# Nintendo Switch 2 Reveal Thoughts & Impressions <div class=iframe-container> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/NxCHsGG5W9o?si=cXh2wX-X0Iytz-8q" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Nintendo shared (and obfuscated) details about the Nintendo Switch 2. The [Direct](https://youtube.com/watch?v=VrTVeYm4iIM) and subsequent days were filled with the [[MFP45 - "Nintendo Gave Me a Gift" with Peter Spezia|highs and lows of the E3s of old]]. There were exciting reveals decades in the making of some fans' minds. There was no shortage of unanswered questions. There was plenty of definitive commentary claiming to have those answers. Nintendo Treehouse: Live streamed across two days for a total of eight-ish h ours just giving audiences delightful looks at the games *just* announced. There was a flood of hands-on impressions and previews. The reveal captured a magic that only a Nintendo console reveal can do; an irrefutable, tangible, chaotic magic thought to be lost to the ancient ways of mega press conferences, brand-loyal magazines, and playground proclamations. The problem with invoking the old magic is that it has disturbed the modern behemoth known online as "gamers." Nothing kills the magic faster. During the fallout of the reveal, I have seen flagrant calls for theft and piracy; blatant misunderstanding of inflation and development costs; and most of all, amidst cries of corporate greed, gamers have shown their underbelly of entitlement, which I can't help but think is fueled by its own form of the green monster. The disrespect on display frustrated me more than any news Nintendo shared these past few weeks. It's embarrassing and shameful. I'm not defending all the pricing or how information was presented, but the behavior I saw was so poor that I wish the price increased.[^1] I've observed an irony that has only been amplified by the internet's response. Nintendo Switch 2 has a bevy of design decisions fueled by reducing the friction of bringing people *together* to play games. This split between the divisive reaction and the communal intention is stark, but it reminds me how one is so very shortsighted and one has a generational mindset. The legacy won't be defined by the behemoth's roar in chat, but by the joyous ruckus of playing games and memories made together. The Nintendo magic that brings friends and families together. They've been casting that spell for over 40 years and from what I can tell, Switch 2 will only enhance their power over us. ### The Silicon Tablet I admit I was surprised at *how* technical Nintendo was in the Direct and in subsequent interviews. They didn't fully commit to tech specs, chip sets, etc. but they mentioned features I was not expecting. Nintendo are pushing the Switch 2 feature set further along than I would have ever guessed. Nintendo Switch 2 sports a 1080p 120Hz VRR LCD HDR display. That's a nerd's recipe for an alphabet soup if I have ever read one. Right off the bat, this display is sporting feature sets that definitely are not in everyone's homes yet. I suspect there will be many, many kids (heck, adults too!) whose best screen to play games on will be the Switch 2 display itself. Let that sink in—the best display in the average consumer's life to play on would be the Switch 2. With these being core features of the console itself—particularly 120Hz and VRR—Nintendo is inviting developers to target and utilize these capabilities. Like the four controller ports on the Nintendo 64 or (infamously) the Wii U GamePad, the inherent capabilities of Nintendo's hardware tell devs and consumers alike, "hey, use this—we will." The response to this kind of invitation vary from generation to generation, but this one appears quite enticing. We can see this out of the gate with one of the prominent demos from the hands on events—*Metroid Prime 4: Beyond*. Retro Studios is offering a *quality mode* and a *performance mode* in the Switch 2 Enhanced Edition with support for 4K60 and 1080p120, respectively;[^2] according to the ^{fine print}, those resolutions will drop to 1080p60 and 720p120 in handheld mode. The press **only** was able to play the 120FPS mode at the event in New York. I get it, this is a high profile game that is coming out during the Switch console generational transition. Nintendo is putting a best foot forward. Only time will tell how Nintendo themselves and other developers utilize this silicon and tech. Given Nintendo's decades long track record of fully supporting their hardware's feature set, I suspect we will be seeing slick, optimized, sweet, buttery smooth, gorgeous games. Now the only time I actually play in handheld mode is on a plane, a train, or a car.[^3] Docked mode is where it is at for me and this one has some interesting implications for [[Gear#Video Games|my own alphabet soup recipe]] of a gaming set-up.[^4] Everything from Nintendo's specs indicates that docked mode supports a flavor of the HDMI 2.0 specification, not the full/modern HDMI 2.1 bandwidth like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. This would theoretically cap things at 1440p120 with support for VRR. It also restricts some chroma sampling and more stuff above my pay grade of technical understanding. Why this piques my interest is how I could integrate the Switch 2 into my RetroTINK-4K daisy chain. The TINK-4K is an HDMI 2.0 device that serves up the same flavor the Switch 2 is promising. Now, the TINK-4K can only *[receive](https://consolemods.org/wiki/AV:RetroTINK-4K#HDMI®)* a 1080p60 signal, but I find it to be an interesting thought exercise. Is there resource offloading potential here by relieving the demands on the Switch while achieving higher resolutions at the same frame rates? I don't know, but it is fun to think about. In all likelihood though, the Switch 2 shouldn't need the likes of the TINK-4K since the Dock is sort of unlocking/providing upscaling powers itself. Thanks to a fan and a beefier power supply, the Dock lets the Switch 2 shoot for 4K60 HDR, potentially with the help of NVIDIA's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), which is, as I understand it, a real-time ML/AI upscaling toolset used in games. Developers can render their games at lower resolutions and leverage DLSS to increase the resolution to a more desirable standard. There are different upscalers like AMD's [FidelityFX Super Resolution](https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/technologies/fidelityfx/super-resolution.html) (FSR) or Sony's [[Digging Deeper into the PS5 Pro#PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution|PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution]] (PSSR) that all strive for the same general feature—making lower resolutions look like higher resolutions. Thanks to Nintendo and NVIDIA's [partnership](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/nintendo-switch-2-leveled-up-with-nvidia-ai-powered-dlss-and-4k-gaming/), Switch 2 is rocking a custom NVIDIA chip with cores for the fancy stuff like ray-tracing and DLSS. Even the power behind the VRR in the display is NVIDIA G-SYNC. [^5] I'll be waiting for the [Digital Foundry](https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalFoundry) crew for the final say, but I feel confident in saying the *capability* is on board. We just have to wait and see how developers use it and how well it performs in real-world gaming scenarios. ### Tools of the Trade Now, the hardware experience is more than a tablet and the silicon inside. Controllers define our interactions with games—that's part of why [[The 2024 Controller Collection Update|I have so many]]. I'll be as frank as a hot dog here, I think Nintendo is cooking this gen. The Joy-Con 2 have been redesigned from scratch according to Nintendo. Everything is a bit larger, more curved, and smoother. The control sticks are a hot topic given the rampant issues of "[drift](https://www.theverge.com/21504741/nintendo-switch-joy-con-drift-problem-explained)" that have plagued the original Joy-Con. Thankfully, I haven't suffered this fate (knock on wood), but there is no denying that Nintendo wants [to solve this problem](https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/23/20707849/nintendo-will-reportedly-fix-joy-con-drift-for-free-even-out-of-warranty). Joy-Con 2 [don't use](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/04/its-official-switch-2-joy-con-will-not-feature-hall-effect-sticks) the beloved "Hall Effect" stick, but Nintendo is proud of the new sticks and their feel. Only in the real world will we know how these sticks last under the greasy thumbs of gamers. My favorite part of the new design is the SL/SR buttons. They look thick and are made of steel. Oh how I hope the click is satisfying. The steel is dual purpose though; they also serve as the connection point for the magnets inside the tablet itself, which allow the Joy-Con 2 to attach magnetically to the console. Magnets are cool—full stop. I love 'em on my phone, on my fridge, and now on my Nintendo console. Gone is the infrared sensor of the right Joy-Con! Say hello to the optical mouse sensor! Both Joy-Con 2 are rocking a little sensor to make the controllers operate like mice. I think this input method will open the floodgates of game types, ports, and options on the Switch 2. Right off the bat, Nintendo showcased it being used in *Prime 4*, *Super Mario Party Jamboree*, *Drag X Drive*, and *Civilization VII*, which seems to amount to 33% of the [games that used the IR sensor](https://www.destructoid.com/right-switch-joy-con-has-an-ir-sensor-heres-what-uses-it/) on Switch 1. The potential for PC game ports is sky high. Please bring *Emily is Away* to Switch 2.[^6] When reading the [Ask the Developer article](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-16-nintendo-switch-2-part-2/) about Switch 2 design, the thinking that went into mouse mode struck me. > [!quote] Kouichi Kawamoto, *Ask the Developer Vol. 16: Nintendo Switch 2 — Part 2* > "Implementing mouse control that’s widely used nowadays in the Joy-Con controllers isn't that costly, and I think that's exactly what 'lateral thinking of withered technology' is all about. I thought it was a really great idea so I proposed it to the Technology Development Department, and they were like, 'Oh, we’ve been thinking about that for ages'. (Laughs)" That "lateral thinking of withered technology" was a development concept from Gunpei Yokoi, the guy behind the Game & Watch, the Game Boy, and was one of the creators behind *Metroid*. In Nintendo's own footnote they describe this idea that old, cheap, established technology could be repurposed to make new and exciting experiences. The Switch has ushered in this era of handheld gaming PCs. Bringing mouse-control is shockingly logical to allow for more games to come to the platform. It helps make the Switch 2 a Swiss Army knife of experiences, but the *only* Swiss Army knife with (legal) Nintendo games. I even had the thought the other day how mouse controls could open up a pathway for Wii pointer emulation. It is remarkable how natural this method sounds for the console, especially when I don't have to use WASD to move around, but can use a proper control stick on the other Joy-Con 2. Amazing. 10/10. No notes. --- Let us not forget the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, which was also redesigned from the ground up. At first glance, I didn't see it, but as more and more reports came in it became clear that the difference is going to be in the feel. Both it and the Joy-Con 2 are rocking a new HD Rumble 2.[^7] Rumble is an obvious "you gotta feel it" feature. I'll always remember the first time I experienced HD Rumble in the Joy-Con by rolling marbles around inside a controller that small. It still sounds and feels unreal. I am all about any improvements to HD rumble. The grips/prongs/handles were "***designed with reference to the Nintendo GameCube controller...***" And that's all they had to say to sell me. I do like that the grips and back make up a single piece of plastic now. That'll be a subtle bump up in feel quality. Along those grips are two new buttons — GL and GR. These are customizable back buttons that can be assigned to any other button input per user *and* per game. I love back buttons. I feel I rarely need more than two, so this is perfect for me. These buttons are also on the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip as well, which is neat to see as a cheaper option to get access to them. My biggest curiosity for the Pro Controller 2 are the sticks. They are apparently "smooth-gliding sticks." They are so smooth that they [caught Austin Evans by surprise](https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z46LblBD9Hw&t=323). If Nintendo went the Hall Effect route, they certainly would not have been able to achieve this feel. The question of durability remains, but I am eager to experience it for myself and watch the iFixIt teardown. --- But who cares about those fancy pants Switch 2 controllers when the GOAT is making its return once again. That's right baby. The [[An Unnecessary, In-Depth Look at the New Super Smash Bros. Ultimate GameCube Controller|reigning champ]] of 24 years maintains its track record of being released every Nintendo home console generation. The GameCube controller is getting an NSO version. Full wireless, USB-C, and the required new buttons tucked up top. I have been staving off purchasing the slew of third-party GameCube lookalikes for years now. This is all I've wanted. I truly do believe the GameCube controller is the best ever made and I am happy to be able to buy even more of them. Gotta keep [[The 2024 Controller Collection Update|a fresh supply on hand]]. --- The last major accessory/controller-input method I want to touch on before the software capabilities is the Nintendo Switch 2 camera. I may be putting the cart before the horse here by talking about this before the GameChat feature, but we are going to ride with it. Thanks to the USB-C port on top of the console, users can plug in any USB-C camera and use it for GameChat video calls and gameplay like in *Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV*.[^8] I wager that on day one someone will get this working with an original Game Boy camera. The official camera itself is 1080p and uses a wide-angle lens. The oh so stylish [Piranha Plant camera](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/04/horis-switch-2-piranha-plant-camera-has-much-worse-resolution-than-nintendos) is *480p* in the year of our Lord 2025. At that point, I'd rather use the Game Boy camera. ### Fast Software? Social Software? Best Software? I have come to realize just how *social* the Nintendo Switch 2 has been designed from a software perspective. GameChat, GameShare, and Virtual Game Cards all lend themselves to a social dynamic. Like the golden era of couch co-op gaming[^9], this software appears to be designed for sharing games and experiences with as little friction as possible with family and friends. The headlining feature is GameChat; aka Nintendo's version of Xbox 360 party chat from 2005. That's the joke me and all my buddies made at [first glance during the Direct](https://youtube.com/watch?v=fVjRBTy5irI). Upon reflection, and I can't believe I am saying this, I think GameChat is quite more sophisticated and intentional than party chat on the other platforms. Voice/video calls in gaming have been problem solved with a blunt instrument for the past 20 years. *Uno* on the Xbox 360 is an [infamous example](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uno_(video_game)#Xbox_360_version); > "The game supports the Xbox Live Vision camera, allowing opponents to view an image of the player (or whatever the camera is pointed at) while playing the game." Those parentheses carry **a lot** on their shoulders, since I really don't want to link out to the wild lore of 360 *Uno*. I think back to my first experience on Xbox Live at my cousin's house. Not even the talking-into-a-Coke-can call quality could muffle the inappropriate language and sounds within my very first match of *Halo 3* online. The industry's solution for connecting people via voice and video mirrors the internet: open it up with mics and services, build the filtration and tools around communication afterward. I'm not just coming at this from a "protect the kids" perspective.[^10] I am coming at this from a user experience and how the software *feels* angle. This behavior is still a problem enabled by the software today; a problem that, as an adult, I hate dealing with. The slurs and moans of the open web have pushed me further and further away from open, built-in solutions to private, friend-focused hubs like Discord. Using my own toolset, I've tacked on apps, gear, and services to the problem of chatting with friends as an acceptable workaround. The onerous of a chat experience we like to use has been placed upon me and my fellow players, while the platform designers continue to polish the turd that was 360 party chat. These days, it takes 10 button presses (plus more to invite specific people) to open a party chat on PlayStation 5. That number swells to *19* presses if you want to enter a Discord call, which requires its own setup off console. The other night I played *Super Mario Party Jamboree* with my casual gamer friends. I didn't go through the Nintendo Switch app; only Miyamoto knows how many taps that would have taken me to figure out. I did a group FaceTime call. Two taps. Which brings me to GameChat and the C button. The dedication of a button is significant. It reduces friction and exemplifies the function's importance. I think of the share button on PS4 and PS5. It makes capturing screenshots effortless. One press and an image is captured.[^11][^12] The C button is applying this intentional design to party chat. Now, we don't know how many menu options there will be to select for GameChat, inviting friends, sharing your screen, etc. Examining the footage, I can infer it takes three presses to share your gameplay or turn on the camera, two to mute. Maybe directly inviting friends is hidden under the gear icon and balloons the presses. What I do know is that it will take just one button to open the menu and enter a friend-only accessible chat room and that button is right on the controller in a prominent position. --- What about the performance then? Nintendo wasn't hiding choppy frame rates and low resolutions from the gameplay sharing feature. I applaud the honesty in the marketing material. Throughout the [Ask the Developer interview about GameChat](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-17-gamechat-part-1/), the devs repeatedly discussed the hardware resource budget and fitting all of GameChat in a performance envelope that would not impact gameplay, aka the main purpose of the machine. In an [interview with GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-explains-why-switch-2-gamechat-frame-rate-looked-like-that/1100-6530653/), Switch 2's hardware director, Takuhiro Dohta, said; > [!quote] Takuhiro Dohta, *Nintendo Explains Why Switch 2 GameChat Frame Rate Looked Like That* > "And now that we have Nintendo Switch 2, there is bigger, more, basically resource budget to use. However, even with that enhanced and larger budget, we try to use as little of that as possible. And they made it happen somehow. And within that small slice of the resource budget, there's other things to take into consideration, like network systems, all that kind of stuff, and all of that taking into account is where we landed in terms of quality of the video that you saw in the footage." We aren't streaming to Twitch: We are streaming to Switch. I forget how technical and difficult it can actually be to share your gameplay with friends. Consoles have built-in capture capabilities and can even stream to Twitch or YouTube right from the console.[^13] Sharing gameplay directly in a call with friends requires capture cards and a PC and third-party software. On PS5, you can watch a friend's screen and pin the video on top of your own gameplay, but it only allows one friend's gameplay to be visible at a time. Plus, it is all buried under its own slew of button presses and hidden menus. I know I am evaluating software functionality and design with zero hands on. That's a dangerous place to go. The final say will come down to real world use. Can Nintendo's servers handle streaming all this audio and video? How good is the voice and camera isolation *really*? Will this all impact game performance despite the best intentions? All of that doesn't even account for how near impossible it will be for someone like me to to migrate calls to GameChat. Let's just forget that I play games on other consoles; us Olds have made our home inside our Discord. There will always be other methods and means for chatting it up with friends while playing games. We are a resourceful and determined people. These workarounds are proclamations though. We want to chat with our friends while we play, but the built-in solution is broken. But the kids and the casual consumers seem to have been given an opportunity. I think of my wife hopping on a phone call to play *Stardew Valley* or *Animal Crossing* with her cousins. I think of that game of *Super Mario Party Jamboree* I just played with my friends. I think of the kids in my life that want to stream with friends so they prop up iPhones on a FaceTime call. GameChat *sounds* like party chat for the rest of us. One that is free of the technical debt and ideation formed back when all the *Halo* games were bangers, who was in our Top 8 mattered, and YouTube was in its infancy. Nintendo Treehouse: Live [streamed a wonderful example](https://youtube.com/watch?v=CEwM94z2oE0&t=76) with four people on a call, sharing their screens playing in a multiplayer session of *The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords*. Besides being the *perfect* game to showcase a cooperative setting, after a boss fight, the group split and started playing their own games while the call kept going. It was as real world-y as I could think of an advertising demo to work. When I watched, I didn't care about frame rates or the resolution. I cared about how they were going to work together and solve the puzzles and beat the boss. I cared who was playing what game. **That** is the point of this feature. --- All this analysis of GameChat and its inherent design reminds me of this essay from Craig Mod, "[Fast Software, the Best Software](https://craigmod.com/essays/fast_software/)". These quotes encapsulate the way that I have come to think of this new, core feature of the Nintendo Switch 2 since I uttered the same jokes about 360-era party chat. Maybe 360-era party chat never went away and has become the joke itself. > [!quote] Craig Mod, *Fast Software, the Best Software* > "But why is slow bad? Fast software is not always good software, but slow software is rarely able to rise to greatness. Fast software gives the user a chance to “meld” with its toolset. That is, not break flow... > > ...It feels — intuitively — that software (beyond core functionality) should aim for speed. Speed as a proxy for efficiency. If a piece of software is becoming taurine-esque, unwieldy, then perhaps it shouldn’t be a single piece of software. Ultimately, to be fast is to be light. And to be light is to lessen the burden on someone or some task. This is the ultimate goal: For our pocket supercomputers to lessen burdens, not increase them. For our mega-powered laptops to enable a kind of fluency — not battle, or struggle — of creation. > > All that said: It’s easy to write an essay about fast software. It’s difficult to make fast software. But when it’s made, we’re all grateful." --- While GameChat may be the most forward-facing social aspect of the Switch 2 software experience, the others are tied to the act of playing and sharing games themselves. What is old has become new with the (re)introduction of GameShare. Like Nintendo DS Download Play, Switch 2 users may beam a version of select games to friends' Switch 2 *or Switch 1* consoles. At the moment, I see six titles on [Nintendo's site](https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/features/gameshare/?srsltid=AfmBOooQRFdQCoDkHRv6NpaJt3Ss1jrj8nz5WCve2hj8bgFRd0NhGzDa) that will support the feature. They all seem to be fairly static from a game screen perspective, which probably makes streaming them across a local connection viable. GameShare can also be supported over the Internet via the aforementioned GameChat. I don't imagine the likes of *Mario Kart World* will support GameShare; the data is so much larger than *Mario Kart DS*. One tidbit I love from the [interviews](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-16-nintendo-switch-2-part-3/) that I think really exemplifies how ideas never truly die at Nintendo is how they went to the eternal well that is the Wii U for data streaming. For those that were there, we know the GamePad never dropped connection and had ultra-low latency. > [!quote] Kouichi Kawamoto, *Ask the Developer Vol. 16: Nintendo Switch 2 — Part 3* > "So, we thought that by taking advantage of the Switch 2 system's processing power and using the same streaming technology that Wii U uses to send images from the console to the handheld Wii U GamePad, we could share the gameplay instantly without having to take time to transfer the software. I thought it’d be nice if players could share games instantly and play together competitively or cooperatively. This was another feature I asked Sasaki-san to look into. Achieving it must have been a nightmare. (Laughs)" I think similar logic applies to the [Virtual Game Card](https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/virtual-game-cards/?srsltid=AfmBOorupZop9BhBs_fJCzc389SD3UKCMXSIQCAeajJwWakBkbikIvFG) system that Nintendo introduced the week prior. This only *really* applies to Nintendo Switch Online Family Plans, but the sentiment stands up alongside the way Nintendo is thinking about sharing games and experiences. This certainly relieves the burden of having to buy multiple digital copies of games within family units, at least, in the realm of single player titles. --- When I look at the overall promised Nintendo Switch 2 experience, I think I see why Nintendo went iterative with the hardware, besides [150+ million other obvious reasons](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/index.html).[^14] Nintendo focused beyond hardware and delved into the social dynamic of gameplay—*outside of the game*. Like Street Pass and Miiverse, Nintendo is aspiring for more than satisfactory connection for a quick online match. They want us to connect together—all together. They set their eyes on the "[student lounge](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-17-gamechat-part-1/)" atmosphere. It's an effort that I did not notice at first, but upon reflection, appreciate and respect the heck out of. ### Next Gen is dead! Long Live Next Gen! The "next generation" console leap no longer means what it did when I was a kid, at least in the realm of home consoles. When the next console came out, we all got the big boost and new capabilities that new hardware promised, but (for the most part) we left the old platform behind in a rather swift fashion. Sure, there were [exceptions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_2#:~:text=The%20last%20game%20to%20be,ended%20on%207%20September%202018.) like the PlayStation 2, but for the most part "next gen" meant we were leaving the old hardware and new games for said hardware in the past. During the leaps from the [seventh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles#Seventh_generation_(2005–2017)) to the [eighth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles#Eighth_generation_(2012–2020)) and eighth to [ninth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles#Ninth_generation_(2020–present)) generations, the cross-generational experience was born and it feels like with Switch 2, it is here to stay. How did we end up with cross-gen? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly. Gradually, the Big Three and publishers longed for the install bases they were leaving behind. Adoption of the new consoles was likely slower than desired in those first years. Lots of money was being left on the table. As the technology between the consoles became more similar, developing for both old and new made a whole lot of sense from [[Cross-Generation Games are like Movies at the Theater|a business perspective]]. Now we have blockbuster games still being released on 12+ year old hardware and when a consumer does upgrade to the next console, they can buy an enhanced version or director's cuts for a nominal or subscription fee. Suddenly, we have Nintendo rolling out the Switch 2 with three categories of games playable on the new console—Switch 1 games, Switch 2 Enhanced Editions, and the alluring Switch 2 exclusive. --- I suspect most people expected Switch 2 to play Switch 1 games.[^15] For those that follow the industry closely knew that might not have happened. Thankfully for the fat stack of Switch 1 carts behind me, they are compatible. But why was there any doubt? The jump to Switch 2 is a significant jump and the old games are not compatible on a silicon level. It's a similar reason to why PS3 games don't work on any other PlayStation. To solve this, Switch 1 games are being translated and emulated by the Switch 2. My brain jumps right to the Apple Silicon transition. When the Mac moved from Intel's X86 architecture to ARM, old Mac software could not run on the new chips without being translated/emulated. So Apple brought back [Rosetta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_(software)) from the last transition and enabled applications to work; and not just work, but run better than before. It's emulation, but a bit more complicated. Valve uses a similar technique with [Proton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_(software)) to run Windows games on Linux. Nintendo goes into the process a little bit in their [interview series](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-16-nintendo-switch-2-part-4/). > [!quote] Takuhiro Dohta and Tetsuya Sasaki, *Ask the Developer Vol. 16: Nintendo Switch 2 — Part 4* > **Dohta**: If we tried to use technology like software emulators, we’d have to run Switch 2 at full capacity, but that would mean the battery wouldn't last so long, so we did something that’s somewhere in between a software emulator and hardware compatibility. > > **Sasaki**: This is getting a bit technical, but the process of converting game data for Switch to run on Switch 2 is performed on a real-time basis as the data is read in. Switch 2 will have to translate the old games in real-time to emulate them. Modern Vintage Gamer has [an excellent video](https://youtube.com/watch?v=WVgUe3qSU9k) postulating how Nintendo approached this problem that I recommend giving a watch. --- "Enhanced Editions" are the bridge between generations. Certain Switch 1 titles will offer a paid upgrade for, at minimum higher resolutions and frame rates, with some including add-ons and expansions. These feature ranges also mean pricing ranges from $10 to $20. Notably, the Enhanced Editions for *Breath of the Wild* and *Tears of the Kingdom* are included with a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Six titles are being advertised at the moment and I have to admit I like the approach. It's the same with some of the games from PlayStation's catalog that got PS5 versions with upgrade pricing. What I like about the games on display here is the experimentation in what is offered. The DLC offerings for *Kirby and the Forgotten Land* and *Super Mario Party Jamboree* remind me of the days when we were getting DLC expansions. There's a strange nostalgia bubbling inside me when I consider the upgrades. The performance boosts alone feel worth it to me, especially as someone in the middle of *Tears of the Kingdom*. 😅 We all know *Pokémon Legends: Z-A* will need all the performance it can get. 😬 I am curious what other Switch 1 titles will get "enhanced" down the line. It feels like a semi-exciting way to spice up my existing library. I suspect *Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition*'s [hidden 60 FPS mode](https://www.ign.com/articles/xenoblade-chronicles-x-appears-to-have-a-hidden-60-fps-mode-sparking-nintendo-switch-2-speculation) will be a part of some enhanced offering. Without wading too deep into the pricing discussion—should these have been free? I don't think so. The games with brand new content for sure. The resolution and performance bumps seem to be a tougher sell to the masses. It's vital to remember that these Enhanced Editions don't mean those games aren't playable or accessible on Nintendo Switch 2. I think of *Death Stranding Director's Cut* on PS5. I could easily play my PS4 disc in the console and get some inherit boost to performance. If I want the ultrawide mode (I do), all the post-release content, and new modes, vehicles, etc. I should (and did) pay the $10. I've seen a bit of an uproar that the *Zelda* games are $70 and $80 respectively if you buy the new Enhanced Editions outright; as in you don't own the Switch 1 version. I hate to break it to those folks, but Nintendo is not one to lower prices and *Breath of the Wild* and *Tears of the Kingdom* are still sold at full price on the regular. If someone *does* want to save money, buy them second-hand and then get the upgrade pack. A used copy of *Breath of the Wild* is $45~ at GameStop without a sale. Buy that and then spend $10 more for the enhancements. Saves you $15 right there and that's without waiting or looking for better deals. All right, I'll save the rest for the pricing section. All that's left are the full blown Switch 2 exclusive games. The Direct was packed with strong third-party support. Turns out that when you sell a wildly successful console, the other publishers want to make money on your platform. The Switch saw some "impossible" ports. The train of third-party titles does not appear to be slowing down. I mean, Nintendo has a From Software exclusive. --- Speaking of third-party games, let's talk about [Game-Key Cards](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/68415/~/nintendo-switch%26nbsp%3B2-game-key-card-overview) for a sec.[^16] Felt like the whole Internet freaked out when Nintendo revealed these suckers. That's the problem when people go reactive instead of reading and using their brain. I'm sorry, but Game-Key Cards are *genius*, both pro-consumer and pro-business as we inch toward an all-digital future. A major trend over the last generation was physical boxes in stores, but with a piece of paper and a code inside to download the game. Once the code is used, the game is tied to the redeemer's account. No way to sell or share—one and done. The Game-Key card is a solution to this problem. Pop the cartridge in your console and you will be able to download the game. Then you just have to insert the card whenever you want to play. Done with the game and want to sell it? Go for it. Want a friend to borrow the game? Hand it over! This gives value back to the consumer who purchases a "physical" version of a digital game.[^17] I saw people immediately assume this was *all* Switch games. *Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition* is going to be all on the cartridge. If CD Projekt is putting that monster of a game all on the cart, I think we will be fine. As someone with a massive physical collection, am I thrilled at the idea of fewer games really and truly being physical? No. But I am thrilled to see a physical, reusable solution to the code on a piece of paper that publishers have been using since the PS3 and 360. This is a compromise I am more than willing to accept. --- How flipping good does *Mario Kart World* look? After more than a decade with *Mario Kart 8*, this new game looks invigorating. There is so much to take in. From wall rides and grinding to 24 racers on track. The entire world is interconnected now. Players race from track to track now. It's non-stop racing and chaos with that number of racers. Please bring back the [All Cup Tour](https://mariokart.fandom.com/wiki/All_Cup_Tour). There is this new mode that I am captivated by—Knockout Tour. Like qualifying in a Formula 1 race, players have to reach a certain place by these markers. Miss the cutoff and you are knocked out of the race. It's a mix of *Mario Kart* and a battle royale. I cannot wait to play this online and with friends. To help maximize the roster, Nintendo has taken an "Everyone is Here" *Smash Bros.*-style approach. We have just about every enemy and side character from the world of *Super Mario*. Goomba? Check. Koopa? Check. Dolphin? Check. Lil toad that spits out coins? Check. Cow? Check. I suspect the roster will be quite large. It makes me curious about DLC for the game. *Mario Kart 8 Deluxe* brought in new racers over time, including some from *outside* of the Mario IP like Isabelle, Inklings, and Link. I do hope non-Mario characters return, but given the seemingly huge swath of new racers, I could see it not happening. I picked up on tons of details and so have the folks that are playing the demo at the hands-on experiences. It feels like too much to link to here. Too dense. The game is brimming with content it seems. I did see [one report](https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-kart-world-hands-on-the-perfect-launch-game-for-the-switch-2-130003924.html) that said the game has a 120Hz mode. It also [seems like](https://youtube.com/watch?v=o8SyTT3r2dc&t=188) that—through the internet—it is possible to link up 24 players for races. I have long dreamed of playing *Double Dash!!* with 16 players over the GameCube LAN connection. Now I dream of 24 people playing *World* together in one space. --- *Welcome Tour*? More like Welcome to Japan in 2007 where *Wii Sports* was not a pack-in-game with the Wii. I jest at the start here because the most talked about thing with *Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour* is that the interactive system tour game is not included with the console, but is a $10 digital-only title. The comparisons to *Wii Sports* and *Astro's Playroom* on PS5 were instantaneous.[^18] Even former President of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aimé, [chimed in](https://x.com/Reggie/status/1910052940242620563) on the conversation. Marty Sliva brought up [a good point](https://www.youtube.com/live/NkrWor9J1So?t=1767) on the Firelink Podcast on Second Wind: It'd just be good *business* to include *Welcome Tour* on the console. Yes, good, hard work went into designing and making the game. There is value there and could be charged for, but the inverse could be said about giving it away with every Switch 2 console. The pack-in-game isn't *super* common, but they are almost always remembered. As for the game itself, I think it is cute. The top-down little figurine design reminds me a bit of the Square Enix [*GO* games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitman_Go). I like the idea of making the Switch 2 console a deconstructed and interactive object; that reminds me of the *Mario Kart* levels where you [battle](https://mariokart.fandom.com/wiki/Nintendo_DS_(battle_stage)) on the [console](https://www.mariowiki.com/Nintendo_GameCube_(battle_course)). The mini games and demos sound fun in an interactive museum exhibit sort of way. I feel like young players would enjoy it. I definitely plan to subject my family to the "Guess the Frame Rate" game. The *Super Mario Bros.* World 1-1 stretching across a 4K display at its original resolution sounds delightful. --- While not a Switch 2 exclusive, I have to shout out *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond*. That game sure looks purty. There's a reason Nintendo showed off [4K60 exclusively](https://youtube.com/watch?v=9W9xes7BZto) on their Treehouse: Live stream.[^19] I love, love, love the idea of mouse-mode support and its implementation. It appears so seamless. The Switch 2 Enhanced Edition and the [new trailer](https://youtube.com/watch?v=nmwAhBxakw4) from the week prior have lit a *Prime* fire under my butt. I am back playing *Metroid Prime: Hunters* for my podcast [[S7 - Metroid Prime|Chapter Select]] and its seventh season. --- To crib some lyrics from a classic..."he's back again and about time too."[^20] Donkey Kong is returning to the third dimension and leading his own game. I have been pining for a new DK game for a [[Big Three Predictions 2021|very]] [[MFP09 - “My Sweet, Sweet Baby Nintendo” with Logan Moore|long]] [[Big Three Predictions 2024|time]]. I thought that this kind of game would come out around the *Super Mario Bros.* film since Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach all got their games not far from that movie's release. Turns out, the Big N was waiting for their next console.[^21] This action adventure 3D platformer is basically *Super Mario Odyssey*, but with monkey. I am so here for it. There appears to be a kinetic movement you'd hope for with DK along with a destroy everything in your path smashing mechanic. The art style looks to me like a fusion of *Odyssey* and the Rare N64 games. I'm in love with DK's new old expressions and mannerisms. I am a smidge nervous about how easy it will be to circumvent intended puzzles and routes with the destruction. This will be another "wait and see" for how the game feels to play. Thankfully, we only have to wait *one month* after launch to get our hands on the *chef's kiss* perfectly named *Donkey Kong: Bananza*. --- Out of the gate, the rest of 2025 looks stacked for Nintendo and the Switch 2—and that's not to mention all the other [[2025 is Gonna Pop Off, Right|huge releases]]. Here's the list I whipped up based on what has been confirmed. - June - *Mario Kart World*, *Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour*, *The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition* and *The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition* - July - *Donkey Kong: Bananza* and *Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV* - August - *Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World* - September - ? - October - ? - November - *Pokémon Legends: Z-A* (probably) - December - ? - Windows - *Drag x Drive* (summer), *Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment* (Winter), *Kirby Air Riders* (2025), and *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond* (2025) Then we'll have whatever they announce this summer. 2025 is shaping up to be a historic year in the video game industry—and for my wallet. 🪦 ### The Variables of Price Saved the pricing discussion for the end, just like Nintendo. I want to address the tariff-ying elephant in the room first. For Nintendo, this could not have happened at a worst time. Two days after announcing the price and pre-order date, they semi-indefinitely delayed the privilege to give them money. I wager it was a *very* busy weekend for Doug Bowser and the other executives. During the time I've been writing this piece, the tariff news has gone [up](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/us/politics/trump-tariffs-stocks-china.html) and [down](https://www.gamesindustry.biz/major-nintendo-supplier-warns-nintendo-switch-2-will-be-subject-to-145-us-tariffs) in relation to the Switch 2. Nothing is set in stone and therefore I don't want to comment on it in any concrete manner. The only definitive thing I would speculate on is that this will not be a defining moment in the Switch 2's legacy. It will be a part of the reveal story, but I don't think it will be a generational cloud looming over the console. Some baby advice I [heard recently](https://podcastsearch.david-smith.org/episodes/7698 ) sticks out in my mind; "Nothing lasts longer than two weeks," which is just a baby-focused way of saying nothing lasts forever. Kid not sleeping? Won't eat veggies? It may feel like a forever thing in the moment, especially in a sleep-deprived, desperate state of mind, but it won't be like that forever. I think it is safe to say that tariff speculation and potential price increase fits in a similar boat. This too shall pass. --- Sticking with the as-announced facts: Switch 2 is launching on June 5—happy birthday to me! This automatically makes this the best console launch ever in the history of console launches. I am thrilled you all get to celebrate with me as I turn 31-years-old. What a gift. Nintendo Switch 2 all by its lonesome is priced at $449.99. I think that is a fair and logical price, especially given the technology packed inside the device. It helps that I felt $450 was [[Big Three Predictions 2025#Nintendo in 2025|going to be the price]] from the outset of the year. > "I suspect the original Switch, Lite, and OLED will remain on sale for the foreseeable future, much like the DS and 3DS lines did with their iterations. That means the Switch 2 cannot be any lower than $400 or keeping the first Switch around makes no sense. With over 140 million units out there, I don't see Nintendo just shutting off sales yet." All of this has come true. Nintendo is [keeping the Switch 1 alive](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/video-games/2025/04/07/mario-kart-world-price-nintendo-doug-bowser/) until at least 2026. > [!quote] Doug Bowser, *Nintendo boss Doug Bowser explains the $80 price for ‘Mario Kart World’* > “Now I even wonder what is the definition of a console cycle...We’ll continue to keep Nintendo Switch as part of the family, giving consumers a number of different entry points that they can come into the gaming universe... > > What I would say is that we’ll continue to observe consumers and how they engage and enter into the platform at various levels to try to really understand what the future may look like... > > ...Here’s the other point. We have an install base (for the Switch) of 150 million plus units. We’ll probably announce more on May 8 when we have our next earnings call. We want to keep those players engaged. Not all of them may be ready to jump to Switch 2.” I know $450 is PS5 territory here in the States. It's Steam Deck territory. But neither of those does quite what the Switch 2 does. Either specs don't line up or the required accessories to have similar parity blow the price out. All else being equal, the Switch 2 will be the [only place to play *Mario*](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/if-its-the-only-place-to-play-mario-you-buy-it-former-playstation-boss-reacts-to-80-nintendo-games/). While you shouldn't buy hardware for the promise of software, the promise of first-party Nintendo is hard to write off; even in the face of $80 price tags. --- I'm sorry to say you won't find pricing outrage from me on the games either. One look at [inflation](https://www.usinflationcalculator.com) alone will tell you that games are priced fairly to what they were just eight years ago; if your definition of "fair" is maintaining the illusionary $60 price tag. I think games need to be more expensive! I've been saying this since 2017 when it dawned on me how much value and time I was getting out of the likes of *The Witcher 3*, *Breath of the Wild*, and *Red Dead Redemption II*. Let's be real for a second. We'll be playing *Mario Kart World* for the next eight years most likely. That's $10 a year. I paid $120+ for *Mario Kart 8* across Wii U and Switch. I pay for NSO + Expansion Pack's family plan.[^22] All of that was well worth the cost considering the memories and game time I poured into a single *Mario Kart* title. I am confident in Nintendo's first-party development and its quality going into the Switch 2 generation. I understand $80 is a big pill to swallow. Gosh, that's how much some retro games I want cost in the market these days. It deters me from investing more often than not. We have to make some calls and that's the hard truth of the matter. The work, research, dev time, etc. that goes into these games has value and merit. I certainly expect we will see increased prices from the other major players now that Nintendo has ripped off the Band-Aid. I do find Nintendo's "variable pricing" to be an interesting tidbit. *Donkey Kong: Bananza* being only $70 is cool and appreciated. Doug Bowser talked about this in that same aforelinked interview with The Washington Post. > [!quote] Doug Bowser, *Nintendo boss Doug Bowser explains the $80 price for ‘Mario Kart World’* > "What you see right there is variable pricing...We’ll look at each game, really look at the development that’s gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences. > > Those are all factors, and there’s many more that go into consideration of what is the right price point for the game. So I think you can anticipate that there will be variable pricing, and we haven’t set a benchmark." Would *Bananza* be $70 if it was actually *Super Mario Odyssey 2*? There's a part of me that doubts that thought. Then again, [if](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-wont-say-who-is-developing-switch-2s-donkey-kong-bananza/) *Bananza* is being made by [Koizumi's team](https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Nintendo_EPD_Production_Group_No._8) inside [Nintendo EPD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_Planning_%26_Development), then the game has one of the best development teams in the world behind it. Perhaps there is some truth in what Doug is saying to quell the pessimistic voices in my mind? *Bananza* is, for the most part, a "play it once" kind of game, while the likes of *Mario Kart World* have "infinite" replay value. --- Am I thrilled about spending [[Nintendo Switch 2 Will Cost Me 619.96|$620~]] in a couple months? Nah. But I've been saving since January. I've made sacrifices, sold things, etc. It's important to me to buy one, but I certainly don't need it. You'll have to make that decision for yourself and put in the effort and patience to save for one. We have to vote with our wallet—not the empty threat of a YouTube comment. ### Closing There is nothing quite like a Nintendo console reveal. When the old magic is invoked, I feel a certain way. There's a rush of exciting possibilities. My imagination is sparked. Brain power is exerted on analysis and scrutiny. Fingers fly and thousands of words come pouring out. In the past, my words would have joined the cacophony of social media posts; lost on the seas of online discourse where a leviathan disturbs the waters. I used to lend my voice to the cry. Not necessarily in agreement, but in fervor and unrelenting decibels. I'd wrestle with cost, weighing the personal cost of trade-ins: Attempting to satisfy my own beast of greed. Today, my words have been considered and crafted with patience. I hope I am contributing instead of cursing. I cling to my memories tighter and tighter, while they fall ever faster through my worn fingers. I look to the future where I can hopefully share some pieces of my past with my own child. As I listen to and ponder on the ancient incantations of my youth, no one game or piece of technology stands out. It's not software that floods my mind, but images of the spaces and people around these products we call video games. I see kids huddled on the floor around a wooden TV stand with molten pizza bites and three-pronged controllers roaring with laughter at the deadly accuracy of red shells. I remember the excitement of staying up all night playing a paper-themed adventure, just to immediately fall asleep after the sun rose. The revelations of playground discussions or the wisdom of those older than us passing along secrets. I go back to garages and basements and hidden cubbies under the stairs and the always desirable backseat of the van. The old magic takes me back. I don't know how many times I'll get to go back like this again. It is a powerful spell and one I don't think I'd break if I could. It's certainly not one that I will let the faceless behemoth take from me. I hope you all will engage with the magic in your own way, instead of letting the monsters and shadows rob you of the possibilities cresting over the horizon at the dawn of a new generation. [^1]: [](https://www.theverge.com/news/643483/nintendo-switch-2-preorders-delayed-tariffs) [^2]: Somewhere, Mark Cerny is crying. [^3]: Why do we ride "in" cars, but "on" planes and trains? [^4]: My main TV is currently a LG C1 4K OLED that supports 4K120 VRR with BFI. (っ˘ڡ˘ς) [^5]: So many CAPITAL LETTERS! [^6]: I assume we can pair a keyboard? Maybe Nintendo will [make one again](https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/ASCII_Keyboard_Controller). [^7]: Slap "2" on everything! [^8]: Good gracious what a name... [^9]: Or the modern initiative held up by indies and Josef Fares. [^10]: Nintendo's put [a lot of thought](https://youtube.com/watch?v=PvsYm4vfM6Y) into this important issue though. [^11]: It's why I don't capture as much on Xbox; the Share button carries a lot of weight. The interface is too cumbersome. It is difficult to extract screenshots from the console for sharing. Way too much friction. [^12]: Look at the new Camera Control button on the iPhone. On the surface it launches the camera and take photos, but the button is encumbered with finicky touch controls, hidden menus, and pressure sensitivity. There is too much software loaded on top of the hardware. Now the Action Button does one thing (I know shortcuts can make it do lots, but that is on the user, not designed by Apple). Mine launches the Camera. That's it. Anywhere, any time. It's pure, fast, and seamless. [^13]: RIP [Mixer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixer_(service)) 🪦 [^14]: Of which there were 129 million units active [as of 2024](https://youtube.com/watch?v=svRmWFAGLJg&t=292). Absurd. [^15]: I don't want to neglect how vital backward compatibility has become, but I'll neglect it enough to sequester it to a footnote. Back in the day, it was a nice treat if your console played the old games. Nowadays, it feels like an expectation. Consumers trained on the Wii, PS2, and 360, but before then and for a little while after, that was not the norm. Generational transitions often involved truly new tech, which would make backward compatibility impossible unless chips from the old console were included on the new console. That's why PS3s lost compatibility with the PS2 as an effort to reduce cost. With modern game collections being predominantly digital and the underlying technology being similar, it became important to maintain backward compatibility. The home console has adopted the model from portable consoles. The importance of maintaining compatibility is what drove Nintendo to seek out a solution for Switch 2 and what led Nintendo to even including the "2" in the console's name. [^16]: Because I doubt that Nintendo will put their own first-party games on a Game-Key Card. [^17]: This is essentially how physical games work on PS5 and XSX. The read speeds of disc drives are too slow for those consoles SSD standards, so the disc installs the game and then acts as a key to play the game. Now, the game is usually *on the disc* thus not requiring the internet to play (although you will need the Internet for patches). The Game-Key card is that, but with no real game data on the cartridge. [^18]: I do doubt Sony will ever give away an *Astro Bot* game for free again, but I'd love to be proven wrong. [^19]: Besides the fact YouTube does not support 120fps...yet. [^20]: Sure, those lyrics are for Diddy, but they work so much better than "He's finally back to kick some tail." [^21]: And [the next movie](https://variety.com/2024/film/news/new-animated-super-mario-bros-world-movie-nintendo-illumination-release-date-1235936648/). [^22]: That doesn't include whatever I paid to fly to NYC for the launch of *Mario Kart 8* on Wii U.