Nintendo Switch 2: 9 Burning Questions About the New Console

After months of being easily the worst-kept secret in the gaming industry, the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been revealed. We’ve now gotten our first official look at the new console via a trailer from Nintendo, one that confirms many of the leaks that had surfaced about the successor to the original Nintendo Switch.

Unfortunately, this new footage proved to be tantalizingly brief, and there’s a lot we still don’t know about the Nintendo Switch 2. When is the exact release date? How much will it cost? Why isn’t it backwards-compatible with every original Switch game? Let’s break down the biggest questions surrounding the new console as we wait for the next Nintendo Direct in April 2025.

What’s the Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date?

There’s been plenty of speculation about when in 2025 Nintendo plans on releasing the Switch 2. The trailer gives us no new insight on that subject, only confirming what we already knew – the system will hit stores at some point this year. So when in 2025 is the Switch 2 actually dropping?

The original Switch launched on March 3, 2017, after first being revealed in October 2016. Will Nintendo follow a similar timetable this time around? If so, that would put the release of the Switch 2 around May or June 2025, which is in line with recent rumors.

At this point, all we know for sure is that the system won’t release before April 2025. Nintendo has scheduled a new Direct livestream on April 2, where we’ll get more details about the console and see footage of the Switch 2’s launch games. We also know that Nintendo will be running a series of hands-on fan preview events from April until early June. It would make sense to release the console once those events have concluded. But again, we probably won’t get a firm release date until the Direct in April.

What Is the Price of the Switch 2?

The price tag might be the biggest mystery surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 at the moment. How much will the new console cost? Will it be in line with the original Switch, or should gamers brace themselves for a price hike?

The original Switch launched in 2017 at $300. Currently, the Switch OLED is priced at $350. With the Switch 2 being, by all appearances, an upgraded version of the Switch with superior hardware, it stands to reason that Nintendo will increase the price by $50 or $100. Indeed current rumors suggest the Switch 2 will launch at $400, putting it in line with the baseline OLED Steam Deck. IGN spoke with a number of industry analysts who largely agree that $400 is the sweet spot for the new console.

It may ultimately depend on how advanced the hardware is in the new console. Rumors suggest the Switch 2 is roughly on par with the Xbox One X. In other words, a major upgrade over its predecessor, but not necessarily on the cutting edge of portable tech. The horsepower of the Switch 2 and questions like whether the system still uses an OLED screen (more on that later), will determine just how much more expensive the Switch 2 is compared to the original.

What New Games Will the Switch 2 Launch With?

A new console is only as good as its library of launch games. Part of the reason the original Switch was such a hit out of the gate is that it launched with a pretty killer lineup. It’s not often that a new Nintendo console launches with a brand-new, open-world Legend of Zelda game. Couple that with the hugely popular Mario Kart 8 and the release of Super Mario Odyssey later that same year, and it’s clear the Switch came out with guns blazing.

Will the Switch 2 have a similarly impressive arsenal? At this point, we can only really speculate. The trailer only teases one new game for the Switch 2, offering footage of what we assume is Mario Kart 9. If Nintendo has a new Zelda or Mario game planned for launch, they’re keeping that under wraps until April.

We do have a fairly comprehensive list of all the games rumored to launch with the Nintendo Switch 2. We’re expecting an upswell of third party support this time around, now that there won’t be such a wide gulf in technical power between Nintendo’s console and the Playstation 5 and Xbox.

What Is the Switch 2’s Exact Size?

One of the biggest takeaways from the Switch 2 trailer is that the new console isn’t just more powerful than its predecessor, but bigger, too. Both the console itself and the Joy-Cons are physically taller (though their width appears unchanged) and the screen is larger and takes up more of the front of the unit. All signs point to this being a more substantial piece of hardware than the original Switch.

But just how big is the Switch 2? Based on the trailer, we’d estimate the Switch 2 is around 15% larger than the original. Is that accurate? How much of a difference does that make to the overall experience? Will the new Switch be as comfortable to hold and manipulate? Again, we’ll have to wait until April for more concrete details.

What Type of Screen Does It Have?

The original Switch only went through one major hardware refresh during its long life cycle, but it was a big upgrade. The Switch OLED is a clear improvement over the original model. The OLED screen is brighter and more vibrant, and the OLED tech also allows for improved battery life (a big win on a portable system like this).

Naturally, Nintendo fans have been wondering whether the Switch 2 will follow that example and once again make use of an OLED display. We’d certainly like to see an OLED panel again, but it’s very possible Nintendo will downgrade to an LED or even LCD panel in order to keep costs down. The trailer gives us no indication of what tech the Switch 2 is using, so this is another area where we’ll have to wait until the next Nintendo Direct to find out more.

Which Games Aren’t Backwards Compatible?

Nintendo eased fears by confirming that the Switch 2 will be backwards-compatible with most original Switch games. These OG Switch games, whether physical cartridges or digital downloads, will work on the new system. That makes it that much easier to commit to the new console.

That being said, the trailer does include a disclaimer that not all Switch games will be compatible with the new console. Which games won’t work on the new system? Are we talking about Switch games that require the original Joy-Con controller, like Ring Fit Adventure or Nintendo LABO? Or are there other hardware limitations we don’t know about that will prevent certain games from coming forward to the new system?

Will Original Switch Games Be Enhanced?

It’s good to know that most original Switch games will work on the new console. Still, that leaves the question of how exactly Switch games will perform on the Switch 2. Will the experience be identical, or will Nintendo make use of the upgraded hardware to boost framerates and otherwise improve the graphics?

Given how much graphically intensive games like Tears of the Kingdom are crying out for more horsepower, we have to assume Nintendo has some sort of plan for offering improved versions of original Switch games. But will it be as simple as loading up an old Switch cart on the Switch 2, or will gamers have to pay for an upgraded, remastered version? And if it’s the latter, will that take the form of a paid download, or will they have to buy a completely new version of the game? Basically, what investment are we looking at if we want to play a Tears of the Kingdom remaster?

What New Functions Does the Joy-Con Have?

Rumors suggested the new Joy-Con controllers would be getting a few upgrades on the Switch 2. Those rumors were borne out by the trailer, which confirms that the new Joy-Con has an extra button and will attach to the console magnetically rather than via rails. The trailer even seems to confirm the rumor that the Joy-Con can be manipulated like a computer mouse, opening up new gameplay opportunities.

How exactly will the Switch 2 take advantage of these new features? Will the mouse-style functionality open up new doors for first-person shooters or strategy games on the Switch 2? And what exactly does the new button do?

Once again, we expect the new Joy-Con will be a major focus at the Direct event in April, where we’ll see new games that show off the opportunities provided by these added features.

Will Joy-Con Drift Be Fixed?

Gaming on the original Switch wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Many owners faced the dreaded problem of Joy-Con drift, where joysticks would begin to register movement on their own. While to their credit, Nintendo was aggressive about offering repair and replacement solutions, it was still a frustrating problem that persisted throughout the Switch life cycle.

We can only hope drift is an issue Nintendo has solved this time around. Are the new Joy-Cons drift-proof? Will the combination of new joystick sensors and the magnetic attachments ensure that this problem is a thing of the past? We hope so, but we’ll see whether Nintendo addresses the subject at the Direct event in April.

For more on the Nintendo Switch 2, check out 30 details we found in the reveal trailer, and see what to expect from Nintendo in 2025.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.