We also see an additional button on the right side of the Joy-Con below the Home button. While this one is unlabeled in the teaser, it does see some sort of C button functionality that Nintendo used in various forms on the N64 and GameCube in the past. Also worth noting is a highlight shot focusing on the left Joy-Con’s thumbstick rotation – could this be to highlight the improved thumbsticks for the new generation, possibly using Hall effect technology? Given the drift issues that plagued the original Switch, this would be a smart move on Nintendo’s part.
Photo: Nintendo
The biggest changes to the main console itself, beyond the increased physical size, are the addition of an additional USB-C port on top and a new U-shaped stand. While the former is a great addition and opens up the potential to support more accessories, the latter feels a bit flimsy—better than the original Switch’s base tip but less sturdy than the OLED Switch’s sturdy back panel base.
When it comes to the OLED Switch, judging solely by the chunky frame shown at the Switch 2 unveiling, the new console may return to an LCD panel. Again, it’s been rumored for a while, but it’s hard not to look back a little.
The best takeaway from the unveiling, however, is that Nintendo immediately confirmed backward compatibility with existing Switch games, both physically and digitally (with a few as-yet-unspecified exceptions, of course). This is great news for gamers who have spent the better part of a decade building their libraries, and another example of Nintendo’s confidence and sense of continuity. When you collect 1.3 billion Selling software for your wildly successful platform, why risk alienating these customers?
And that seems to be Nintendo’s strategy for the Switch 2 in a nutshell: If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Gamers love the Switch as it is, the company’s main rivals are all more or less mimicking it, and all signs point to “more but better” being a compelling selling point. It’s playing – but it doesn’t need to do anything else.
