Sound the Alarmo! The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally emerged from the shadows, with Nintendo posting a surprise reveal trailer earlier this week on January 16.
Despite lasting just two minutes and 22 seconds (I see what you did there, Nintendo), there were plenty of revelations about the upcoming system to get excited about. Some line up perfectly with my predictions and previous Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, but there were still plenty of surprises.
If you managed to miss the reveal or just want a quick little recap, I’ve got you covered. Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal.
1. The Nintendo Switch 2 is significantly larger
One of the first things made apparent in the reveal trailer is the fact that the Nintendo Switch 2 is significantly larger than the original Nintendo Switch. We see not only a larger tablet portion, but bigger Joy-Con controllers too.
Nintendo hasn’t provided and official measurements yet, though that hasn’t stopped me from doing some detective work. One shot of the trailer shows the old and new consoles side by side, so I’ve measured it.
The image of the Nintendo Switch comes in at 534 pixels wide and 226 pixels tall. The Nintendo Switch 2 is then 607 pixels wide and 258 pixels tall. Assuming that both images are the same scale, that equates to a 13.7% increase in width and a 14.2% increase in height.
We know that the original Nintendo Switch is 9.4 in / 238 mm wide and 4.01 in / 102 mm tall in the real world. Therefore, I estimate that the Nintendo Switch 2 is about in 10.7 in / 270.6mm wide and / 4.6 in / 116.5 mm tall – that’s pretty hefty!
2. There’s a mysterious new button
The button layout of the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t look too different from that of the Nintendo Switch, but a mysterious new input is visible in the trailer.
Positioned below the home button on the right Joy-Con, it looks completely blank. My theory is that Nintendo is hiding what is actually written on the input so as to not give too much away this early, but exactly what it could be for is anybody’s guess.
New social features in its software are a likely answer, but we’ll have to wait and see.
3. The new kickstand looks way better
One thing that we do know for sure, at least, is that we won’t have to suffer through the puny, ineffective kickstand of the original Nintendo Switch any longer.
The U-shaped stand shown off in the trailer looks like an absolutely massive upgrade, taking the stability of the big chunky stand added to the Nintendo Switch OLED and slimming it down into something much more sleek.
If you’re somebody who loves diving into titles with friends in tabletop mode, this upgrade is going to be a game changer.
4. Most of your old games will still work
I was a little worried that I would have to buy all of my favorite Nintendo Switch games for a second time through ports or remasters on the Nintendo Switch. Luckily, that fear has been been put to bed… for the most part.
In plain and simple language, Nintendo stated that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be compatible with both physical and digital Nintendo Switch software. There is a caveat, though, as “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible.”
My guess is that this is referring to a small handful of more experimental titles that relied on external accessories. Ring Fit Adventure, which requires a huge ring-shaped peripheral could be one such example, or the cardboard construction kit that is Nintendo Labo.
My guess is that the bigger Joy-Con Controllers simply won’t fit in the required gear, limiting your ability to play those games.
5. A new Mario Kart is on the way
One thing that was sorely missing from the reveal trailer was a barrage of upcoming games. Still, we did at least see one potential new title and it’s going to be huge for Nintendo fans.
A new Mario Kart is finally on the way a decade of waiting (or just six years if you count the mobile Mario Kart Tour as a proper entry). It looks absolutely stunning too, with redesigned characters and expressive animations.
We see a few shots of what looks like a gigantic race track and markings for up to 24 racers too, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this next instalment goes big and delivers a scale that we simply haven’t seen from the franchise before.
6. Mouse-like controls were teased
This one is a little less certain, but certainly promising. For weeks, leaks have hinted that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature a mouse-like control scheme, letting you position the Joy-Con Controllers on the side to interact with the screen via new optical sensors.
Sadly this wasn’t outright confirmed by the trailer, but Nintendo is definitely hinting at it. The new Joy-Con are shown racing around on their sides, attached to a cool grip accessory with a cord that waves around almost like a mouse’s tail.
Could this be Nintendo’s next big gimmick? I think it’s really likely to happen.
See it for yourself
The reveal trailer also shed light on a few other interesting tidbits, like the system’s new logo and much slicker looking dock. We even see our first Nintendo Switch 2 accessory, an updated version of the classic Joy-Con grip.
Check out the trailer for yourself and drop your thoughts, or anything that you think I’ve missed, in the comments.