After years of speculation, the Nintendo Switch 2 design has finally been revealed in classic Nintendo fashion: with a lot of showing, but little in the way of hard metrics. But given we're going to be staring at it in our hands for the next few years, there's already a lot to be said for how the Switch 2 looks. It's subtler and darker than its predecessor, although the trademark blue and red combination has survived along with the original Switch's general design.
That being said, there are some major changes – both practical and aesthetic – that distinguish the Switch 2 from its predecessor, with its main design changes focused more on the Joy-Cons than anything else. If you want to know more about the changes between the Switch 2 vs the Nintendo Switch – visual or otherwise – then read on below!
Main console changes
Paint it, black
The bright blue and red of the original Switch's Joy-Cons – though still here – have been relegated to just the Joy-Cons' thumbsticks and interior-facing panel, the latter of which is barely visible in handheld mode. Beyond that, it's all black – and although we don't want to read too much into this, it does feel like Nintendo is positioning this as a more serious hardware competitor to PlayStation and Xbox. That was a reputation issue the original Switch never quite shook despite being a phenomenal console in its own right, so Nintendo is likely keen to squash this nice and early.
If rumors of the Nintendo Switch 2 utilizing AI upscaling are true, the console will prove far more capable of running demanding games that have traditionally stuck to releasing on PC, Xbox Series X, and PS5. That in itself is a game-changer, and it would make sense for Nintendo to present that image with a more serious design from day one.
Bigger means better?
Though exact scaling is yet to be provided, if you pause the first-look trailer at 2:03, you can see the first Switch being held alongside the Switch 2. Presuming there are no scaling shenanigans at play here, the Switch 2 looks significantly larger than the first Switch – not only the screen, but the Joy-Cons look both broader and longer.
In fact, the bump in size – along with the darker aesthetic – makes the Switch 2 look closer in nature to Valve's own Steam Deck handheld. The larger screen will be nice for playing the best Switch games a glow-up, but it does raise the question of how heavier the Switch 2 is going to be given the internal hardware upgrades – though if the previously-mentioned AI upscaling is present, that could do a lot of heavy lifting for keeping the Switch 2 from getting too heavy.
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons
No more Joy-Con sliding
As for more tangible design changes, Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons will now plug directly into the console's main body, as opposed to how they would have to slide onto the first Switch with a railing system.
Unlike the Switch 2's all-black makeover, the reasoning behind this change feels a little more obvious. Connecting and removing Joy-Cons from the current Switch has always felt flimsy and a little awkward, so this feels like a pretty straightforward tweak designed to make the Switch 2 feel sturdier than its predecessor.
Based on what we've seen from the first-look trailer, it also seems like the connection between Joy-Con and Switch 2 will be magnetic, which in theory should further minimize the potential for finicky hardware elements to break – if you still have the launch model Switch, you'll probably be familiar with how wobbly and loose connected Joy-Cons felt after a few years. If it is indeed magnetic, the slot that Joy-Cons will connect to should also help to keep them stable and less likely to break from accidental drops – not that any of us have ever dropped a Switch, of course.
Joy-Cons... as mice?
You heard right. If the emphasized gliding in the first-look trailer isn't just slick marketing, it looks like the Switch 2's Joy-Cons will be able to double as a mouse while the main console body is propped up by its stand.
This feels huge – not only would it offer more accurate inputs, but it could potentially open the door to the Switch 2 being used as a broader entertainment device in the same way that PlayStation and Xbox consoles double as hubs for streaming platforms and the like. Honestly, though? A mouse Joy-Con just sounds really fun to play with.
Nintendo Switch 2 dock
A redesigned dock
The original Switch dock looked a little flimsy – and, well, a bit chunky. The Switch 2 drops that edgier design for rounded corners, meaning it should look a little less out-of-place squashed in front of your TV.
From a more practical design, it's also good news for everyone who worries about scratching the screen on those previously sharp edges. This came up a lot during the first Switch's launch but never really materialized – but if those softer corners prevent this old worry rearing its head before it has a chance to start, it's an easy win for Nintendo.
Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility
A lot of familiarity – especially for the cartridge slot
Right at the end of the first-look trailer, Nintendo shows that the Switch 2 will have backwards compatibility for physical Switch games – with the cartridge slot remaining in the same position for both consoles.
That positioning in itself isn't a huge deal one way or another, but it is interesting to see how Nintendo has kept much of the Switch 2's design looking like its predecessor. All of its buttons are largely in the same place, so anyone coming over from the Switch should be able to pick up and play the Switch 2 without pesky muscle memory getting in the way of things. After all – the Switch was one of the best-selling consoles in the US, so why change something if it isn't broken?
Nintendo Switch 2 new button
An extra button!
Look below the Switch 2's 'home' button on the right Joy-Con, and you'll see an unmarked square button. But what does it do?
Somewhat mysteriously, we didn't get to see it in action during the first-look trailer. This leaves only speculation for what it will do – could it be to disengage the Switch 2's magnetic hold on the Joy-Cons? A voice chat toggle? Something completely unrelated for a feature we haven't even seen yet? Your guess is as good as ours – and in all likelihood, we'll have to wait for the Switch 2's Nintendo Direct broadcast in April to see what it actually does.
As for what's going to be on the console, our roundup of upcoming Switch 2 games has you covered.
