Because of Nintendo’s January 16 teaser trailer, we have lengthy recognized what the Nintendo Swap 2 will appear like, and that it’ll arrive in 2025 — over eight years after its predecessor. Now it is time for the opposite shoe to drop: A particular Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct streaming on YouTube tomorrow (April 2) at 9AM ET is predicted to disclose the all the opposite key particulars, together with the worth, launch date and pre-order particulars. And we would see a number of new video games, too.
We already know fairly a bit in regards to the new console, due to the January reveal. The Swap 2 seems to be similar to the unique system, albeit with a bigger show, magnetic Pleasure-Cons and a sleeker design. The corporate additionally reaffirmed that the upcoming console can be backwards suitable with Swap video games.
Trying to make amends for the whole lot we all know — or assume we all know — in regards to the Swap 2? Learn on.
What are the important thing last-minute Swap 2 information and rumors?
The livestream placeholder for the April 2 Switch 2 Nintendo Direct is now dwell on YouTube, counting right down to the 9AM ET begin time. Nintendo has additionally confirmed that the presentation will final “roughly 60 minutes,” which is extra meaty than a lot of its current game-only streams.
If that first burst of Swap 2 information is not sufficient for you, Nintendo will following up with gameplay video on April 3 and 4 at 10AM ET as nicely.
The Nintendo Swap 2 was introduced on January 16
The rumor mill had heavily suggested that Nintendo would pull again the curtain on the Swap 2 on January 16, and that turned out to be the case.
The corporate hasn’t modified the core kind issue. It is a transportable console with removable Pleasure-Cons. The Swap 2 could be positioned in a dock for big-screen gaming. There are some important variations from the unique console, nevertheless.
The obvious one is that the next-gen Pleasure-Cons will not slide into place mechanically. As a substitute, they seem to connect to the primary unit magnetically. There’s a small connector that is probably used to cost the controllers. It is unclear at this level if Pleasure-Cons from the unique system can be suitable with the Swap 2.
One different huge (and really welcome) change is the addition of a second USB-C port on the highest of the gadget. That ought to make it a lot simpler to plug in equipment whereas the Swap 2 is docked. FCC filings recommend that you’ll cost the console utilizing both USB-C port, which is one other good quality-of-life change.
It is nice to see that Nintendo has stored the headphone jack as nicely. Let’s simply hope that Bluetooth headphone assist is dwell from the leap this time and Nintendo would not depart everybody waiting four years for that function.
The kickstand is getting an improve. As with the Swap OLED, it spans the size of the console this time round. However, in line with the reveal trailer, this one seems to be absolutely adjustable, so you possibly can tweak the viewing angle to at least one that works for you.
There are nonetheless an excellent many unknowns relating to the upcoming console. We do not actually know the specs but, or what kind of show it makes use of. We additionally do not know something about battery life, the UI or launch video games. We’ll absolutely study an entire lot on April 2.
When will the Nintendo Swap 2 come out?
2025. That is all we all know for certain at this level.
It is extremely unlikely that Nintendo will launch the console earlier than the devoted Direct on April 2, and never solely as a result of that is at first of Nintendo’s subsequent monetary 12 months. Accent producer Genki, which had been a significant supply of leaks earlier than Nintendo’s January reveal, claimed the console would be released in April. Different stories have pegged June as the discharge window, as have a number of analysts.
In any case, we must always study the discharge date in the course of the April 2 Direct.
When can I pre-order the Nintendo Swap 2?
As with the discharge date, we anticipate readability on this throughout or after the April 2 presentation. A Finest Purchase Canada publish noticed on Reddit (since deleted, however archived) states that pre-orders will open on that day, however that has but to confirmed.
When can I attempt the Nintendo Swap 2?
Nintendo is planning a worldwide roadshow to let avid gamers go hands-on with the console. These occasions begin in New York and Paris on April 4-6, with others going down all through the next two months. That lends credence to some solutions that Nintendo will launch the Swap 2 in June.
Ticket registration for most of the Nintendo Swap 2 Expertise occasions has closed, however waitlists are available. Nonetheless, on condition that Nintendo is taking a primary come, first served method, your probabilities of attending the roadshow should you do not have already got a ticket (or until you signed up for the waitlist instantly) appear very small at this level.
The total checklist of Nintendo Swap 2 Expertise dates is as follows:
North America:
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New York, April 4-6, 2025
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Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025
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Dallas, April 25-27, 2025
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Toronto, April 25-27, 2025
Europe:
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Paris, April 4-6, 2025
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London, April 11-13, 2025
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Milan, April 25-27, 2025
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Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
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Madrid, Could Sep 11, 2025
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Amsterdam, Could Sep 11, 2025
Oceania:
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Melbourne, Could 10-11, 2025
Asia:
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Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
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Seoul, Could 31-June 1, 2025
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Hong Kong, To be introduced
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Taipei, To be introduced
Will the Nintendo Swap 2 have some weirdness?
Every thing we have seen and thus far about this console has been pretty, nicely, conventional. It seems to be like the unique Swap, however higher. That is superior, however will there be any of that unpredictable Nintendo magic? Perhaps! There are two puzzling additions that people cannot make disguise nor hair of.
Genki, the equipment producer, simply printed a touchdown web page for his or her Nintendo Swap 2 equipment. This touchdown web page contains a video that features a very detailed take a look at a Swap 2 mockup. pic.twitter.com/Db7RSk4YlQ
— Bob Wulff (@BobWulff) January 8, 2025
Eager eyes can have observed a brand new button on the underside of the correct Pleasure-Con. Promotional pictures for a brand new app known as Nintendo Today!, which the corporate says will present customers with day by day information updates about issues like video games and the Swap 2, confirmed that it’s a C button.
Nonetheless, it isn’t but clear what this button does. Might it provoke voice chat throughout gameplay? Might it calibrate the controllers? Might it create a room-sized hologram of Bowser in your lounge? We’ll have to attend and see.
Now onto the up to date Pleasure-Cons. There seems to be a brand new sensor on the connecting facet of every controller. It seems to be a whole lot like an optical sensor, which is what a pc mouse makes use of. This has led to hypothesis that gamers will have the ability to flip the Pleasure-Con over and use it like a mouse. Of observe: the trailer exhibits the Pleasure-Cons shifting alongside a flat floor, connector facet down and searching suspiciously like a mouse.
However why would anybody even need this? We will consider three phrases. New Mario Paint.
Genki reveal isnt a mockup, its straight up simply the Swap 2, optical sensor is actually flashing on this shot @Stealth40k #Switch2 pic.twitter.com/COeLsonqMd
— Ash (@Ashinarii) January 8, 2025
Mouse management isn’t the one “too unusual for any firm however Nintendo” rumor floating round. A patent filed by the corporate suggests you possibly can swap the Swap 2’s Pleasure-Cons, snapping them onto both facet of the console. That may align with the magnetic Pleasure-Con attachment scheme.
However very similar to the bizarre mouse rumors, it doesn’t essentially align with, nicely, any logical purpose for why you’d wish to do this. The patent suggests it may permit for extra consumer selection in the place the headphone jack is. However because it’s Nintendo, the corporate that introduced us Labo cardboard peripherals and the Recreation Boy Advance e-reader attachment, we now have to surprise if there are… quirkier designs at hand.
Is the Nintendo Swap 2 backwards suitable?
The corporate confirmed in November 2024 that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible. It should additionally function entry to Nintendo On-line, so customers will have the ability to play all of these previous retro titles.
Within the preliminary Nintendo Swap 2 press launch, Nintendo reiterated that bodily and digital Swap video games will work on the brand new system. Nonetheless, it famous that “sure Nintendo Swap video games might not be supported on or absolutely suitable with Nintendo Swap 2.” Extra particulars about which video games these are can be revealed later.
Throughout a Nintendo Direct on March 27, the corporate revealed a brand new system for loaning digital Swap video games out to family and friends members. Virtual Game Cards are designed to make it simpler to begin a recreation on one console and proceed on one other as nicely. Though Nintendo’s method to that is not as simple as it perhaps should be, Digital Recreation Playing cards may even be out there on the Swap 2.
Will previous video games be enhanced in any means?
The unique Swap has, to place it mildly, struggled to run some of the late-generation software that is come down the pike. Might these video games be enhanced to make the most of the elevated horsepower of the Swap 2? We do not know. We additionally do not know if any of those releases will obtain graphical upgrades, maybe profiting from upscaling tech.
What’s going to the cartridges style like?
You could do not forget that the unique Swap cartridges taste absolutely awful. This was on objective, to discourage of us from placing the video games of their mouth. Will the successor comply with swimsuit and proceed to dip cartridges in a foul-tasting bitter coating? Solely time will inform.
What about specs?
The rumors relating to specs are in all places, so it’s powerful to pin down. We all know one factor for certain: It’ll be extra highly effective than the traditional Swap {hardware}, which was already antiquated again in 2017. One analyst allegedly bought a maintain of a spec sheet from the Korean United Every day Information that stated the Swap 2 would boast an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM and 64GB of inner eMMC storage. This tracks, as these specs are about as underpowered now as the unique Swap was in 2017. Nonetheless, some stories do indicate that the console will embrace 12GB of RAM.
One other supply means that the eight-core CPU can be packaged inside an NVIDIA-produced Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Given the present Swap runs on an NVIDIA chip, that makes a variety of sense. The CPU can be extra highly effective, but it surely’s the Swap 2’s new GPU that can be a significant differentiator. It is all-but-confirmed that the Swap 2 will assist DLSS, NVIDIA’s “deep studying supersampling” upscaling tech, which might permit the console to render video games at a low decision internally whereas outputting a high-resolution picture. (Enjoyable truth: We truly wrote about how perfect DLSS was for the Nintendo Switch 2 when the know-how was introduced alongside the RTX 20 collection again in 2018.)
There are nonetheless questions in regards to the Swap 2 and DLSS: Will the system assist newer DLSS features like frame generation? Will present video games be mechanically tidied up by NVIDIA’s algorithm? Whatever the actual implementation, DLSS upscaling can be an enormous leap over the rudimentary methods out there to Nintendo Swap builders.
As for the show, there are lots of conflicting rumors. Early stories from stable sources recommended the Swap 2 would have an 8-inch LCD display. The Swap 2’s show actually seems to be bigger than that of the unique Swap in a side-by-side comparability within the reveal trailer. Some of us have fearful that the Swap follow-up may actually be too big, particularly for youths.
Sure analysts have recommended this is able to be an OLED display, whereas others have stated it could be a Mini-LED display. A Mini-LED show is principally an LCD show that has a backlight fabricated from (shock!) mini-LEDs somewhat than edge lighting. This enables for native dimming, making the blacks extra black.
We’re hedging our bets right here. We expect it’ll be an ordinary LCD, to chop prices, with an OLED or Mini-LED mannequin coming later down the road. Nonetheless, Mini-LED screens are barely cheaper than OLED shows, in order that’s actually a risk at launch.
As for decision, current reporting means that the console will output 1080p in handheld and 4K when docked. That is a lot better than the OG Swap.
Extra tenuous “leaks” have intimated that the Swap 2 may additionally assist a quicker microSD card commonplace often called microSD Categorical. This enables for significantly faster switch charges than the widespread UHS-I playing cards supported by the Swap at present. It’s technically been around for a number of years, however we’ve solely not too long ago began to see microSD playing cards that make the most of the spec hit the market.
We truly examined one of them from SanDisk for our microSD card buying guide and located it may attain sequential learn speeds as much as round 900 MB/s. With the present Swap, microSD transfer speeds prime out nearer to 100 MB/s.
So, in principle, all of this might deliver a large enhance in load occasions and basic storage efficiency for the Swap 2 (although it’s nonetheless not more likely to be on par with the SSDs within the PS5 or Xbox Sequence X/S). However once more, these rumors are removed from concrete. It’s additionally price noting that microSD Categorical playing cards price considerably greater than what we often see at present — the SanDisk card we examined, as an example, begins at $45 for simply 128GB of storage.
Just lately-unearthed FCC filings additionally point out that the console will support Wi-Fi 6 and NFC. The latter signifies that the Swap 2 will proceed Amiibo integration.
How a lot will the Nintendo Swap 2 price?
We do not have an excessive amount of data relating to value however we do have loads of historical past to work with. The unique Nintendo Swap launched at $300, which is just about the “magic quantity” on the subject of Nintendo console releases in recent times. The Wii U additionally got here in at $300.
Nonetheless, there are many rumors circulating that Nintendo might be upping the asking value for the Swap 2. A number of analysts expect Nintendo to hike the worth to at the very least $400 and presumably at the same time as a lot as $500. Rising prices of elements and improvement, in addition to US tariffs, are more likely to imply that the Swap 2 is dearer than its predecessor.
Dipping again into historical past, there’s some priority for a value uptick. The GameCube was $200 and the Wii was $250. The Wii U and Swap elevated to $300 and, nicely, numbers wish to go up. A $400 price ticket would make the Swap 2 almost as costly as a PS5 and Xbox Sequence X. That may additionally put it on the identical value because the 256GB LCD Steam Deck.
Once more, we must always get affirmation of the worth in the course of the April 2 Nintendo Direct.
How nicely will the Nintendo Swap 2 promote?
Even with an anticipated value improve, Nintendo is more likely to promote boatloads of Swap 2 consoles. The corporate appears to be positioning itself to shatter gross sales information. Studies recommend that Nintendo desires to have as many models able to promote as doable on launch day. One analyst instructed Bloomberg that they anticipated Nintendo to have a list of between 6 million and eight million models on the outset.
As Bloomberg notes, the corporate bought 2.7 million Swap models in that console’s first month. Sony’s PS4 and PS5 every bought 4.5 million models of their first quarter available on the market, although it is price noting the PS5’s early momentum was hindered somewhat by shortages.
Nintendo has bought more than 150 million Switch units. On condition that many followers are greater than prepared for an improve (and to maybe give their previous Swap to a younger relative or promote it on a budget), the Swap 2 could be very more likely to go gangbusters proper out of the gate.
Can we learn about any launch video games?
Not a lot. The reveal trailer provided a peek at a brand new Mario Kart recreation. Nintendo launched Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U over a decade in the past and it has been milking that money cow ever since, having bought greater than 64 million copies of the sport throughout that console and the Swap. It is undoubtedly time for a brand new entry!
It is actually been a long time since we’ve gotten a correct 3D Mario journey as nicely, so a brand new one might be a launch title. That may be one heck of a system vendor. Aside from that, your guess is nearly as good as ours. Previous as prologue, we will anticipate one thing from Ubisoft and an off-the-wall title like 1-2-Swap. One report recommended that PowerWash Simulator 2 is sure for the Swap 2, in order that’s one thing.
If there’s a gimmick or hook concerned with the console, we’ll additionally get a recreation that takes benefit of that. A twin launch of Metroid Prime 4, similar to Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess earlier than that, can be a risk.
It is all however nailed on that we’ll study way more in regards to the Swap 2 launch lineup in the course of the April 2 Nintendo Direct, which begins at 9AM ET. You will undoubtedly wish to set your Alarmo for that one.
That is the whole lot we all know in regards to the Nintendo Swap 2 at present. We’ll replace this text with rumors we belief and with data we collect instantly from sources. Any adjustments made to the article after its preliminary publishing can be listed under.
Replace, January 24, 2025, 12:36 PM ET: This story has been up to date to incorporate hypothesis about value, potential recreation enhancements and the style of cartridges.
Replace, February 5, 2025, 9:30AM ET: This story has been up to date to notice the time when the April 2 Nintendo Direct begins.
Replace, February 24, 2025, 12:30 PM ET: This story has been up to date to incorporate hypothesis about storage and details about the brand new microSD Categorical commonplace.
Replace, March 6, 2025, 2:30PM ET: This story has been up to date to notice current FCC filings to point the presence of Wi-Fi 6 and NFC assist.
Replace, March 14, 2025, 12:15PM ET: This story has been up to date to incorporate pricing and gross sales hypothesis from analysts.
Replace, March 20, 2025, 12:45PM ET: Up to date to incorporate a observe in regards to the Seattle Mariners new jersey patches that includes Nintendo and the Swap 2.
Replace, March 27, 2025, 3:50PM ET: Up to date so as to add particulars in regards to the C button, Nintendo In the present day! and Digital Recreation Playing cards.
Jeff Dunn contributed to this report.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-everything-we-know-about-pre-order-plans-specs-pricing-games-and-more-195136485.html?src=rss
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