Welcome to WatchMojo, and in today’s video, we’re looking at everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 console. In this video, we'll be taking a look at what games could launch with the new console, what new tech will be featured and when the Switch 2 is likely to launch.
Category
🎮️
GamingTranscript
00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and in today's video we're looking at everything we know about
00:08 the Nintendo Switch 2 console.
00:11 Since its launch in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has become the third best-selling games console
00:15 of all time, selling around 132 million units.
00:19 But it's almost 7 years old now, and Nintendo is looking to freshen things up with a brand
00:23 new Switch console, the Switch 2.
00:25 Although the Japanese brand is keeping things tightly under wraps, there's still a lot
00:29 of information to go off, what with new dev kits starting to arrive at partner studios
00:33 and various leaks springing all over the place.
00:36 It's a sure thing that the new Switch will launch as a handheld and dockable console,
00:40 just like the current model, but what else is there to know?
00:42 Well, here's everything we know about the Switch 2 so far.
00:52 It will likely launch late 2024.
00:55 Nintendo hasn't given a launch date for the Switch 2, but given what Nintendo president
00:59 Shuntaro Furukawa has said about the current Switch, it's looking likely that the follow-up
01:03 console will launch in fall 2024.
01:06 In late 2023, Furukawa reiterated that the company would remain focused on the current
01:11 generation Switch until the end of the fiscal year, which is March 2024.
01:16 We take that to mean that it's all systems go for the new Switch in the next fiscal year,
01:20 which is April 2024 to March 2025.
01:29 A fall 2024 launch would make sense, giving Nintendo enough time to stockpile plenty of
01:33 units to keep up with holiday season demand, which would hopefully avoid stock shortages,
01:38 the type that PS5 and Xbox Series X fans faced.
01:41 Nintendo's past points to backward compatibility.
01:44 Nintendo has a great track record of keeping gamers happy when it comes to backwards compatibility
01:48 of games.
01:49 It has previously made DS games compatible with 3DS, GameCube games compatible with the
01:54 Wii console, Wii games compatible with the Wii U console, the list goes on.
01:57 So, will the Switch 2 play original Switch games?
02:08 Well, nobody quite knows yet.
02:09 But given previous console history, and the fact that Furukawa said "we want to do as
02:13 much as possible in order to smoothly transition our customers while utilising the Nintendo
02:18 account", we think backwards compatibility is looking pretty likely.
02:22 With emphasis being put on users' Nintendo accounts, that backwards compatibility might
02:26 only come in the form of digital downloads, instead of physical games.
02:29 However, sources have told VGC that the Switch 2 will indeed come with a cartridge slot,
02:35 so it's unlikely that the new console will be a digital-only affair.
02:39 Our best guess would be that the Switch 2 will launch with physical cartridges, just
02:42 like the original Switch, but that games for the original console will only be backwards
02:46 compatible via digital downloads.
02:49 I mean hey, hopefully we're wrong, and original Switch cartridges will be backwards compatible
02:53 as well.
02:54 But, could graphics compete with PlayStation and Xbox?
02:57 Woah there, hang on.
03:00 Before the PlayStation and Xbox fans come gunning for us, let's just say that there's
03:04 an important distinction between visual prowess and actual power.
03:07 VGC has reported that Nintendo is experimenting with NVIDIA's clever DLSS upscaling technology,
03:14 which utilises AI in order to enhance graphics while putting less strain on hardware.
03:22 At Gamescom 2023, VGC reports that Nintendo is said to have showed off some Switch 2 demos
03:33 behind closed doors, and these demos included improved versions of The Legend of Zelda Breath
03:38 of the Wild, with a higher resolution and framerate, and even an Unreal Engine 5 The
03:42 Matrix Awakens.
03:46 During a deep dive on NVIDIA's DLSS tech, Digital Foundry said that it's capable of
03:51 upscaling native 720p visuals into 4K, which opens up a world of possibilities.
03:57 In a nutshell, this means that while a Switch 2 may not be as powerful as the latest PlayStation
04:01 and Xbox consoles, it could have visuals comparable to them.
04:05 In fact, it's said that the actual power of the Switch 2 is likely to be comparable
04:08 to that of a PS4.
04:10 Could this mean that developers are going to find it easier to port their glossy new
04:13 titles over to the Nintendo platform?
04:15 Maybe.
04:16 Could GTA 6 be heading into the Switch 2?
04:18 Erm, well, probably not, but we can dream, can't we?
04:24 New Joy-Con, same old screen.
04:26 Joy-Con drift has plagued many of us over the years.
04:29 You know, when a Joy-Con stick seemingly moves your character or cursor by itself, as if
04:33 possessed.
04:34 This can happen due to dust and dirt build-up over time, and primarily occurs because the
04:38 current Joy-Con controllers use physical parts that facilitate the moving of the stick.
04:43 A new Joy-Con patent filed by Nintendo, however, sees a new set-up that will utilise magnets,
04:48 which would effectively eliminate the dreaded drift.
04:51 Will this new Joy-Con set-up feature in the Switch 2?
04:53 Well, it would make sense, right?
05:03 Another tech consideration for the Switch is whether it will use an LCD screen or an
05:07 OLED display, the OLED display being a costlier option for the current Switch.
05:11 Sources who spoke to VGC have suggested that the Switch 2 will launch with an LCD screen
05:16 in order to cut costs.
05:17 But no doubt a pricier OLED model will be made available at a later date.
05:21 Hello, Rich here, the guy from the voiceover.
05:23 Now, if you do want to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch, you can do so by clicking
05:27 the link in the description below.
05:28 Now, keep in mind, as always, you won't pay any more for clicking one of our links,
05:31 but WatchMojo might earn a small commission as a result, and that in turn does help the
05:35 channel.
05:36 Now, that Joy-Con drift thing that we talked about in the video is very much a real thing,
05:39 I can assure you.
05:40 I've got frustrated quite a few times before, especially when trying to navigate dodgy platforms
05:45 on Zelda.
05:46 Hopefully Nintendo will fix that on the new model.
05:47 I got so enraged once, tried to throw one of these across the room, it was attached
05:51 to my wrist at the time, so it didn't get very far.
05:53 Anyway.
05:54 It could launch with a new Mario Kart title.
05:57 Plenty of video game sleuths have taken a crack at figuring out exactly which games
06:01 will likely launch with the Switch 2, but really, it's anyone's guess.
06:04 Many predict that Metroid Prime 4 will be the title to spearhead the Switch 2's release,
06:09 given that talk of the game's release has been suspiciously quiet for a while now.
06:16 A more obvious choice would be a new Mario Kart and/or 3D Super Mario game.
06:21 These game series haven't had any major additions for some time now, especially Mario
06:25 Kart.
06:26 I mean, let's not forget, the colossally successful Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a re-release
06:30 of Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U, and that dates all the way back to 2014.
06:39 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
06:43 about our latest videos.
06:44 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
06:47 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
06:54 It probably won't be called the Switch 2.
06:57 To round this video off, it's worth noting that the new Switch probably won't be called
07:00 the Switch 2, if previous Nintendo releases are anything to go by.
07:04 Sure, the entire gaming world is aptly referring to the Switch sequel as the Switch 2, but
07:09 Nintendo hasn't labelled its consoles in numerical order before.
07:12 The Nintendo DS was superseded by the 3DS.
07:15 The Super Nintendo replaced the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Game Boy Colour and Advance built
07:19 upon the original Game Boy.
07:25 So who knows what the next Switch could be called?
07:27 The Super Switch?
07:28 The Switch Pro?
07:29 The Switch Advance?
07:30 The Switch Supreme?
07:31 I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
07:37 So that's it.
07:38 That's all we know right now about the Nintendo Switch 2.
07:40 What games do you think it'll launch with?
07:42 Let us know in the comments below.
07:52 [Music]