echo If you’re a Gen-Z console game lover, you’ve most likely heard of the Nintendo Switch. You might even have owned one yourself. It is one of the most successful home consoles over the years, successfully bridging the gap between home and portable gaming, appealing to a broad audience. Officially unveiled on January 16, 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 is finally coming after 8 years from its initial release.
New Displays and Features
Given Nintendo’s track record of following up on their most successful track launches with confusingly named successors, a simple “two” at the end of the name is a smart move, as the vision for this was similar to the original Nintendo Switch. The only difference here is the display and aesthetics. The display features a 7.9-inch LCD screen, which is 33% larger than the original Switch’s display. A larger screen makes up for an overall larger proportions, which means the best part about this is the controllers are slightly larger. This feature makes them way more comfortable for adults!
The overall aesthetics of the new Switch look fairly similar to the other hand-held gaming PCs with its more plain black exterior. But it still has the usual blue and red colours as accents, which can be seen on the first trailer they dropped.
It also has better refinements such as a stronger kickstand, a new dock and two USB-C ports. That means better ergonomics while charging and better support for multiple accessories without needing a dongle.
Confirmed by a Nintendo Patent, a new mouse-like functionality is coming to the Switch 2. The patent documents were filed back in 2023, as they quote, “The sensor for mouse operation detects reflected light from a detected surface, the light changing by moving over the detected surface in a state in which either the first side surface or the second side surface is placed on the detected surface.”
Performance
Beauty and overall aesthetics are one thing, but what about the insides? Has the performance of this new piece of console improved from its past successors? Well….
According to leaks, here’s what we do know so far.
Switch 2’s motherboard indicates it will be powered by a custom Nvidia Tegra T239 processor. This means the performance is comparable to the previous-generation systems like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. However, the Switch 2 is expected to use technology that leverages machine learning, enhancing 720p visuals up to 4K resolution when docked.
Although it has not been announced officially, the original Switch will support expandable storage via SD cards. Unlike the original Switch, the Switch 2 is rumoured to support microSD Express cards, which offer much faster read speeds and a larger storage capacity of up to 128 TB.
That being said, the Switch 2 is also rumoured to feature 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of built-in UFS 3.1 storage.
The Games
We’ve talked about the performance, but what about the exciting new games coming on the new Switch 2?
From the official trailer itself, it seems certain that a new Mario Kart title will be coming out soon. As they tease better graphics, there may potentially be more players in the game. (It can be seen that there are 24 starting lines). Besides, if there’s such a thing as a system seller, Mario Kart has proven to be exactly that.
Metroid Prime 4 has been confirmed to come out in 2025 for the original Switch, however, it has been rumoured to be a dual launch for the Switch and Switch 2 for some time now. With first-person shooter games like these, you’d definitely want to have better-enhanced graphics and performance, which the Switch 2 can offer.
With the new mouse-like functionality, Nintendo definitely needs to put a game on launch that shows the new feature in a more casual way. We can look forward to a new IP (Intellectual Property) being introduced when the console launches. But who knows?
Backwards Compatibility
Yes, Nintendo Switch 2 is backwards-compatible!
Before it was officially announced, Nintendo confirmed the Switch Software will be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch multiplayer games will offer a large catalogue of retro games which will be available for the Switch 2. Many users are hoping or even expecting to transfer their game libraries to Nintendo’s next console, following the trend set by the latest Xbox and PlayStation generations. This news comes as a significant relief.
In the official trailer, Nintendo emphasized that the Switch 2 will support its own exclusive games as well as both physical and digital Nintendo Switch titles. However, it warned that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2.” Further details will be provided on its website at a later date.
Prices
While the prices aren’t officially announced, through former employees, the current estimates suggest the Switch 2 will be priced between $399 and $499 (that would approximately be between RM1,767.82 and RM2,209.66).
This would make it $100 to $200 (about RM400 to RM800) more expensive than the original switch. Similar to how the PlayStation and Xbox prices have risen across generations. If these price estimates are accurate, it’s likely that the next-gen Nintendo games could also see a price increase, following the trend of PlayStation and Xbox titles.
However, the final retail price in Malaysia could be higher due to factors like import taxes, shipping fees, and retailer markups. For comparison, the original Nintendo Switch launched in Malaysia for around RM1,500 to RM1,800, depending on the edition.
Should YOU Buy It?
There’s still a lot of information that isn’t set in stone for the Switch 2, such as when it’s coming out (Sometime this year, 2025), how much it will cost, the in-depth specs and which games are confirmed to be launching. But it’s definitely going to be tough to justify buying a switch. That being said, we hope you make a choice with confidence.
If you’re a sucker for better tech, you’ll want to wait for the Switch 2. However, there’s a lot about the Switch 2 that we don’t know yet, and that includes how much faster it might be versus the Switch (not to mention how it compares to handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck). It is mentioned above that a Nintendo Patent suggests it’ll be more powerful, and its specs will likely make sense when set against its price.
On the other hand, if you are buying this for someone who doesn’t care about the latest tech. Then you might not necessarily need the new Switch 2. Although the original Switch’s tech is outdated, the best games like Splatoon 3, The Legend of Zelda, and many more make up for the lack of power. In fact, you could just get the OLED Nintendo Switch, it has the same components as the other models but a larger OLED screen. Everything looks better, from contrast to brightness and picture quality. Save the extra RM 400 to RM 800 and get yourself the original Nintendo Switch if the tech doesn’t matter to you.
Nintendo has scheduled to announce more details about the Switch 2 on April 2nd’s Nintendo Direct. This is when we’ll probably learn more about what we want to know with this new-gen console games, price, features and release dates.
Nintendo will also hold Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events around the world throughout April, where we will be able to experience hands-on with the machine around cities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
For the time being, enjoy your wait and make the best decision of your life wisely 🙂
Written by: Jeremy Tan
Edited by: Tisyha
