It’s hard to believe, but the Nintendo Switch 2 is almost here. An extremely unusual pre-launch cycle, marked by years of rumours but no official acknowledgment of the system’s existence, followed by an extremely truncated reveal and marketing cycle, have led to all sorts of information about the system coming in thick and fast over the last few weeks. So much so, that even now, just days away from us all having the system in our hands, there’s a lot left to talk about. Here are 15 more things about the Nintendo Switch 2 that you need to know.
NO VRR WHILE DOCKED
When the Switch 2 was originally detailed by Nintendo during the April 2 Nintendo Direct, VRR was mentioned as part of the system’s capabilities. Initial wording on the website seemed to suggest that VRR would be supported in handheld and docked modes alike; however, later on, the wording on the website was changed, and Nintendo themselves confirmed, that VRR support is only available in handheld mode. The Switch 2’s screen comes with native 120 Hz and VRR support- however, in docked mode, it outputs video to USB-C, which is then converted to an HDMI signal via DisplayPort. Unfortunately, that combination of changes can wreak havoc with VRR output. It’s a problem that can be solved. Valve added VRR support to Steam Deck’s docked mode years after launch, and even a non-hybrid home console like PS5 didn’t get VRR until years after launch. Nintendo hasn’t committed to that, but if you’re someone who was looking forward to this functionality, there is still some hope.
NEW FEATURES FOR NSO N64 GAMES
The emulator for Nintendo 64 games on the Nintendo Switch 2 gets some new features compared to its Switch 1 counterpart. This includes the extremely useful Rewind feature, which on the Switch was only available for 8- and 16-bit systems. Unfortunately, on the original Switch, this feature became infeasible to implement for N64 games, since it involves a continuous record of save states to be maintained for the last 30 to 60 seconds, which is far more complicated to do for a 3D game than a 2D one. Thanks to the increased processing power available on the Switch 2, however, the N64 emulator will get the ability to rewind games too. It will also get some other exclusive perks, such as a CRT filter.
USB MOUSE SUPPORT
One of the signature features of the Switch 2 promises to be its in built mouse controllers. Both of its Joycons have the ability to be used as a mouse, individually or in combination with each other. However, the Switch 2 also supports mouse control via regular old computer mice you may have lying around, via USB. A few games, such as Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition, have already been confirmed to support plugged in mice, in fact.
GAME CHAT 2FA
Another one of the signature features of the Switch 2 is its built in voice chat platform, Game Chat. Offered as part of Nintendo’s NSO subscription service, Game Chat is going to offer not just voice chat, but also video chat, party chat, screen sharing, and even game sharing. While eventually Game Chat will only be available to NSO subscribers, for the first year, everyone gets access to it for free. Which is great – however, it is important to note that Game Chat will require a one time authentication via text message. So somehow, just in case you do not have access to a mobile phone with SMS enabled, you have until June 5 to get one arranged. Of course, if you don’t have a phone with SMS, you probably don’t care for Game Chat either, so moving on.
LIVE SPEECH TO TEXT TRANSCRIPTION
One of the coolest features that Game Chat includes is live speech to text transcription. Meaning when your friends are speaking on chat while you play, what they are saying can be made to show on your screen as a live chat, in the style of a Twitch or YouTube livestream, parsed by individual speaker. A great feature for accessibility, and also for those who have a hard time focusing on what others are saying while they’re playing games.
SWITCH 2 PHYSICAL GAME CASES
Nintendo has made it pretty much impossible for someone to confuse a case for a physical Nintendo Switch game with the case for a Switch 2 game. Where Switch game cases were a transparent grey, and fairly minimalistic in terms of logos, with only a small inset in the corner giving way to the Switch logo, and the rest being reserved for cover art, the Switch 2 game cases are… decidedly more maximalist in their approach. For starters, they’re now red, which is great, red is Nintendo’s color after all. And in at least some regions, the cover art wraps around the spine as well, leading to a really cool aesthetic. Unfortunately, the good stuff ends there. All the other changes are not necessarily for the better. For starters, the small corner Switch logo is now a giant red banner across the entire top of the case. And for some reason, only a very small center aligned portion of the banner has the actual Switch 2 logo, the rest is… just empty space. Additionally, if the game you are getting happens to be a Switch 2 Edition upgrade for a Switch 1 game, then you not only have the giant red banner with the tiny logo to contend with, but you also have a huge chunk of text (complete with QR code) at the bottom explaining how a Switch 2 Edition works… it’s not pretty, I’ll say that.
FIND YOUR LOST CONTROLLERS
A useful and underappreciated feature on the original Switch was one that let you locate lost Joycon controllers that you may have misplaced around the house. By going into the controller settings menu, you could locate any controller paired with the system by sending a signal to it that would use its HD Rumble motors to vibrate loudly – loud enough for you to be able to figure out where it was. This same feature will be coming back on the Switch 2 as well, where it will be possible to use the Joycon 2 and Switch 2 Pro controller’s HD Rumble 2 to be locate them.
NO NINTENDO GAMES ON KEY CARDS
One of the more controversial changes Nintendo has made on the Switch 2 is with the introduction of a new option for third parties to be able to sell physical games. With third party game file sizes rapidly increasing, and Switch 2 cartridges only available in 64 GB – at a hefty price at that – Nintendo has offered third parties the option to sell “physical” games (physical in air quotes there) on something called Game Key cards, which is essentially as cartridge that, when inserted into the system, will download the game on to your system memory before it can be played. Since the data needs to be downloaded and is not on the cartridge, Game Key Cards have proven to be controversial with physical game enthusiasts. Those enthusiasts can at least rest easy knowing, then, that Nintendo has promised that none of its first party games will be sold on Game Key Cards. The company plans on selling physical games on proper Switch 2 cartridges. It presumably helps that Nintendo game file sizes have not yet reached the ridiculous extents that most other publishers games have.
FREE SWITCH 2 UPGRADES
In a lot of ways, how Nintendo is handling Switch 2 upgrades for Switch games is reminiscent of how Sony handled PS5 upgrades for PS4 games. There are the games that come with paid upgrades, and substantial updates – the $10 PS5 upgrades for PlayStation, the Switch 2 Editions for Nintendo – but also, just like Sony offered free, smaller PS5 upgrades for certain PS4 games, Nintendo is offering free Switch 2 upgrades for certain Switch 1 games. These aren’t necessarily minor or small scale titles either – while you do have some of those, such as ARMS or Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, games that will be getting free upgrades for Switch 2 also include massive releases such as Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Hey, maybe that last one will finally be playable now!
HDR SUPPORT FOR 2D ZELDA TITLES
Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are getting extensive Switch 2 Editions, upgrades which not only see both games running at a much higher resolution, but also a glorious locked 60 FPS, and some extra content and features. Which leaves the two 2D Zelda games. The Switch had the Link’s Awakening remake, as well as Echoes of Wisdom. While these games are not getting Switch 2 Editions, they will be among the games that get free Switch 2 upgrades, adding, among other things, higher resolution and HDR support, which, of course, should look especially nice with those games’ aesthetic.
LAUNCH DAY REVIEWS
Unlike pretty much every single major hardware release to date, the Nintendo Switch 2 reportedly may not have reviews for the hardware or the software ready to go on launch day. Allegedly, critical system functionality will not be enabled until a Day One system update, which will not be available until launch day. In turn, this also means that the Switch 2 will need a system update out of the box before you can use it. Let’s hope Nintendo’s servers hold up on launch day…
POTENTIAL PRICE INCREASE
The Switch 2’s original announcement was fraught with controversy, largely in response to the perceived high price for the hardware and software. A turbulent few following days of geopolitics, causing preorders to be delayed indefinitely in North America, eventually led to preorders for the system being resumed. Best of all, the price was unchanged for the console and the games (though every accessory saw a bump of $5-$10). People were simply happy the hardware price had not been raised, which caused a lot of the initial complaints to dissipate. However, Nintendo did note that the price very well might in the future, particularly if tariffs necessitate it. So, uh, if you want a Switch 2, you may want to get on it sooner rather than later. As the PS5 and Xbox Series X have demonstrated, and Nintendo has cautioned, there is every possibility of the price going up with time.
QUIETER, BETTER HD RUMBLE
HD Rumble has been upgraded on the Nintendo Switch 2. Now called HD Rumble 2, it is supposed to provide much better resolution and texture to the vibration and haptics, while being a whole lot quieter. All of which is great news. Let’s hope it is utilized better on the Switch 2. While some games on the Switch do make good use of its HD Rumble haptics functionality, most games used it poorly, if at all. With haptics having been popularized by the PlayStation 5, and its DualSense controller, maybe HD Rumble 2 will fare better.
NINTENDO DOES NOT GUARANTEE LAUNCH DAY DELIVERY
Arguably the safest place to place a pre-order for a Switch 2 would be Nintendo themselves, right? Unlike other retailers, there aren’t likely to be as many glitches, mishaps, cancelations, and miscalculated stock allocations. And yes, pre-ordering a Switch 2 from Nintendo has meant you have been able to sidestep most of these problems. However, there’s a whole other problem instead. Nintendo has made it clear that while they will do their best to make sure Switch 2 is shipped out as soon as possible, they cannot guarantee launch day delivery. Which is fair in that, sure, postal and mailing delays are not in their control, but it does kind of suck.
A NEW NINTENDO DIRECT IS ALLEGEDLY ON THE WAY
After that bummer, let’s end things on a higher note. Apparently, the next major Nintendo Direct presentation is imminent. How imminent? Knowledgeable Nintendo insiders, with substantive track records, are claiming that the next Nintendo Direct is going to be in the first two weeks of June. In other words, we might see the next Nintendo Direct either in Switch 2’s launch week, or the week after. Lending more credence to the theory is that Nintendo is a partner for the Summer Game Fest this year, for the very first time ever- until now, Nintendo has avoided Summer Game Fest, and even scheduled its June Nintendo Direct presentations towards the end of the month to avoid any association. The next batch of major announcements for the Switch 2, then, may be right around the corner.
