"Switch 2 Outshines Original: 10 Key Upgrades"

Rejoice, fellow Nintendo fans! On Wednesday, the clouds parted, the sun rose, and the divine hand of Miyamoto reached down from the sky to grace us with Nintendo's latest marvel, the Switch 2. After years of speculation, we finally have a clear look at this mysterious console hybrid.

Sadly, the rumors about packing a tiny Reggie into every GPU turned out to be untrue. But after spending an hour during the Direct glued to every word, dissecting it, screenshotting every image, and poring over captured video for tiny clues about its form and function, we can finally provide solid facts about the Switch 2, including all the ways it leaves its beloved predecessor in the dust.

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

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1. Switch 2 packs in a lot more raw graphical power than Switch This revelation may not surprise many, as every next-gen Nintendo console has typically been significantly improved over its predecessor. The original Switch, released in 2017, was hardly a cutting-edge powerhouse compared to Sony and Xbox consoles, and eight years later, it noticeably struggles with demanding games. Nintendo and its partners were increasingly running up against the hardware's limitations.

   This week, we saw elements on display promising a vastly improved experience: handheld resolutions up to 1080p, docked up to 4K, both with HDR, and frame rates extending up to 120 fps. This upgrade should allow a wider variety of games to come to Switch 2. We may already see some of this in EA's decision to host soccer and football games on Switch 2, and 2K's intention to do the same with wrestling and basketball.

   Third parties revealed current-gen games to give us an idea of the Switch 2's increased capabilities, and what we saw was encouraging: a console/handheld capable of handling Elden Ring, Street Fighter 6, and other demanding software. Nintendo's new first-party offerings were simply gorgeous.

2. Switch plays GameCube games. Switch 2 doesn’t The beloved GameCube games are now available on Nintendo Switch Online, but exclusively on the Switch 2. Nintendo has effectively drawn a fence between online experiences on Switch and Switch 2, meaning that from this point forward, those who want to play some of Nintendo's best retro games will need to invest in the new hardware. Currently, only three games are available, but they are absolute classics: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and, incredibly, Soul Calibur 2, complete with Link.

   Soul Calibur 2 is truly incredible. If you've never played it with a friend, you're in for a treat.

3. Switch 2 recognizes the existence of the Internet The most significant departure from Nintendo's traditional approach this week is the easy integration of online features commonly available on other platforms. The company that brought us Friend Codes now introduces GameChat, a feature-rich communication and visual sharing feature set for Switch 2. A noise-cancelling mic picks up your voice and shares it with friends, and an optional desktop camera allows you to share your face, both in window-corners and in compatible games like Mario Party. You can also share screens across consoles remotely. This is the straightforward tool for playing with friends that we've been asking Nintendo for years.

   

   This feature has so much potential, especially for games like Monster Hunter, where teams of four can benefit from shared screens as they pursue and trap their prey. It's a thrilling step forward for Nintendo's online capabilities.

4. Magnetic Joy Cons As previously speculated, Joy-Cons now magnetically snap to the Switch 2 body rather than slotting in. Nintendo demonstrated how the steel shoulder buttons on each controller attract to the magnetic facing along the sides of the screen, locking them together. A press of a button releases the magnetic grip.

   This feature is particularly useful for my home setup, where a shelf top obstructs removing the Joy-Cons without removing the entire Switch from the dock, sometimes leading to knocking the whole thing down. I'm a fan.

5. A bigger screen Bigger isn't always better with handhelds, but the sharper resolution of the 1080p portable screen and the nature of most Switch games make the slight increase in size to 7.9 inches a net gain for most players. The first Switch sacrificed screen real estate for portability, but Nintendo is making the right call by giving these elaborate, feature-rich games more space to shine.

6. Mouse controls Nintendo was excited to showcase its innovative Joy-Con mouse features. A Switch 2 Joy-Con laid on its side can be scooted across a tabletop, with its telemetry tracked to provide precise pointing and rotation. This feature is heavily supported at launch by games like Drag x Drive, Civ 7, and Metroid Prime 4.

   I love Nintendo's wacky innovations. While the mouse feature might not see much use past the launch window, I'm thrilled about playing Metroid Prime 4 with a mouse. As a PC gamer, I rarely enjoy FPS games that force me to use a controller, so this surprising option feels liberating. Hopefully, we get Mario Paint 2.

7. More storage Nintendo has equipped the Switch 2 with 256GB of external storage, much more than the original Switch. However, with the Switch 2's extra graphics capacity, those asset-rich game files will be much larger, potentially offsetting the storage advantage. The memory is quicker to handle larger game files, meaning you'll need a new, faster memory card for supplemental storage.

8. Quality of life improvements are no small deal on Switch 2 Nintendo tweaked the Switch hardware in response to nearly a decade of feedback. The Switch 2 now features two USB-C ports, with one added on top to assist in charging while playing in kickstand mode. A fan has been added to the dock to aid in cooling consistency, and the sticks are larger with improved sound capabilities.

   Even the Switch 2 Pro Controller is a step up, with an audio jack and assignable buttons. No telling yet if the new controller contains the same miniaturized star that gives the Switch Pro Controller near-unlimited battery life.

   One of the most subtle yet useful features is the adjustable screen angle in kickstand mode. This is a huge deal for me, as I often play on a tabletop. The ability to subtly shift angles, coupled with the new mouse feature, makes me believe I might actually enjoy a serious game of Civilization 7 on the go.

9. Switch 2 gives you more choices The Switch 2 is backward compatible, which is always a plus. Microsoft has set a great example with optimized backward compatibility on Xbox, and Nintendo has wisely taken a note from its own GameCube to Wii to Wii U history, making most Switch games easy to play on the new hardware. Backward compatibility helps sell consoles in their first year.

   While the Nintendo Switch 2 is backward compatible with Switch games, it also supports special new Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of certain Switch titles like Metroid Prime 4. These enhanced titles offer new features, including a selection between a higher-res Quality Mode or a faster frame rate in Performance Mode.

   One cool feature of these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions is that if you already own the original game on Switch, you can purchase a simple Switch 2 Edition upgrade to enjoy all the new features on your new hardware. Let's hope it's not too expensive.

   It's also possible that Switch 2 Editions of Switch's notoriously-janky Pokémon games could be improved by these features. Let's hope so. Throwing hardware at things can't solve every problem, but sometimes it really helps.

10. You need Switch 2 to play the newest games by the best developers on earth Mario Kart World does everything we expect of Mario Kart and adds two key elements. The first is the ability to traverse a continuous world Forza Horizon-style, racing from course to course, free mode exploring, fooling around, and so on. The second is the swelling of the field size to 24 carts, which is quite a lot to get one's head around when the shells start flying. It sounds like absolute bedlam. I can't wait.

    Nintendo took its time showing off new games, but toward the end of the show, we got about a minute tease of a new Kirby's Air Ride game, Kirby's Air Riders. The announcement might have been underwhelming without the surprising involvement of Mr. Sakurai, known for his self-immolating work ethic and his status as the god of Smash Bros. I love Kirby, but Air Ride sucked... BUT it's Sakurai, so I'm now 100% in.

    Then there was The Duskbloods, a trailer that produced some hysterics in me. At first, I thought it was Bloodborne 2, then a licensed FROM Software take on Castlevania, and finally, I accepted that it was an entirely original Miyazaki game exclusive to Switch. My friends, remember: FROM Software does not miss. You will probably die. You will probably dodge roll. But you will certainly have a blast.

    Which Nintendo Switch 2 Game Are You Most Excited For?

    The DuskbloodsDonkey Kong: BananzaMario Kart WorldHollow Knight: Silksong
    AnswerSee ResultsAnd of course, the real King of Kong makes his triumphant return to 3D with Donkey Kong Bananza. It's a moment of absolution for Nintendo: 26 years after dropping the barbequed turd Donkey Kong 64 on an unsuspecting planet, a wiser, more skilled Nintendo has returned to the drawing board with what's sure to be a landmark adventure.

    Nintendo devs have been absolutely murdering 3D platforming on the Switch, not just with Odyssey and Bowser's Fury, but also with Kirby's incredible journey to the shores of the Forgotten Lands. Bananza was constructed to showcase far more capable hardware than these modern-day classics, which means that the devs had opportunities to iterate on ideas that wouldn't have been possible on a basic Switch.