Nintendo on Wednesday announced the Switch 2, the follow-up to its wildly successful hybrid gaming console from eight years ago. Nintendo has revealed specific details about the Switch 2 for the first time, including hardware specs. The Switch 2 will launch on June 5 for $449.99, a significant increase from the $300 price tag of the first-generation model, CNN has reported. The original Switch popularized the idea of ​​a gaming console that could be played on a TV in the living room or on an airplane, prompting a wave of gaming brands to follow suit. The Switch 2 is the company’s biggest launch since the first-generation console launched in 2017 — and will likely dictate the next decade for one of the world’s largest and most well-known video game companies.

Nintendo will also have to overcome challenges that didn’t exist in 2017: tariffs on Chinese goods that could impact production and shipping costs, increased competition from mobile games, and pressure to match the pandemic-era records that the gaming industry has seen in 2020. The Switch 2 follows its predecessor with several new features, including an in-game chat feature that allows gamers to chat with other players in real time. It also lets users share certain games with other Switch owners during a personal game, even if the other player doesn’t own the title.

What’s New in the Switch 2

The Joy-Con controllers, which attach to the Switch when it’s used as a handheld console or can be used on their own, will now support mouse functionality. The console will also work with a separate camera so that players can see each other on-screen when using in-game chat and other features. Nintendo is counting on these changes to differentiate the Switch 2’s gameplay from its predecessor. During the Nintendo Direct, the company showed off how players will be able to slide the Joy-Con controllers across the surface like a computer mouse to move a character around the screen in different ways. Nintendo has also updated the console’s hardware. The Switch 2 has a larger 7.9-inch display compared to the original Switch’s 6.2-inch screen, and the Joy-Con controllers now attach to the console using magnets, which should make them easier to attach or remove from the console.

The console has eight times the memory of its predecessor, and the dock supports 4K resolution. These are two changes that should give players more storage space for games and improve the way they look when connected to a compatible TV. Nintendo also announced new games from some of its most popular franchises, including Donkey Kong and Mario Kart. Nintendo games are the main reason why gamers continue to buy Nintendo consoles. But the company also focused a large portion of its presentation on non-Nintendo games, which is critical since Nintendo is traditionally best known for its own exclusive titles, and it could help the company attract a new audience. Those games include Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Hogwarts Legacy, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4.

Replicating Success

The Switch 2 is the successor to the world’s third-best-selling gaming console of all time. This time, it’s positioning the Switch 2 as a direct sequel, an updated version of the same device. Sony and Microsoft’s latest consoles have been out for a few years, so gamers may not be as excited about them as they were when they first bought them, and there’s more competition from mobile games. According to a report by Bain & Company, mobile games account for the majority of the growth in the gaming market.

High inflation and price increases due to tariffs will make it harder for consumers to spend on non-essentials like game consoles. But Nintendo’s robust library of beloved characters and games could give it an edge against those challenges. The company’s approach to gameplay is also more cinematic and focused on solo adventures than most mobile games, said Michael Pachter, managing director of entertainment software at Wedbush Securities. That could help differentiate it from its phone rivals.