The Nintendo Switch 2 improvements

So far, all we have is a wordless teaser video, which instead of telling the story, shows the new improvements in dramatic, 3D rendered flybys (a style introduced years ago by Apple’s marketing team). The story it tells, however, is still compelling: a bigger screen that will be easier to see, lengthened Joy-Cons that will be easier to hold, and a thinner overall frame.

Look closer, and you’ll see even more: a kickstand that can lounge deep like a Microsoft Surface, a second USB-C port (for accessories?), and a new flange around the Joy-Con sticks—which feels like it must address the Switch’s only real design flaw, its fragile analog controllers that were prone to drifting (even if its benefits are largely psychological—note how Nintendo highlights this structural reinforcement with the Sony-black system’s rare pops of color).

Other than that, the dock sticks around (but with rounded corners now, which should make it more comfortable to place in and grab out), and the game cartridge slot is unchanged—yes, Nintendo clarfieis it will support Switch 1 games with backward compatibility in most cases.

Switch 2’s new UX features

The Switch excited the world because it was all about flexibility—pay it in your lap, on your desk, on your TV! Pop off the controllers, swing them around, combine them into a new controller. Whereas systems like the Nintendo Wii made motion controls mainstream, the Switch stitched such novel UX into the greater fabric of console play.

Switch 2 pushes the boundaries further, but subtly. Joy-Cons now snap right on and off the Switch rather than sliding in—which is likely Nintendo’s version of the iPhone Magsafe. This will make using the device more pleasant day-to-day, but given how fast switching modes looks, maybe it will introduce novel game mechanics.

The video also teases a new use for the Joy-Cons—laid on a table, they now appear to work like a mouse. How advantageous will this one UX mechanic be? Perhaps it won’t matter beyond one or two games (like the SNES mouse used in Mario Paint). Then again, PC gaming has never been bigger, which still champions the mouse for first-person-shooters in particular. This single tool could make porting some titles more comfortable.

When will we get the Switch 2 and what will it cost?

Nintendo announces in the video that the Switch 2 will arrive in “2025.” There is no pricing information yet (rumors place it right around the $300 launch price of the original Switch), but the company will share more in one of its Nintendo Direct announcements on April 2nd.