The Nintendo Switch 2 is almost here, bringing the next generation of the hybrid console to the masses on 5 June (US, Europe, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan) and sometime between July to September this year for Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Taiwan).
Hot off the stacked hour-long presentation covering console specifications, games and new features, gamers would undoubtedly be wondering if Nintendo’s newest console would be worth their hard-earned cash, especially considering that pre-orders will go live in less than a week on 9 April.
To help you with your purchasing decision, here are 10 things you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2:
1) Console Prices in the US vs Japan
A console’s asking price is probably the biggest factor in determining its worth, and Nintendo’s latest console has certainly asked for a lot more than most had expected, starting at a staggering US$449.99, with a US$499.99 version that includes its flagship launch title, Mario Kart World. At this price, the Nintendo Switch 2 marks the most expensive console the company has ever released, and by a fair bit too, with the previous pricey crown being worn by the Wii U and the original Switch, both released at US$299.
With the same launch price as a digital edition PS5 Slim, it’s hard not to be baffled by its cost, especially since it still offers a weaker mobile processor compared to its console counterparts and a slimmer library of launch titles (more on that below). Interestingly, there will also be a price disparity based on region, with console units sold exclusively in Japan costing far cheaper at 49,980 Yen (roughly US$334), specifically units that only have Japanese available as the system language, and that can only be linked to accounts with regions set to Japan. It’s currently unclear if other regions like Southeast Asia will see a similar difference, but that remains to be seen until launch later in the year.
2) Game Prices – Physical & Digital
It seems console prices aren’t the only ones being hiked, as games on the platform will also be more expensive than ever, especially for console-exclusive titles. The Nintendo Switch 2 flagship game, Mario Kart World, for example, is listed at US$79.99 on Nintendo’s website, while Donkey Kong Bananza costs US$69.99.
Physical cartridges for games are also set to see a price bump compared to their digital variants, with sites like Nintendo’s Spanish webpage detailing an increase of 10 euros (roughly US$11) between the separate versions of the above two games. These new prices follow a similar price hike in 2020, which saw game prices increase by US$10 to US$69.99. With Nintendo game prices continuously rising, it sets a pretty grim precedent for other consoles too, which may follow in the same footsteps to raise the cost of massive, highly-anticipated titles like GTAVI or The Elder Scrolls VI. Either way, it’s not looking good for the wallets of gamers in general.
3) Size & Display
As a hybrid gaming device designed to be taken on the go, size does matter when it comes to its screen, as a larger viewable surface does wonders in improving the mobile gaming experience. To this end, the Nintendo Switch 2 does boast a much larger screen, measuring 7.9 inches, compared to the 6.2-inch screen of the original Switch or the 7-inch screen of the Switch OLED, all while maintaining the same device thickness of 0.55 inches. With its advances in hardware, the Switch 2 is also capable of 1080p output during handheld use, a step up compared to the 720p cap of its predecessors, with frame rates of up to 120fps versus 60fps.
Despite these improvements, the Switch 2 will still see a rather concerning downgrade in the form of its LCD screen, a step down that’s especially disappointing considering its previous iteration already featured the superior OLED technology, which provides better contrast, black levels and viewing angles, which greatly improves on-the-go gaming as it helps to maintain a comfortable viewing experience even during harsh weather conditions. It seems sacrifices had to be made to provide a bigger screen on the Switch 2, but whether this will turn out to be a worthwhile trade-off remains to be seen.
4) Battery Life
Another trade-off arising from improved graphical capabilities comes from its effect on the console’s battery life, which has seen a rather disappointing downgrade. On a full charge, the Switch 2 is expected to last anywhere from 2 to 6.5 hours, depending on which game is being played. These figures are much lower compared to the Switch, which has a battery life of 4.5 to 9 hours on a full charge.
Once again, as a console designed to be mobile, this seriously hampers the device’s functionality. Granted, portable chargers can always be used to extend these figures, and Nintendo would no doubt release a proprietary battery pack designed for use with the console, but relying on such external devices does affect portability and forces users to carry additional weight, which isn’t ideal, especially when travelling.
5) Pay for the Tech Demo
With its new features like magnetic Joy-Cons, HD Rumble 2 and mouse control, a tech demo similar in the vein of Astro’s Playroom for the PlayStation 5, aptly titled Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour, is set for release on launch day, allowing players to explore and try out the consoles latest features with minigames that make use of the new technologies such as piloting a UFO while dodging spike balls using the Joy-Con’s mouse feature, or a Maraca-based physics demo.
The biggest difference between this game and Astro’s Playroom? Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour is not free and will be a digital-only release costing 990 Yen (approximately US$6.12). Let that sink in. Nintendo is essentially charging money for a tutorial that should have come pre-installed with every console unit, or built the features into an actual gaming experience similar to what was done with 1-2-Switch, instead of just having a bunch of minimal effort minigames, slides and quizzes. It looks like someone is getting greedy.
6) Game Card Variations
Nintendo Switch 2 titles will also come in three “Game Card” variations, physical or otherwise. First up, the standard physical game cards will be the same size and shape as they are for the current generation, with differences being that the new cards are now red instead of black and that they offer “much faster data-reading speeds”. To this end, Switch game cards can still be inserted into the Switch 2, although not all games are compatible (more on that below).
Certain games will come in a Game-Key Card, which differs from regular game cards as they do not contain the full game data. Operating similar to physical discs on other consoles, inserting these cards enables users to download the full game directly to their system, and once done, can only play the game when the game-key card is inserted. Packaging of the titles which utilise this specific style of card will also be marked with the relevant information for easy identification. This might be the standard affair for other consoles, but it must be kept in mind that the Switch 2 only comes with 256GB of internal storage, which is much lower than both the base versions of the PS5 or the Xbox Series X|S, and with games constantly increasing in size as technology advances, having an additional MicroSD Express Card to expand on-board memory might become essential.
Finally, there are the Virtual Game Cards, a new feature coming to both the Switch and Switch 2 as a sort of revamp of usual digital game purchases. With virtual game cards, users can not only manage their digital libraries easily but also move their games between consoles linked to the same Nintendo Account, allowing for offline play as well. Furthermore, for those with a Nintendo Account family group, virtual game cards can be lent out to the various members, although borrowers are limited to one game at a time on a single console and only for up to 14 days. More info on Virtual Game Cards can be found here.
7) Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive Games
For every major console launch, it’s important to have enough exclusive games alongside it to entice a player’s purchase. Unfortunately, Nintendo’s list of console launch exclusives is looking rather slim at the moment, with only two games releasing alongside the console: Mario Kart World and Survival Kids (not counting the aforementioned tech demo Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour). Granted, players can look forward to Donkey Kong Bananza in July, alongside Drag x Drive, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, and Kirby Air Riders sometime in 2025, with The Duskbloods arriving in 2026. Of course, the console’s launch will also see enhanced editions of previously released games and a whole list of backwards-compatible titles, which are detailed in our announcement coverage.
In comparison with other consoles, the PS5 launched with 5 exclusive titles: Demon’s Souls, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Destruction All-Stars and the free tech demo cum retro platformer Astro’s Playroom, while the Xbox Series released with no console exclusives, but rather included enhanced upgrades at launch for games like Gears 5 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
8) Backwards Compatibility
With the launch of its new console, especially one with such a sparse game line-up upon release, it’s important for players to still be able to run their owned games for the original Switch. Thankfully, Nintendo has done some rigorous testing regarding backwards compatibility, and as seen via an in-depth resource page, a majority of last-generation games should run on the new console without any problems, so players can enjoy the boost in performance afforded to by the latest hardware, and on a clearer 1080p screen in handheld to boot.
For first-party Nintendo games, compatibility issues largely surround games that require the original Switch Joy-Con to play or other Switch-specific accessories, such as 1-2-Switch, Nintendo Labo or Ring Fit Adventure, which makes sense since the size and hardware differences of the Switch 2 magnetic Joy-Cons won’t work with current periperhals.
9) System Transfer feature
For current owners of the Nintendo Switch, the company is making it as easy as possible to transfer data over to its newest console using its System Transfer feature. Digital games, certain save data and settings can be ported over between the two generations of consoles, although at least one user profile with a linked Nintendo Account is required on the Nintendo Switch system to use the feature. Existing Nintendo Switch Online members can continue to use the service on their new console as well, with an in-depth description of all transferable data available on Nintendo’s webpage.
10) GameChat & C-Button
After months of speculation, the upcoming console’s most mysterious button has finally been revealed, and it’s all about GameChat, a new feature that operates similarly to contemporary video chat services like Discord but is built into the console itself. Using GameChat, players can communicate with their friends in both handheld and docked mode while gaming, making use of the console’s microphone, with the option to share their screen or even overlay themselves over their games using a separately sold Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory or other compatible USB-C cameras. The C-Button also allows players to fine-tune GameChat settings to their liking, with volume controls, the ability to view a friend’s game screen or even adjust the size of each party member’s window.
GameChat will be available for all users during its Open-Access period ending on 31 March 2026, thereafter requiring a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to use.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will launch in the US, Europe, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan on 5 June 2025, with a staggered release for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan sometime between July and September 2025.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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