Introduction: Nintendo Company has finally decided to showcase the full specifications and all other relevant details of its Switch 2 console. As one of the most popular hybrid gaming devices on the global market, Switch 2 has been eagerly anticipated by many gamers, including countless Nintendo fans. The new console will debut in the middle of 2025 and will present an interesting combination of hardware features and new social gaming elements. However, some decisions that Nintendo made related to its game library and the prices of the upcoming Switch 2 titles will continue to cause a level of controversy among the players even after the console’s launch.
Article: The global gaming public has been assured by industry insiders and the press that the official release of Nintendo’s Switch 2 console is just around the corner. Since the start of 2025, there have been several such points in time, with everyone practically certain that the Nintendo bosses will showcase the Switch’s success at any moment. However, apart from a cryptic presentation trailer that came out in the middle of January, which basically showcased the console’s ergonomics and design, nothing else officially came out until April 2, 2025. Using Nintendo Direct as the platform, the gaming company finally showcased all of the relevant info about Switch 2, its upgrades, features, and naturally, the ever-important library of upcoming titles.
This information about the same Switch 2 library covered both the info about the Nintendo native titles, but also third-party releases, including some of the biggest gaming hits in the past several years. All of that will appear on the market on June 5, 2025, when the console officially launches for the baseline price of 450 USD. Overall, judging on the current reactions of gamers and video game journalists, while Switch 2 offers an interesting setup in terms of hardware and innovative design, the main problematic point will be the prices of the console itself, but also the new games and titles that will appear on the same gaming console. This information shows that Switch 2 will have a hard time in its efforts to expand its slice of the console gaming market in practically all regional markets.
Upgraded Hardware
One of the most impressive elements of Switch 2 hardware is its capacitive touch screen. Its size is a 7.9-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, HDR10 support, and a VRR that will go up to 120 Hz. NVIDIA will be tasked with producing the Switch 2 custom process, just like it did with the first generation of the console. When it comes to the console’s autonomous battery life, it should prove a minimum of two hours and last over six hours for the most optimized gaming sessions. In the docked mode, the console will include an active cooler option, which is also included in the console, making sure that no overheating problems can occur in that mode. However, there is a strong sense, especially having in mind the powerful screen, that Nintendo intends Switch 2 to be a gaming option for those on the go, including travelers and other people trying to play titles away from their homes.
New Features and the C Button
The next generation of Switch devices will come with some interesting new features. Chiefly among those is button C, which was a mystery until recently – however, now it is known that it will bring a range of community and communication options. For it, players have to use Nintendo Switch Online as a paid member, which will allow them to talk to friends using voice and video, but also stream their gameplay to other users and much more. The fact that Nintendo included this as a hardware button shows just how big an incentive it thinks this will be for the players. Along with this, the game’s controls have been increased in size and docking stability, as well as added a mouse-like tracking or mouse mode. This should help with games that are built for a PC experience, where this mouse and keyboard setup will be now accessible to Switch 2 gamers as well.
Switch 2 Gaming Library
While new features and hardware specs of consoles are interesting on their own, their true value only comes to the forefront if they can allow players to access new games. In the case of Switch 2, the list of upcoming games is impressive. From Nintendo itself, the biggest names are Mario Kart World, a social racing experience, as well as Donkey Kong Bananza, a return of one of the most famous gaming series in history. Switch 2 will also see launch titles like Street Fighter 6, Split Fiction, Civilization VII, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy. These are very diverse AAA releases, covering everything from grand strategy to FPS games and narrative adventures. However, the big problem most gamers have here is the prices. For example, Digital Mario Kart World will retail for 79 USD, while Digital Donkey Kong Bananza will cost about 10 USD less. Other games, including upscaling of existing Switch releases like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will also cost money. Nintendo is even selling a tutorial-like experience for Switch 2. Unsurprisingly, the prices, along with the pressure to become a part of Nintendo Switch Online subscription are not sitting well with many gamers.
Price of Ambition
The reactions of the wider gaming public to Switch 2 are for now very clear – while most are impressed with the console and its selection of games, all price points seem to be steeper than expected. This applies to the console, which is significantly more expensive than the original Switch, but also its games. Many believe that Nintendo is leveraging its brand value for the ability to hike up its price tags, but this might be a bad long-term strategy. Initially, Nintendo had the ambitions of pushing out Microsoft Xbox from the market and muscling in as the second-biggest gaming console in the world. As things stand now, with flagship games that are priced between 60 USD and 80 USD, Switch 2 really has to amaze and enchant many new gamers into its ecosystem. At the same time, despite its impressive specs, many noted that Switch 2’s best resolution is still going to be that of Sony’s older PS4 home console. This means that all dreams and ambitions of becoming a direct rival to the PlayStation market share will have to wait for Switch 3 at the very least.
Author: Ivica Milaric, game designer and assistant professor of game design at the Novi Sada Academy of Arts, Republic of Serbia