At long last, the new Nintendo Switch 2 console is here, and it’s in players’ hands. While the Switch 2 doesn’t look too different from the original, the official specs tell a different story, as plenty of improvements are buried in the details. For instance, the new system boasts “10x the graphics performance” compared to the original Switch, according to Nvidia, which built the custom processor powering the Switch 2. With the new console available to buy, it’s worth digging deeper to see what’s changed.
The Switch 2 is priced at $450 alone or $500 in a bundle with Mario Kart World, the headliner of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch games. If you didn’t pick up your preorder, you may be out of luck as stock ran out soon after its launch, but here’s all the info on how you might be able to buy the Switch 2 in stores.
Note that we’re mostly comparing the Switch 2 to the original Switch 1 released in March 2017 and some comparisons to the OLED model, because looping in the Switch Lite gets complicated.
Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch OLED vs. Switch 1
| Switch 2 | Switch OLED | Switch 1 | |
| Price | $450 | $350 | $300 |
| Release date | June 5, 2025 | Oct. 8, 2021 | March 3, 2017 |
| CPU/GPU | Custom Nvidia | Custom Tegra | Custom Tegra |
| Storage | 256GB | 64GB | 32GB |
| Battery Size | 5,220 mAh | 4,310 mAh | 4,310 mAh |
| Battery Life | 2-6.5 hours | 4.5-9 hours | 4.5-9 hours |
| Video Output | 4K (3,840 x 2,160) | HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) | HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) |
| Max framerate | 120 fps | 60 fps | 60 fps |
| HDR, VRR support | HDR / VRR up to 120Hz | N/A | N/A |
| Dimensions | 166 x 272 x 13.9mm | 102 x 242 x 13.9mm | 102 x 239 x 13.9mm |
| Screen size | 7.9 inches | 7.0 inches | 6.2 inches |
| Weight | 401 g | 320 g (0.93 lbs.) | 297 g (0.88 lbs.) |
| USB and Ports | 2x USB-C, 3.5mm | USB-C, 3.5mm | USB-C, 3.5mm |
Design
Broadly, the Switch 2 is a larger version of its predecessor, with everything looking slightly inflated versus the original Nintendo Switch: bigger footprint, bigger screen, bigger Joy-Cons.
Original Switch: The original Nintendo Switch, with Joy-Cons slotted into the side rails, is a little over 9.4 inches wide, 4 inches tall, a little over half an inch thick and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Joy-Cons slide into place from the top of the original Nintendo Switch sides, while a thin wedge of plastic pops out of the back of the console to serve as a kickstand.
The original Nintendo Switch also came with a dock, which the console could slot into for recharging and outputting to a TV or large display via HDMI port.
Switch OLED: The Nintendo Switch OLED is ever-so-slightly wider to accommodate the larger display, but the same height in order to be compatible with Joy-Cons.
Switch 2: The new Nintendo Switch 2 is bigger in every way, but it has the same overall shape and layout as the original. The new Joy-Cons will indeed be held in place on the Nintendo Switch 2 magnetically, and connect to the console via pins. The Nintendo Switch 2 also sports a wide U-shaped kickstand that spans almost its entire rear width, which can be moved around to prop up the Switch 2 at a variety of angles. Nintendo says the Switch 2 has more powerful speakers, which we’re looking forward to testing.
The Switch 2’s dock is largely similar in function though it has rounded edges and an internal fan to cool down the console during long game sessions. More importantly, it can output games in 4K to TVs, but only for select games.
Winner: Switch 2
From the January reveal trailer, a Joy-Con comparison between the Switch 1 (left) and Switch 2 (right).
Joy-Cons
The Joy-Cons were a marvel when they arrived on the first Nintendo Switch, and while they’re functionally similar in its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2’s controllers have been upgraded.
Original Switch: The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are simple but powerful controllers that slide on and off the console via plastic rails, connecting and recharging via pins on the side. Detach, and they become their own micro-controllers, with little shoulder buttons to boot. The Joy-Cons are unchanged on the Nintendo Switch OLED.
A side view of the Switch 2 Joy-Con (top) compared to the Switch 1 Joy-Con (bottom).
Switch 2: The Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons are larger to fit the Switch 2, and lock into the side of the console via powerful magnets — there are small inward-facing buttons to the side of ZR and ZL to detach the controllers from the console. The larger Joy-Cons have longer L and R outside shoulder buttons, as well as much wider SL and SR internal shoulder buttons, which are accessible when detached from the Nintendo Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 includes these colored caps to put on the end of Joy-Cons to make scrolling on a surface easier when using them in mouse mode.
And yes, you can use the NIntendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons as mice by placing their inner edges flat on a surface. During the Nintendo Direct, we saw one being used to control active action games like the wheelchair basketball-simulating DragXDrive and strategy games like Civilization VII. They have a removable cap that can be slipped on the inside edge to make running the controller back and forth on surfaces in mouse mode smoother.
Winner: Switch 2.
The Switch 2 looks just like the rumors said.
Display size
Original Switch: The original Nintendo Switch has a 6.2-inch LCD screen with 1,280×720-pixel resolution, which was reasonably impressive at launch in 2017 but has been outclassed by newer handhelds with sharper displays. The Switch Lite, the more portable and affordable version, has a 5.5-inch LCD screen.
Switch OLED: The Switch OLED’s display, besides having deeper darks and an overall better picture than the base game, is larger at 7 inches. To fit into the overall same frame as the original Switch, the bezels on the Switch OLED have been drastically minimized.
Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, the Nintendo Switch 2’s larger size means a larger display. The new console has a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen that can get up to 120Hz refresh rate in handheld mode, or up to 4K when docked and outputting to a TV.
Why no OLED display? Possibly to save on costs… or perhaps to give Nintendo room to release a Switch 2 OLED version down the line.
Winner: Switch OLED.
Watch this: More Details of the Nintendo Switch 2 Revealed: Supercut
CPU/GPU
Original Switch: The original Nintendo Switch runs on an Nvidia custom Tegra X1 processor split into four ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores, and according to Hackaday, there are four extra A53 cores that aren’t used. The Switch Lite and Switch OLED have the same hardware.
Switch 2: Once again, Nintendo hasn’t released any official info on the Nintendo Switch 2’s specs, even after the Nintendo Direct reveal stream — and the most the company reveals is that it has a “custom processor made by Nvidia” on the Switch 2’s official specs page. Nvidia confirmed it also has a custom GPU, claiming that the new console has “10x the graphics performance” of the Switch 1, and the custom processor’s AI-powered features include Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), face tracking and background removal for video chat and real-time ray tracing.
We do still have more supposed details from previous leaks. Months ago on X (formerly Twitter), leaker Zuby_Tech posted that the Switch 2’s CPU will be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. They also suggested that the GPU will be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with years of similar rumors reported on by Eurogamer and others about the custom chip, which derives from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and mobile devices.
Winner: Likely Nintendo Switch 2, but we should wait and see.
RAM and storage
Original Switch. The Switch has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD cards in the slot beneath the kickstand.
Switch OLED: The only change is an upgrade to 64GB of onboard storage.
Switch 2: Even after the reveal stream, Nintendo didn’t release official RAM specs. Leaker Zuby_Tech posted on X back in September suggesting the Nintendo Switch 2 will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. That leak also suggested the new console will have two internal fans, up from the single one in the original Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo did confirm that the new console will have 256GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded with special microSD Express cards — sorry, your old Switch-compatible microSD cards won’t work on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Winner: Switch 2.
Battery life
Original Switch: The original Nintendo Switch packs a 4,310-mAh battery, which gives between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life depending on screen brightness and other factors. The Switch OLED has the same size battery and battery life as the original.
Switch 2: Though Nintendo didn’t release details on the Nintendo Switch 2’s capacity in the reveal stream, the company does list specs on its website, showing it packs a 5,220mAh battery. While that’s notably larger than the one in its predecessor, Nintendo estimates this will only get players between an estimated 2 and 6.5 hours, depending on games played.
Winner: Sounds like the original Nintendo Switch and OLED Nintendo Switch have better battery life.
A screenshot from Nintendo’s Switch 2 introduction video showing the console’s topside and the new second USB-C port next to the 3.5mm headphone jack and, presumably, the cartridge slot to the right.
Ports
Original Switch: The first Nintendo Switch sports a single USB-C port out the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. On the top is a slot at the top for Switch game cartridges as well as the microSD slot beneath the kickstand on the rear of the console. The Nintendo Switch OLED has the same ports.
Switch 2: The Nintendo Switch 2 retains the original’s USB-C port on the bottom and 3.5mm jack on the top while adding another USB-C port on the topside. Now we know what it’s for: To connect with accessories like the Nintendo Switch Camera, a webcam-like camera on a stand that lets you do Nintendo’s version of FaceTiming while you play games with your friends. Only the top port can connect to cameras.
The Switch 2 has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth connectivity (the Joy-Con controllers connect via Bluetooth 3.0, but it’s unclear if the console is compatible with more advanced Bluetooth formats) as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. The dock has an ethernet port, giving the Switch 2 wired internet connectivity when docked.
As for cartridges, the Nintendo Switch 2 will play some original Switch games in physical versions. The cartridge slot is to the right of the headphone jack in the above image, which is where the slot is on the original Switch. You can tell game cartridges from the two console generations apart by color: ones for the new Switch 2 are red, while older Switch 1 games are black.
Winner: Switch 2.
Watch this: We Played Nintendo Switch 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Camera and a Lot More
Price
The NIntendo Switch 2 costs $450 compared to $300 for the original Nintendo Switch and $400 for the OLED Nintendo Switch. It’s unclear right now how US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs will affect the price, and right now, the Switch 2 price is holding steady at $450. But if tariffs enter the picture, they surely won’t make the console cheaper.
The Verdict
CNET’s Scott Stein spent a day playing the Nintendo Switch 2.
If you’re a gamer, there’s nothing like the Nintendo Switch 2 out there, he reports.
“I’d say the Switch 2 is a better piece of hardware (than the existing Switch) no doubt, but the upgrade proposition feels pretty uncertain until Nintendo shows many more games that make it worth it,” Stein said.
Stein notes that, at $450 (£395, AU$699), plus $70 or $80 for such games as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, the Nintendo Switch 2 “is an expensive proposition for any family right now.”
But if money’s not a huge issue, go ahead and upgrade.
“Then again, as a handheld game console with its own included dock that can also play games in 4K on a TV, it’s actually competitively priced versus the Steam Deck and Windows gaming handhelds,” Stein says.
Switch 2 FAQ
When is the Nintendo Switch 2 coming out?
June 5. If you haven’t preordered, you may be out of luck, but there’s some hope.
The console is still sold out just about everywhere online, but several retailers — including Best Buy, Target, GameStop, Walmart and even Staples — have confirmed that they’ll be offering in-store availability on release day, with most kicking off at midnight. It will certainly be competitive, but this could be your best bet if you’re looking to grab one of these cutting-edge handhelds for yourself anytime soon. Additionally, Target has announced that it will have another round of online availability on June 6.
We’re tracking Nintendo Switch 2 availability in this story.
Why are Nintendo Switch 2 games $80?
Getting the Nintendo Switch 2 is only part of the problem. Games for the Switch 2 sure aren’t cheap. The must-have Mario Kart World is $80, $10 more than what most new games cost today.
While the Trump administrations tariffs are making headlines, they aren’t to blame here. CNET’s Oscar Gonzalez writes that one likely reason is game storage. Industry analysis from Niko Partners notes that “one reason for the higher price is the increased cost of the new and faster Game Cards themselves, with higher capacities being more expensive to manufacture than a PS5 Blu-ray disc.”
But while Mario Kart World is priced at $80, another Nintendo Switch 2 game, Donkey Kong Bananza, which comes out in July, is listed on Nintendo’s site for $70. Not exactly cheap, but cheaper than Mario Kart World.
Here’s a look at the Nintendo Switch 2 games we’re most excited to play.
Read the full article here