The new 1080p screen in the Nintendo Switch 2: A little bit different from the first two years, but still a lot cooler than the first one
The console is more expensive than the first one. That device launched more than eight years ago, after all. But following yesterday’s big Switch 2 Direct, there has been a lot of sticker shock as people have seen just how much Nintendo is charging for the console and its games, including multiple titles with a price tag of just under $80. Some of those games are improved versions of years-old titles.
Another big new feature of the Switch 2 Joy-Cons is that they can work like a mouse with select games. You can hold them down on a surface similar to a coffee table when they are detached. Kawamoto said the feature will be used in games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, for aiming (gyro control is still an option, too, according to a footnote on the page), and the thoroughly named Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.
Kawamoto said the new Joy-Con rumble feature, now called HD Rumble 2, is updated “to allow for a wider variety of vibrations.” He said they will be stronger, with quicker response times. According to Nintendo’s official specs, the controllers will last about 20 hours between charges and recharge in about 3.5 hours, same as the original Joy-Cons.
As for accessories, apart from the included wrist straps, Nintendo has also announced a $19.99 set of two wheels you can attach the Joy-Con 2s to for games like Mario Kart World. The company will sell a $34.99 charging grip, and the console comes with a standard non-charging grip as well.
Look, I love black. My entire wardrobe is almost exclusively black. The Switch 2 has a mostly-black design that looks good to me. The original Switch may have launched with a gray Joy-Con option, but the neon red and blue controllers that also launched on day one became iconic. The Switch 2 has just splashes of colors, but they are mostly hidden.
No, it’s not an OLED. And yes, Nintendo will almost certainly repeat its strategy of launching a Switch 2 with that display technology down the line. But even right now, there’s a lot to like about the Switch 2’s new 1080p screen.
The larger size of the device makes it a better choice for the eyes of a generation that used Nintendo consoles. And I was pleasantly surprised that the company went with a 120Hz panel that supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and wider HDR color.
Does Nintendo Switch 2 have a Nintendo ZL button? Discussion of Nintendo staffers reacting to the Nintendo Switch2 console (Verge staffers)
The new Joy-Con can be used like a mouse, because of their larger, more comfortable design, and they are able to attach via magnets. Now, the real question is: will the sticks drift?
Just imagine: the joy of Zoom meetings, now integrated into your gameplay. Video streaming and voice chat are the worst parts of gaming to me. My friends will not be scared away by yelling at them.
I use a PowerA replica GameCube controller to play most of my Switch games. It uses AA batteries but does include an additional ZL button that lets me play most of my Switch games. While Nintendo’s official wireless GameCube controller for the Switch 2 brings rechargeable batteries, Nintendo opted to give it a little nub of a ZL button instead of a full button. I was hoping for the replacement of the Pro Controller or WaveBird.
I don’t like playing Mario Kart World, but I did not want to miss out on the chance to play Nintendo’s single-player killer app. I’d never bet on Donkey Kong Bananza leading the charge.
He is the same age as Mario but this is his first solo game in three years and his second-ever 3D platformer. He is not the most likely candidate for a system seller. That may be what Mario Kart is for.
Source: Verge staffers react to the Nintendo Switch 2
Welcome Tours and GameCubes from Switch 2: The First Two Months of Nintendo Switch Online, and why Switch 2 is finally coming to the Fork
The age of consoles being bundled with a game is behind us, but it is not clear why Nintendo is charging for the Welcome Tour app. Although it does appear to include a small selection of mini-games, the app seems to be more of a highly-polished interactive tutorial than a game.
Wii Sports not only helped make that console a huge hit for Nintendo, it also cleverly introduced gamers to the Wiimote and Nunchuck’s unique capabilities and motion-controlled gaming. The Welcome Tour app is similar in concept but lacks replay value.
I was waiting for the Super Smash Bros. logo to flash across my screen during the Switch 2 Direct. And I nearly jumped out of my seat during the Kirby Air Riders trailer, which looked almost like an intro for a new SSB game.
It wasn’t, unfortunately, though SSB creator Masahiro Sakurai, who also directed the original Air Ride, is directing Riders. He is hoping he will be up for another SSB.
It’s been more than two decades since Nintendo released F-Zero GX, my favorite anti-gravity racer of all time, and Switch 2 Direct revealed that it and several other GameCube games are coming to the new console as a Nintendo Switch Online feature. I can’t wait to play the best games from the Nintendo console in higher resolution, without having to use a emulators.
After my decision to stick with digital game downloads for the original Nintendo Switch led to frustrations with playing those games on the Switch OLED, I was planning a return to physical cartridges for the Switch 2.
But Nintendo’s reveal of its new virtual game cards last week has changed my mind. Nintendo needed a way to make it easier to move games between different Switch consoles without a constant internet connection in order to streamline their digital game management.
Nintendo squeezed in some promising info about Switch 2 updates for older titles during today’s Direct. The selection of games getting updates — which includes Arms, Super Mario Odyssey, and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker — is relatively small, and it sounds like Nintendo is taking steps to make them compatible with the Switch 2’s new GameChat feature. The updates may improve performance, which is very significant for certain titles on the list, such as The Legend of Zelda:Echoes of Wisdom.