Nintendo unveils Switch 2, set for June release
By Tim Biggs
Nintendo will release its Switch 2 games platform — successor to the Switch, its best-selling home console of all time — in Australia on June 5. It will cost $700, which is $230 more than the current price of the original Switch, but comparable to the price of Sony and Microsoft’s latest systems.
Like the original Switch, the Switch 2 can be connected to a TV for standard console play, or taken on the go for use as a handheld machine. But the new machine is bigger, features redesigned controllers that attach magnetically, has an integrated voice and video chat system and is significantly more powerful.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on June 5.
“Nintendo Switch 2 is the next step in at-home gaming that can be taken on the go based on eight years of play and discovery that began with Nintendo Switch,” said Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa in a release.
“With its new features that expand the possibilities of gaming experiences, I truly believe that Nintendo Switch 2 is a leap forward in our journey of putting smiles on the faces of everyone that Nintendo touches.”
The console was detailed in a “Nintendo Direct” broadcast overnight, which also showed off a number of new games. Mario Kart World will launch alongside the system, and features a massive open continent for players to drive around, while action adventure Donkey Kong Bananza will arrive in July.
Mario Kart World lets your drive seamlessly between races.
From third party developers, the broadcast showed off Elden Ring from FromSoftware, as well as a new and exclusive FromSoftware game called The Duskbloods. Other games coming to Switch 2 include Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Star Wars Outlaws and Hogwarts Legacy.
Switch 2 features a 7.9-inch LCD touchscreen that displays in Full HD, with HDR colour, and can run at up to 120Hz for smooth gameplay. The system comes with a grip to transform the pair of magnetic controllers into a standard gamepad, and a TV dock that can output in 4K with an integrated fan to maintain performance.
The new machine will play Switch 2 exclusive games as well as those made for the original Switch, some of which can be upgraded to “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” games with extra features for a fee. Examples given include The Legend of Zelda games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which can be upgraded with better graphics and a feature that connects to your smartphone to give you directions.
Some game upgrades will add new content, as in Kirby and the Forgotten Land (which has a new area to explore in the Switch 2 Edition) or Mario Party Jamboree (which adds camera-based minigame modes). Other upgrades will be mostly technical, as with the Switch 2 Edition of the upcoming Metroid Prime 4, which adds a choice of two video modes; 4K at 60 frames per second or HD at 120.
The Joy-Con 2 controllers attach magnetically, and can be used like computer mice.
The console will also work with a USB-C camera, for use in games or with the new chat feature. Up to four players can chat over the internet with a camera, or up to 12 with voice only using the Switch 2’s built-in microphone. Players can also share their game screens with each other. A new C button is used to summon chat controls, while the chat functionality can also be moderated by the existing parental controls app to limit chat to approved friends.
Another new feature allows the Joy-Con 2 controllers to be dragged around on a surface (or a user’s pants) to act like computer mice. This was shown in a new wheelchair basketball game called Drag x Drive. And Nintendo is introducing a system called GameShare for certain Switch 2 games, which will let players invite their friends to a multiplayer game across multiple Switch systems (locally or online) with only the one user having to purchase it.
The system works with the existing Switch Online subscription which gives access to cloud save data and retro classics, with Switch 2 adding Nintendo GameCube games to the lineup. Voice and video chat will require a subscription.
Because of the upgraded storage requirements, the Switch 2 will not work with existing microSD cards, only with the new and more expensive microSD Express format. However the internal storage of the system has been increased to 256GB, meaning more games can be stored before an SD card is required.
Nintendo also unveiled a kind of interactive museum that will let players in on a wealth of development secrets about the Switch 2, in the form of Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which will be a paid download available on launch day.
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