Nintendo Switch 2 Launches June 5 at $449.99 with New Hardware and Games

[JustBenching]

Watched the live stream this morning before work. This console is just trying to milk everyone for all it's got. Nintendo makes their own type of 4 person discord call, you have to buy a nintendo online access to use the feature. Everything else is basically the same as the regular Switch. I did not see a reason to move to the Switch2 platform. If i wanted to play 3rd party games id play them on my PS5. They're Not launching with much Switch2 only content. I feel like it's just a cash grab.

Huh? Are you suggesting there won't be many Nintendo exclusives or what?

$60 Ocarina of Time from 1998 should be around $114 in today's money adjusted for inflation. Even at $90 it would still a bargain. Breath of the Wild released at $60

Not at all a valid comparison, the market is much much bigger. Just take a look at the sales, botw sold over 30m copies. OoT sold 7m.

I'm never gonna find a used Switch in decent nick for <€150 am I?

Would give you mine (switch oled with hw mod) but im waiting for the switch 2 oled before selling

 

[sLowEnd]

I find the people complaining about the price to be a bit out of touch with reality.

Example you ask?
1991, SNES releases in North America for $250 for the deluxe set and $199 for the base set.

34 years later...

2025, Switch 2 is set to release for $449.

Gasoline?
1991, $0.78 per gallon.
2025, $4.10 per gallon.

Minimum hourly wage?
1991, $4.25
2025, $15 (depending on where you live)

Gallon of 2% Milk?
1991, $0.85
2025, $3.65

People need to put a sock in their cake holes about the price and complain about what matters, like this internet connection requirement crap.

Aye, I agree

 

[lexluthermiester]

MetalJesus had some interesting perspectives.

He talked about the game card aspect which left me wondering if some games will be fully available or not.
I'm going to reserve judgement for the moment..

 

[Super XP]

Expensive, but not surprised. There's a reason why Nintendo still holds the crown for the most consoles sold to date.
I'll wait till the price drops and pick one up in about a year or so. I like the smart move to ensure Switch 1 games work on this Switch 2. Smart move once again,

 

[kurosagi01]

My general thoughts:
Good
£395.99 is expected and a good price if it is capable in performing upto 120fps in handheld and at 1440p and 4k on a monitor/TV
Dusk blood, potentially a prequel or sequel to Bloodborne if it is related to Bloodborne. But it looks promising whether it is or not and this is what is giving me a reason to get one next year.
Some of the games getting a free perf boost is cool(I can finally play Pokemon Violet/Scarlet)
The thinness is a win when you compare it to other handhelds now.
256gb is a nice bump from 32gb integrated storage

Bad
If most of their physical games are just going to be some license authentication thing and you have to download the game then the 256gb storage isn't going to be enough
The new micro SD express card are no doubt going to be a lot for the couple years until they can make them cheaper
The chat button on the joycon is only free for 1 year which is rubbish
The price hike on games on top of potentially physicaly copies only being a license authentication just makes it a even worse deal to be a "physical" collector
Going back to LCD when they release OLED switch 1 just seems dumb, if they listed it at £450 with OLED or IPS or something not LCD then I still think its a decent price

 

[dir_d]

Huh? Are you suggesting there won't be many Nintendo exclusives or what?

I am saying at the launch and the exclusives that have been shown i will not be buying a console, i do not feel it is worth the cost to move to the switch 2. Maybe in a year it may be worth it. I also have a PS5 and PC so more adult or violent titles that are not exclusive id rather play on PS5 or PC. This seems more like a PS5 to PS5Pro move than a next gen console.

 

[Onasi]

Going back to LCD when they release OLED switch 1 just seems dumb, if they listed it at £450 with OLED or IPS or something not LCD then I still think its a decent price

Uhhhh, it IS IPS. LCD is just a catch all term, IPS is a specific type of LCD, alongside VA and TN. Same as with OLED there is QD-OLED from Samsung and WOLED from LG.

 

[kurosagi01]

Uhhhh, it IS IPS. LCD is just a catch all term, IPS is a specific type of LCD, alongside VA and TN. Same as with OLED there is QD-OLED from Samsung and WOLED from LG.

Then why couldn't they say it is IPS? Although saying that, I don't think they have announced what panel it is.
If it is using IPS then great but we will see closer time.
That is a minor complaint I had but the whole physical game ownership seems rather bleak for switch 2 for now.

 

[wNotyarD]

Then why couldn't they say it is IPS? Although saying that, I don't think they have announced what panel it is.
If it is using IPS then great but we will see closer time.
That is a minor complaint I had but the whole physical game ownership seems rather bleak for switch 2 for now.

IPS requires payment of royalties to LG, if I'm not mistaken. Best they could do is say "IPS-level" but that doesn't exactly sound nice, does it?

 

[Onasi]

Then why couldn't they say it is IPS? Although saying that, I don't think they have announced what panel it is.
If it is using IPS then great but we will see closer time.

It is IPS. Well, IPS-type. It’s WCG and HDR10, aren’t many things in LCD land that aren’t IPS that can do that. As for why - because, if the rumors are true and their display supplier is Sharp, then they technically can’t say IPS - it’s a trademark by LG. It’s an IPS-type panel, but since the layman consumer doesn’t understand the minutiae it’s easier to say just LCD. As for me being certain - first Switch launched with an IPS-type screen. No reason for why this one would not be, even specs aside.

Edit: Dammit, @wNotyarD ninjaed me.

 

[duraz0rz]

Then why couldn't they say it is IPS? Although saying that, I don't think they have announced what panel it is.
If it is using IPS then great but we will see closer time.
That is a minor complaint I had but the whole physical game ownership seems rather bleak for switch 2 for now.

Because the target audience doesn't care about the specific panel type, nor do they really care about the difference between LCD and OLED. They care more about if it will play their games.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Game price inflation has sort of insidiously been happening in the background for a while now. I've started noticing that a lot of games aren't dropping to their sub $10 price during Steam sales anymore (even older games that are well past their prime are sticking at higher prices even during sales).

These are games that have no right to be "affected" by inflation and yet they are.

Publishers are simply training the market to accept a higher price for... Everything. I fully expect GTA6 to hit that "rumored" $100 without question now.

Thing is I set aside $100 for game purchases every year, so all this means is that instead of buying 10 $10 games, I'll end up buying 5 $20 games instead and being more choosy with my purchases.

What's really tragic is gamers have demonstrated again and again that they have no real impulse control with gaming in general and will pay the price so long as they have the numbers in their bank account.

 

[kurosagi01]

IPS requires payment of royalties to LG, if I'm not mistaken. Best they could do is say "IPS-level" but that doesn't exactly sound nice, does it?

It is IPS. Well, IPS-type. It’s WCG and HDR10, aren’t many things in LCD land that aren’t IPS that can do that. As for why - because, if the rumors are true and their display supplier is Sharp, then they technically can’t say IPS - it’s a trademark by LG. It’s an IPS-type panel, but since the layman consumer doesn’t understand the minutiae it’s easier to say just LCD. As for me being certain - first Switch launched with an IPS-type screen. No reason for why this one would not be, even specs aside.

Edit: Dammit, @wNotyarD ninjaed me.

I see and well if that is the case then wouldn't they have had to pay some royalty to sell the OLED switch? All i'm saying is if they released the last Switch 1 with OLED, why couldn't they do it again but instead go back to IPS-level display like "gen 1" switch.

Because the target audience doesn't care about the specific panel type, nor do they really care about the difference between LCD and OLED. They care more about if it will play their games.

If the audience didn't care then they wouldn't have bothered trying to cash in on selling OLED Switch but I get what you are saying.
For the price increase from the original Switch with better hardware, i'm just saying it would have made sense as well to have used OLED panel if the very last Switch 1 was OLED.
If they was to sell it around £400-£450 i'm sure the "enthuasist" would justify it and buy it since it is still cheaper than a OLED steam deck.

 

[skizzo]

has anyone ever actually said "I really don't like d-pads. please make them buttons instead!" ????

 

[notoperable]

You mix color red with green and you get a nice brown, makes sense

 

[Squared]

What's more nuts is the current street price of RTX 5090 discrete cards, at least for gamers. That is nuts. $449 for a Switch 2 is a great value.

This is a site that reviews $200 keyboards and $700 CPUs and $2000 graphics cards, but $450 for a whole console that includes everything need to start playing (except a game) on the TV or on the go, that's just too much.

only viable until nintendo shuts down the store

Cartridges allow you to dust off a very old game and console and play long after support has ended. It'd be a shame to lose that.

Yeah, except $449 for the Switch 2 significantly outpaces inflation. Nevermind that relative to today's tech the Switch 2 dates back to about '21-'22 in terms of sophistication.
...
It's preposterous to defend a price hike on what is already priced at a considerable premium for its target demographic (like seriously, a single video game costs more than a motorized Nerf gun) because prices on consumer goods have gone up in general. Video games are not general goods and are not beholden to the same market forces as a loaf of bread.

$300 when the Switch came out will probably have the buying power of $396 this June when the Switch 2 comes out. $60 would buy what $79 buys today. The console price is only 13% more than the inflation-adjusted launch price of the Switch. What exists in 2025 that hasn't seen a similar price increase since 2017?

I spend probably 40 hours minimum playing a typical Nintendo game. I haven't played with Nerf guns for that long cumulatively in my whole life.

Inflation from March 2017 to February this year is 30.88%. Inflation in the 7 years and 11 months prior was 14.33%. This inflation is a lot harder to get used to. And Nintendo isn't doing itself any favors by selling a game that is literally called Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Shouldn't the console tour be included with the console?

 

[Nhonho]

Will there be Mario games with more realistic graphics now? Or will we continue to have "more of the same" games?

I would really like to see Mario games with these graphics:

This one from 1:22

 

[ratirt]

I'm thinking of getting a switch 2 for myself, I like the switch 1 version.
I only hope, switch 1 games will be compatible with switch 2 and I will still be able to play these. Then, i can sell my switch 1 which has been awesome for what it is offering.
Cool family games and few cherries on top like Zelda franchise.

 

[Super XP]

I'm thinking of getting a switch 2 for myself, I like the switch 1 version.
I only hope, switch 1 games will be compatible with switch 2 and I will still be able to play these. Then, i can sell my switch 1 which has been awesome for what it is offering.
Cool family games and few cherries on top like Zelda franchise.

Same, and I believe Nintendo confirmed Switch 1 games will be compatible with the Switch 2 system. I mean it has to be, or else they will probably not sell too many of these new Switches.

 

[Kyan]

Same, and I think Nintendo has confirmed that Switch 1 games will be compatible with the Switch 2 system. I mean it has to be, otherwise they might not sell too many of these new Switches.

For now, Nintendo has said that not all games will be compatible with the Switch 2. I think a lot of them will be, but maybe some small titles won't be compatible at all.

 

[Colddecked]

Game price inflation has sort of insidiously been happening in the background for a while now. I've started noticing that a lot of games aren't dropping to their sub $10 price during Steam sales anymore (even older games that are well past their prime are sticking at higher prices even during sales).

These are games that have no right to be "affected" by inflation and yet they are.

Publishers are simply training the market to accept a higher price for... Everything. I fully expect GTA6 to hit that "rumored" $100 without question now.

Thing is I set aside $100 for game purchases every year, so all this means is that instead of buying 10 $10 games, I'll end up buying 5 $20 games instead and being more choosy with my purchases.

What's really tragic is gamers have demonstrated again and again that they have no real impulse control with gaming in general and will pay the price so long as they have the numbers in their bank account.

Of course they've done their math and figure they'll make money off the people who can afford such prices. But they're going to learn there's a limit to what people are willing to pay and actual sales numbers going to underperform a lot compared to original Switch I feel.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Of course they've done their math and figure they'll make money off the people who can afford such prices. But they're going to learn there's a limit to what people are willing to pay and actual sales numbers going to underperform a lot compared to original Switch I feel.

-Yeah but now like everyone else they can just blame tariffs. They have the perfect air cover when stuff doesnt move (even if the excuse is even largely justified).

 

[cvaldes]

For now, Nintendo has said that not all games will be compatible with the Switch 2. I think a lot of them will be, but maybe some small titles won't be compatible at all.

My understanding from some articles I've read on other tech sites is that Switch 2 is running Switch games in some hybrid emulation mode and that not all Switch games are written in a way where the emulation layer does it correctly.

Whether the onus to fix a given game is on Nintendo or the game developer will likely be an individual guess. For sure there are debug logs being generated by the emulation layer and some tools to figure out what's the root of the problem. For some titles (particularly first party ones or major third party ones) I'm sure Nintendo will consider whether or not it's worth making an effort to alter the emulation software to handle that specific title better. In some cases, it may be up to the game developer to develop a fix.

One interesting thing I've read on several sites (by tech journalists who have actually spent hours hands on with a real unit) is that the HDR LCD screen looks great in person, much closer in quality to the Switch OLED's screen than the LCD in the original Switch. This is something that can't be assessed by comparing spec sheets.

Just after the launch, I mentioned that Switch 2's price was in line when adjusted for inflation. Unsurprisingly there are now a couple of analyses by tech sites that have gone through all of Nintendo's previous hardware to compare original price and inflation-adjusted prices. At least a few comparisons with competitors' products were included. Verdict: Switch 2's $449 launch price is pretty much in the middle of inflation-adjusted Nintendo console pricing.

While people are still harping about the price increase of games it's crystal clear that the rest of the game industry (PC, Xbox, PlayStation) will soon follow suit and price AAA games more. The biggest losers will probably be many small indie developers who will find that even a modest price hike will slam the brakes on unit sales.

If you despise Nintendo's price hike on software titles, soon there will be fewer places to flee to because everyone else will be doing it. It won't take long, my guess is that all major PC/PS/XBox titles in the second half of 2025 will debut with higher prices. This also clears the path for Rockstar to launch GTA VI at $99 or $100.

 

[Kyan]

My understanding from some articles I've read on other tech sites is that Switch 2 is running Switch games in some hybrid emulation mode and that not all Switch games are written in a way where the emulation layer does it correctly.

Whether the onus to fix a given game is on Nintendo or the game developer will likely be an individual guess. For sure there are debug logs being generated by the emulation layer and some tools to figure out what's the root of the problem. For some titles (particularly first party ones or major third party ones) I'm sure Nintendo will consider whether or not it's worth making an effort to alter the emulation software to handle that specific title better. In some cases, it may be up to the game developer to develop a fix.

I've re-watch the live and check a list of incompatible game from Nintendo and it looks like a lot of third party games are already working. Even some first party title are not compatible for the moment.
But I didn't find clear information if we will be able to play switch 1 games that have a switch 2 edition, without the switch 2 update.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

Preorder placed
And im very excited
got someone lined up to buy my switch so imat 530 aud all in