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Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2[b] is an upcoming hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Nintendo Switch, it was announced on January 16, 2025, and is set to be released later the same year. HistoryNintendo released the original Nintendo Switch in March 2017, which was developed in the wake of the commercial failure of the Wii U.[2] The Switch was promoted as a hybrid console with handheld, tabletop, and docked configurations, with Joy-Con controllers that could be separated from the main unit for these configurations. Compared to the other consoles on the market at the time, including the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the Switch used less powerful computational hardware to keep the unit's price low but sufficient to power the type of games Nintendo typically publishes; part of the company's long-term blue ocean strategy to differentiate themselves from the other console manufacturers.[3] The Switch became Nintendo's best-selling home console, and by 2023, the third best-selling gaming console overall following the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS.[4] At the time of the Switch 2's announcement in January 2025, the Switch had sold over 146 million units worldwide.[5] In a June 2023 shareholder question-and-answer session, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa stated the company sought to make the transition between the Switch and its successor smooth for consumers, and was planning to retain the console's Nintendo Account system.[6] Backwards compatibility was a key part of the design of the Switch 2, the company saying as part of the console's announcement, "Nintendo Switch is played by many consumers, and we decided that the best direction to take would be for consumers to be able to play their already purchased Nintendo Switch software on the successor to Nintendo Switch."[1] Video Games Chronicle reported in July 2023 that Nintendo had sent out software development kits for its next console to development partners and that Nintendo wanted to avoid the shortages that the ninth generation consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, had suffered at launch.[7] Nintendo showcased the console in a private presentation during Gamescom in August; among the tech demos were a version of the Switch game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), running at a higher frame rate and resolution, and the Unreal Engine 5 demo The Matrix Awakens (2021).[8][9] On May 7, 2024, Furukawa officially acknowledged the development of the Switch's successor, stating that more information would be revealed later that fiscal year.[10] Rumors of a new console persisted through 2024, and at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in early January, several third-party accessory vendors highlighted gear slated for the successor, leading Nintendo to issue a statement that none of the mockups used at the show were official.[11] On January 16, 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed via Nintendo's official channels, introducing its new design and magnetic Joy-Con controllers, as well as brief footage of a Mario Kart game.[12] A Nintendo Direct centered around the console is scheduled for April 2, 2025.[13][14][15] Nintendo will host a series of worldwide events from April through June 2025 to allow players to try out the console before release.[16] The console was initially expected to launch in late 2024; however, in February, Bloomberg News reported that Nintendo had informed publishers it was delaying the release into early 2025.[17] The Nikkei, corroborating Bloomberg, reported the delay was to prevent shortages and scalping.[18] Nintendo's shares fell by nearly six percent following the reported delay.[17] In August 2024, GamesIndustry.biz and Eurogamer reported that the console would not launch before April 2025.[19] Game publisher and accessory maker Nacon anticipated that the console would be released within Nintendo's fiscal year beginning in April, and ending September 30, 2025.[20] Hardware Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 is a hybrid console, which can be used as both a handheld console, or placed into a dock connected to a television or monitor to be played like a home console. The unit maintains a similar form factor as the Switch, and consists of the main body that includes the screen and primary hardware, and two Joy-Con devices that can be attached to the main unit's sides in handheld mode, or can communicate wirelessly to the main unit when docked. Ars Technica estimated that the Switch 2 has a 7.9 inches (20 cm) screen, about 33% larger than the original Switch.[21] VGC's July 2023 report said the console would initially ship with an LCD screen, rather than an OLED screen, to reduce costs.[7] Sharp Corporation stated it had been providing Nintendo LCDs for the console since mid-2023, and the technology analysis firm Omdia stated these were likely 8-inch screens.[22] The console's alleged system on a chip, the Nvidia Tegra T239 (codenamed "Drake"), was leaked in the 2022 Nvidia ransomware attack by Lapsus$. It features an octa-core ARM Cortex-A78C CPU, a 12 SM Ampere GPU, and a 128-bit LPDDR5 memory interface.[23] Internal Activision emails from FTC v. Microsoft indicated that in terms of power, the console would be similar to eighth generation consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,[24] though it reportedly supports Nvidia's deep learning super sampling (DLSS) technology and ray tracing to allow for visuals comparable to more recent consoles.[9] On September 18, 2024, supposed images of the system leaked on Reddit, with details that matched previous reports.[25] In October 2024, Pokémon series developer Game Freak became the target of a significant data breach which exposed various development materials associated with the franchise. Among them included references to the tenth generation titles in the franchise, and that they were targeting a release on the Nintendo Switch's successor, codenamed internally as "Ounce".[26][27]
On January 1, 2025, alleged images of the system's motherboard appeared.[28] A user on Famiboards then calculated, based on the physical dimensions, that the system on a chip was likely produced using a 5 nm process node.[29] However, Richard Leadbetter of Digital Foundry concluded that, rather than porting the Ampere-based architecture to a smaller process node, it is more likely that the existing low-cost Samsung 8nm process node is being used. While such a process poses difficulties for performance and battery life, Leadbetter believes these can be relieved due to the nature of fixed hardware platforms, which allow for custom optimizations to be implemented.[30] Along with the existing ports from the Switch's design, which includes a USB-C port on the bottom which also serves as its power source and connector within a dock, a headphone jack, and a cartridge slot, the Switch 2 includes a second USB-C port on the top of the unit.[31] The new Joy-Con, besides being larger to match the larger console, attach to the console by snapping to the sides rather than using a rail system from the original Switch, and are removed using a small button on the Joy-Con that causes a cylinder in the Joy-Con to extend and push off from the main unit.[32] Industry rumors suggest the Joy-Con attachment to the main body is through magnetic attachment rather than a physical connector,[33] which had been desired in the original Switch design.[34][35] Reports that the new Joy-Con utilize Hall effect sensors for the joysticks rather than normal analog joysticks, which would address the drift issues that the original models had due to dust collecting within the analog system.[36] Journalists also noted the presence of an optical sensor on the Joy-Con, along with a re-designed wrist strap attachment that included a front button and pads, which the Joy-Con can slot into, believing this to indicate the Joy-Con could be used like a computer mouse.[33][37] SoftwareDistributionAs with its predecessor, games for Nintendo Switch 2 can be obtained in physical and digital formats, with physically distributed games being stored on proprietary Game Cards that share a similar form factor with those used on Nintendo Switch.[38] Original Nintendo Switch Game Cards are also supported for backwards compatibility.[39] Online servicesDuring an investors' meeting in November 2024, Nintendo confirmed that the Nintendo Switch Online service would be retained on the Switch 2.[40] LibraryPokémon series developer Game Freak was targeted in a data breach by an unspecified third-party ransomware group in October 2024. Among the publicly available materials, project plans for the tenth generation Pokémon games revealed that they were being developed for a simultaneous launch on both Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Nintendo Switch.[41][42] The console's reveal trailer in January 2025 was accompanied by early footage of an as-yet untitled Mario Kart game.[5][43][44] Information reported by IGN suggests that the games Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam will have upgraded Nintendo Switch 2 versions despite initially being announced for the Nintendo Switch.[45] Third-party supportA survey conducted at the 2024 Game Developers Conference in January 2024 inquired 3,000 independent and AAA developers on game creation and which platforms they were engaging, of which 250 individuals identified themselves as already producing games slated for Nintendo Switch 2, while a further 32% of those surveyed expressed interest in developing for the console.[46] In May 2024, Nintendo announced their intentions to acquire Miami-based developer Shiver Entertainment from their prior parent company Embracer Group, with the company detailing in a statement that the merger enabled them to procure specialized in-house resources for the development and porting of software, while allowing the studio to continue their commitments to Nintendo Switch and other platforms.[47] Bloomberg News later reported that the acquisition was for bolstering Nintendo's efforts in securing games from third-party developers on Nintendo Switch 2, with Shiver assisting external developers in the optimization of such titles from competing platforms.[48] In September 2024, developer Pathea Games announced My Time at Evershine, the spiritual successor to My Time at Portia (2019) and My Time at Sandrock (2023).[49] In October 2024, Playtonic Games announced their upcoming remaster Yooka-Replaylee would be released on "Nintendo platforms."[50] Microsoft Gaming's Phil Spencer said that they will support the Switch 2 with ports of their Xbox games, as part of their multiplatform distribution strategy.[51] Such games reportedly include ports of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.[52][53][54] Microsoft had previously signed an agreement with Nintendo to bring future entries in the Call of Duty franchise to their platforms as part of their acquisition bid for Activision Blizzard, which became legally binding in February 2023.[55][56] Publisher Ubisoft commented that they were "in love" with the console following its reveal that month, and were by then slated to be bringing Assassin's Creed Mirage and Assassin's Creed Shadows to the system during its launch window.[57][58] Other third-party titles such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater were also tipped for release on Nintendo Switch 2 at this time.[59] Backward compatibilityThe Switch 2 will be backward compatible with most Switch games, both physically and digitally,[40][60] though Nintendo said that some may not be fully compatible or supported.[1][15] Rumors in February 2024 indicated that developers would be able to update games to take advantage of the new hardware.[61] Existing Joy-Con and Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers are expected to be forward compatible as well.[62] NotesReferences
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