proposed that the GPU will be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with long-standing rumors reported by various outlets concerning a custom chip derived from Nvidia’s Tegra series, typically employed in smartphones and portable devices.
RAM and Storage
Original Switch
The original Switch is equipped with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 2TB using microSD cards inserted into a slot located beneath the kickstand.
Switch 2
Despite the official reveal event, Nintendo has not yet released official RAM specs. However, information from Zuby_Tech, posted on X in September, indicates that the Switch 2 will feature 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. This information also suggested the integration of dual internal fans, an increase from the single fan in the original Switch.
Nintendo has verified that the new console will include 256GB of integrated storage, which can be further expanded using specialized microSD Express cards. Notably, standard microSD cards compatible with the original Switch are not supported on the Switch 2.
Battery Life
Original Switch
The original Switch incorporates a 4,310-mAh battery, providing an estimated battery life duration of 4.5 to 9 hours, contingent upon screen brightness settings and other operational variables.
Switch 2
While Nintendo’s reveal presentation omitted specifics regarding the Switch 2’s battery capacity, their official website specs indicate a 5,220mAh battery. Although this represents a larger capacity compared to its predecessor, Nintendo’s estimates suggest a decreased battery life range of 2 to 6.5 hours, influenced by the games being played.
Ports
Original Switch
The initial Switch model featured a solitary USB-C port on the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, and Wi-Fi 5 with Bluetooth 4.1 for connectivity. The top edge also had a slot for Switch game cartridges and the microSD slot was located underneath the kickstand on the rear of the console.
Switch 2
The Switch 2 maintains the original’s bottom-mounted USB-C port and top-positioned 3.5mm jack, while introducing an additional USB-C port on the top surface. This supplementary port serves to connect accessories such as the Nintendo Switch Camera, described as a webcam-like device on a stand intended to facilitate Nintendo’s implementation of video communication during gameplay sessions with friends, resembling a proprietary version of video calling.
Nintendo has not yet provided clarification regarding the console’s broader connectivity features, and information from unofficial sources remains limited on this aspect.
Regarding game media, the Switch 2 will be compatible with select physical editions of original Switch games. The cartridge slot is positioned to the right of the headphone jack in preview images, consistent with its location on the original Switch. Distinguishing between game cartridges for the two console generations is facilitated by color coding: cartridges for the new Switch 2 are red, whereas those for the original Switch 1 are black.