How Much Would It Really Cost To Build a PC as Powerful as the Switch 2? [Docked Mode]

After a ton of waiting and anticipation, Nintendo has finally released the successor to the immensely popular Nintendo Switch, the aptly named Switch 2. The new platform shares the same flexibility of use as its predecessor, so the majority of the upgrades have happened inside the box. 

The Switch 2 might not be able to hold its ground against the PS5 or Xbox Series X, but it’s a rather interesting piece of hardware that has some serious chops considering its price point and hybrid form factor. And all of that got us thinking, how much would it exactly cost to build a PC that’s as powerful as Nintendo’s machine while using fresh off-the-shelf parts? 

With this feature, we try to do exactly that as we pick parts and build something that resembles Nintendo Switch 2 in terms of performance in the docked mode.

Note: Prices are accurate at the time of writing.

GPU 

The Switch 2 uses a custom chip sourced from Nvidia, which is based on the Ampere architecture that we saw in the RTX 3000 series. Nintendo made a smart choice by going with the more mature and newer architecture, which not only helps in terms of raw compute performance but also supports newer features like DLSS 3.0 and hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, helping optimize performance across the board. The docked mode is already showing some impressive results, and hardware-specific optimizations will undoubtedly help in sustaining that as time goes on.

For the sake of keeping the same architecture and same power budget, we are going to be choosing an RTX 3050 for the GPU. Packed with 6 GB of memory, the RTX 3050 should be able to serve all of our gaming needs at a respectable resolution and frame rates, and all of it comes at a rather measly price of $180 on Amazon – making it a great starting point for our build.

CPU 

One of the biggest leaps in this console generation is in terms of CPU power, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is no different in this regard. The custom chip comes packed with 8 ARM78 CPU cores that run at a higher frequency in docked mode, and that is double of what the original Switch featured. As such, we can expect significant improvements in the single-core and multi-core performance end of things. 

For our build, the Intel Core i3 12100F serves as a good approximation of what the Nintendo Switch 2 has in terms of CPU compute, and it should also complement the RTX 3050 really nicely without one overpowering the other. It shares the same 8-thread spec sheet of our comparison console, but larger cache sizes and higher single-core speeds will obviously make it faster in terms of the raw grunt of the system. 

It’s obviously a solid choice for the purpose, and at a price point of around $74 on a retail site like Newegg – it’s really a no-brainer.

Motherboard 

For our motherboard, we just need something that will be able to hold all our components without having to bother with any cumbersome BIOS upgrades. We will be needing a board with LGA 1700 socket support, a PCI-e 4.0 slot for storage, and fitting that bill perfectly is the MSI PRO H610M-G motherboard. It retails for around $90 on Amazon.

Memory 

The Nintendo Switch 2 brings forth plenty of new upgrades to the memory end of things, providing an upgrade from just 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory to a full-fat 12GB. Unlike a traditional PC, the RAM in a console is dynamically shared between the CPU and the GPU, which makes the system a lot more flexible with such a meagre memory budget. 

That luxury doesn’t extend to our build however, and we will need to supply enough memory to the system so it can render the huge open worlds that current-gen games are flaunting. We will be going with the Crucial 16 GB DDR4 kit (2 sticks of 8 GB) each of which run at 3200 MHz, which further optimizes the system and allows other components like the CPU or the GPU to reach its full potential. Also, running the kit in dual channel is advantageous from a speed perspective, but you could also go with a single 16 GB kit as that will unlock future upgrade paths. You can get it for $70 on Amazon.

Storage 

Nintendo Switch comes with a UFS 3.1 storage system with 256 GB of memory right out the box, and while it wouldn’t match up to the snappy SSD speeds of the PS5 or Xbox Series X – it’s still a considerable improvement over what came before. 

To match that spec sheet, we will be going with the Western Digital SN580 SSD drive which features great read and write speeds and can be purchased for around $60 on Amazon. In a more realistic scenario, you should go for a higher capacity drive since current-gen games can easily soak up 100GB – but for keeping this build accurate and cheap, we will be going with the 250GB variant.

Case 

We will also be needing a competent case to house all of our components, and the Montech AIR 100 is something that will check all the required boxes without breaking the bank. It’s sleek, moderately stylish, and best of all – comes with 4 RGB fans that should help in cooling the system and prevent any possibility of thermal throttling. You can purchase it for around $70 on Amazon.

Power Supply

A power supply is one of the most important parts of a gaming system, and one should never cheap out on this component. It’s always advisable to go for a reputed brand with 80+ power rating, and satisfying these requirements has to be the EVGA 450W 80+ bronze power supply. 

It’s going for around $55 on EVGA’s official site, and you can expect similar prices across different platforms. Going with a 450W PSU isn’t recommended in most cases, but since the RTX 3050 6 GB variant doesn’t require any external power draw – we should be able to supply enough power to the rig. 

Controller 

As for the controller, we will be choosing the Xbox Wireless Controller. It’s affordable, ergonomic, and offers great compatibility – and you can find it going for around $75 on Amazon. It’s a wireless controller, but it runs on AA batteries – so you could always spring up extra cash or go for another option if you dislike replacing batteries every couple of months.

HDMI Cable

For the HDMI cable, we will be going with the Anker Certified High Speed cable that supports 4K at 120fps (but don’t expect many games to be running at that resolution frame-rate combo). It can be found retailing for around $8 on Amazon.

Keyboard + Mouse

We would also be needing a keyboard mouse combo to operate the system, and the Logitech MK120 wired keyboard and mouse combo should do the trick at a cheap price. It’s not a fancy piece of gear, but it gets the job done and can be comfortably used for casual gaming – and at a price point of just about $15 on Amazon we aren’t really complaining.

Operating System 

The final piece of the puzzle is an operating system, so we will have to factor in the cost of a Windows 11 Home license as well. It comes for around $139 on the official site, and will be required to ensure maximum compatibility for games since hassle free gaming on Linux is still a foreign reality.

Conclusion

Adding up the prices of all these equipments, the total cost of the rig comes for around $836, and that is obviously a lot higher than the retail cost of the Nintendo Switch 2 which is currently priced at $450. Our proposed PC build will obviously perform slightly better than the Switch 2, but the compromise comes in the form of a lack of mobility and the unavailability of exclusives like Mario or Zelda on the PC. 

Still, it’s going to be great witnessing how this gap narrows down in the near future and how things evolve over time so stay tuned until then. 

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