Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo details the redesigned hardware behind the Switch 2

Nintendo announced redesigned hardware systems and beefed-up performance for the Nintendo Switch 2.

In a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced that the new system will ship on June 5, and it will feature enhanced graphics with up to 4K resolution, 120 frames per second and high-dynamic range (HDR).

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will have both a Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 version, and you can play it in 4K resolution at 60FPS with HDR or 1080p at 120 FPS with HDR.

It has two Jon-Con 2 controllers that connect magnetically to the Switch 2 body. It has strong magnets to keep the controllers attached on the sides.

A button on the back detaches the controllers. The SL and SR buttons on each controller are larger, and the left and right sticks are also larger.

Each controller can also be used as a mouse, and the device has a microphone and optional camera for voice chat.

The device has 256 gigabytes of in-system storage, compared to 32GB for the Switch that debuted seven years ago. It has fan ventilation for cooling to help keep it all cool. A number of games with be compatible with both the Switch and Switch 2, and physical and digital games are supported.

Nintendo said it is not simply an improved Nintendo Switch. Rather, it was redesigned from the ground up. It has a Welcome Tour mini game to give you a tour of the Switch 2 details.

A number of new and old games are coming to the Switch 2, including IO Interactive’s new James Bond game and Hitman: The World of Assassination, Hogwarts Legacy, EA’s Madden and Split Fiction, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the Zelda games Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild.

It also has the story leading into Tears of the Kingdom, a new Koei Tecmo Games title dubbed Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (coming this winter).

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.