Switch 2 vs. Switch 1 specs: What’s new in Nintendo’s next console

the Nintendo Switch 2 True, and it seems that the leaks were very accurate regarding what the company’s next big console will look like. Although there isn’t a lot of official information yet about the Switch 2’s specifications, we’ve analyzed Nintendo’s video and compared it to the rumors to share. Everything we doubt and know.

Nintendo released a more than two-minute video of the Switch 2 reveal on January 16, then indicated that more information would be made available. April 2. In other words, we won’t get any more official information for a few months, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for more leaks that confirm what we’ve heard or shed new light on parts of the console we’ve heard. heard about.

For example, the Switch 2 looks very similar to its predecessor, the 8-year-old Nintendo Switch, but the new console is larger, has a larger screen and each Joy-Con looks like it has extra shoulder buttons on the inside. But does it magnetically attach to the main console, as rumors suggest? Can they? Work like a computer mouseAs some leaks say?

We’ll explain what we know and what we suspect below. Note that we’re mostly comparing the Switch 2 with the original Switch 1 released in March 2017, because duplicating the Switch Lite and Switch OLED gets complicated.

design

Overall, the Switch 2 is a larger version of its predecessor, with everything looking a little bloated: more space, a bigger screen, and bigger Joy-Cons. There are some things we can say with confidence that have changed and some things we’ll pass on from leakers with the caveat that they may differ from Nintendo’s final exact specifications.

Original switch: The original Switch with Joy-Cons slotted into the side rails measures just over 9.4 inches wide, 4 inches long, just over half an inch thick, and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 g). The Joy-Cons slide into place from the top sides of the device, while a thin wedge of plastic pops out of the back of the controller to act as a kickstand.

Switch 2: The new Switch 2 is larger in every way, but has the same overall shape and design as the original. Previous leaks suggest that instead of sliding on rails, the new Joy-Cons will be held in place on the console magnetically, and will be connected to the console via pins. The larger Joy-Cons also have room for two additional shoulder buttons (four total). The new console also has a wide, U-shaped kickstand that spans almost its entire back width, which can be moved to support the Switch 2 at different angles.

Display size

Original switch: The original Switch had a 6.2-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which was reasonably impressive when it launched in 2017 but has been overtaken by newer portable devices with sharper displays. The Switch OLED has upgraded this with a slightly larger 7-inch screen that displays deeper blacks and colours, but no upgrade in resolution, while the Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD screen.

Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2’s larger size means a larger screen, but Nintendo hasn’t officially confirmed its size. a year ago, Bloomberg It was reported that Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase expected the Switch 2 to have an 8-inch LCD screen, quashing hopes that Nintendo would include more expensive but better-looking OLED displays in its next console.

CPU/GPU

Original switch: The original Switch runs on Nvidia’s custom Tegra HackadayThere are four additional A53 cores unused.

Switch 2: Once again, Nintendo hasn’t released any official information about the Switch 2’s specifications, but we have detailed predictions from the leaks. On X (formerly Twitter) leaked Zuby_Tech published The Switch 2’s CPU will be an 8-core Arm Cortex A78C processor. They also suggested the GPU would be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, in line with years of similar rumors reported by Eurogamer And others around the custom chip, derived from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and mobile devices.

RAM and storage

Original switch. The Switch has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD cards in the slot under the kickstand.

Switch 2: Nintendo hasn’t released official specs for RAM or storage either. Leaker Zuby_Tech Published on X Back in September suggesting that the Switch 2 would feature 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This leak also indicates that the new console will have two internal fans, compared to the single fan found in the original Switch.

Battery life

Original switch: The original Switch had a 4,310 mAh battery, offering between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life depending on screen brightness and other factors.

Switch 2: Say it with me now: Nintendo hasn’t officially released details about the Switch 2’s battery. Oddly enough, it’s also one of the least leaked things about the upcoming console. Capacity predictions are rare, though it is assumed that the larger console will come with a larger battery. Rumors available suggest that the new console may be more efficient than its predecessor in handheld mode, with YouTubers agreeing Moore’s Law is dead Expect a 5 watt draw for Transformer 2 compared to the 8-12 watt draw for the original transformer. We will wait for official confirmation and our own testing, but this could mean that the new console has as long or perhaps longer battery life than its predecessor.

Ports

Original switch: The first adapter has a single USB-C port on the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, and Wi-Fi 5 connectivity as well as Bluetooth 4.1. There’s a slot at the top for Switch game cartridges as well as the aforementioned microSD slot under the kickstand on the back of the console.

Switch 2: Based on the teaser video, the Switch 2 retains the original USB-C port on the bottom and a 3.5mm jack on the top while adding another USB-C port on the top side for an unknown purpose — possibly for accessories (Nintendo Labo Sequel, anyone?). Since Nintendo hasn’t released any official specifications, we know nothing about its connectivity options, and rumors are rare on the subject. We know that the Switch 2 will play some of the original Switch games in physical versions, and we can briefly see in the image above what could be a cartridge slot to the right of the headphone jack (where the slot is located on the original Switch).

For more on Switch 2, see How to play console before it comes out and What we know about pre-order so far.