If Nintendo has finally lifted the veil on its next console, unknowns remain.
The Internet has been in turmoil since Nintendo announced the Switch 2 without warning. In a video lasting just over two minutes, fans were able to discover the Japanese manufacturer's next console, which, in passing, confirmed a certain number persistent rumors.
Magnetic controllers, new button, a (slightly) redesigned design or even more robust joysticks, here are all the details that we now know about the Switch 2. But Nintendo is still silent on a certain number of things. The company nevertheless plans to reveal much more during a dedicated event, a “Nintendo Direct” which will take place on April 2, 2025.
· What price for the Switch 2?
Faced with a Playstation 5 at around 550 euros, an Xbox Series
With the Switch, Nintendo launched a console at 329.99 euros in Europe. A high price considering its power, but which did not prevent its success. Due to global inflation and the power boost it brings, the Switch 2 could easily reach 400 euros. Still, Nintendo is also known for being relatively accessible to the general public (we remember the Wii, which was only 249 euros at its launch).
The presence of the Xbox Series S in the equation may nevertheless be difficult to justify a higher price, while we know nothing about the technical part.
· What power for the Switch 2?
It is, barring any surprises, Nvidia which has once again signed with Nintendo. The chip inside the Switch 2 could be a Tegra T239 chip, whose supposed power is that of an RTX 2050 card. The interest of this chip is twofold: it allows better performance for future games, but above all, it supports DLSS.
Nvidia's technology which allows, via AI processing, to improve the fluidity of the image by reducing the resolution without this having an impact on the visual quality, would be included. On Switch, there was only FSR 1 (AMD technology). With DLSS 2, or even higher, we can therefore imagine better results, mainly in the event of improvements on old games.
· Boosted backwards compatible games?
One of the great advantages of the Switch 2 is that it will be backwards compatible with almost the entire catalog of the first Switch. But will the experience be different depending on the console? The supposed power of the Switch 2 can give hope that with a patch (free or not), certain games in the Switch catalog will benefit from improvements, for example in fluidity or resolution.
-· What online features?
Very cautious about features involving an internet connection, Nintendo could nevertheless go the second with the Switch 2. The reason? The presence of a mysterious button, which could be a “C” button and which would be used to activate community options such as voice or written chat, without going through the Nintendo mobile application.
Furthermore, we like to imagine a system of successes/trophies which would, for example, allow you to unlock points to afford profile personalization elements.
· An OLED screen and a dock with an Ethernet port?
The presentation video revealed by Nintendo leaves little room for doubt: the Switch 2 will be released with a simple LCD screen, undoubtedly to contain the price at launch. But the manufacturer has not specified anything on the subject, just like on the dock which allows you to connect the console to a television: will there be, like the Switch OLED, an Ethernet port? Will WiFi 6e, or even 7, be there? Here are a few more mysteries which risk creating some speculation.
· What games with the Switch 2?
If not the presence of the license Mario Kartthe first trailer for the Switch 2 does not reveal any other games. But we know that for more than a year, Nintendo has put aside its internal studios to favor external studios in order to develop games for the first Switch .
A choice which can be understood by the need to ensure a convincing first year for the Switch 2 in terms of in-house productions. We can imagine that games already announced on Switch will see the light of day on the new console, with or without additional cost, for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond et Pokémon Legends: ZA. The two titles are expected for 2025 without further details.
· A mid-summer release for the Switch 2?
If the fanfare presentation is not planned before April 2, we can already count on a launch just a few weeks later. Nintendo first plans to present its console to the general public during dedicated events, including one in Paris from April 4 to 6, 2025.
So many clues which suggest that the Switch 2 will not be released before mid-June – at best. This would be a first: Nintendo, like other manufacturers, has often preferred to release their consoles at periods when purchases are more numerous, at the end of the year or in the first quarter. The only exception is the GameCube, launched in May 2002.
