Bigger, Sharper, Same Big Idea
After eight years and more than 150 million consoles, Nintendo didn't reinvent the Switch. It built a better one. The Nintendo Switch 2 launched on 5 June 2025, and it keeps everything that made the original a hit, a handheld that docks to your TV, while making nearly every part of it bigger and more capable.
It has a 7.9-inch 1080p touchscreen, a much more powerful custom NVIDIA chip, and support for up to 4K on a television. It plays most of the original Switch library, so years of games carry straight over. Nintendo said it sold 3.5 million units in its first four days, the fastest launch of any Nintendo console.
The Upgrades You'll Feel
The screen is the first thing you notice. It's larger and sharper, supports HDR, and runs at up to 120 frames per second, so games look and feel smoother in your hands. The extra power means faster loading and more ambitious games, and some original Switch games have been updated with free or paid Nintendo Switch 2 Editions that add sharper visuals or new content.
The new Joy-Con 2 controllers snap on magnetically instead of sliding down rails, and they can be used like a computer mouse by gliding them across a table. There's also a new C button for GameChat, which lets you voice chat and share screens with friends while you play.
The Games
It launched with Mario Kart World, an open-world take on the series, and Donkey Kong Bananza followed that summer. Add the back catalogue of the original Switch and it has one of the strongest starting libraries of any new console.
A Note for Collectors
Not every Switch 2 cartridge is the same, and it matters if you collect physical games. Some releases are full cartridges with the whole game on them. Others are game-key cards, which are physical cartridges that unlock a download rather than containing the game itself. The packaging says which is which. If you care about owning a game that will still play in twenty years, check before you buy.
Where It Fits in the Story
On a site that starts with a grey brick from 1989, the Switch 2 is the latest chapter of the same idea: Nintendo games you can take anywhere. The Game Boy did it with four AA batteries and a pea-green screen; the Switch 2 does it with a 1080p display and a dock. The thread runs all the way through, and you can follow it through our console timeline from the original Game Boy onwards.
Buying One Today
It's still new, so there's little to watch for yet. Check what's in the box, since some bundles include a game, and think about storage. The console has 256 GB built in, and expansion only works with the newer microSD Express cards, not the microSD cards from the original Switch.
Then start Mario Kart World, lift the console out of the dock, and carry the race into the next room. Thirty-six years after the Game Boy, that still feels like the future.