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Nintendo Reveals Switch 2: It's Bigger and Features Backward Compatibility

Nintendo drops a teaser video with a first look but few specs. Expect more details on April 2, after which the company will host in-person demo events in the US.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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(Credit: Nintendo)

After numerous rumors and leaks, Nintendo finally revealed its successor to the Switch console, the Switch 2, which features a larger screen and upgraded controllers. 

A video posted Thursday morning starts by showing the original Switch, which suddenly inflates in size as its various buttons and ports, including a headphone jack, come into view. 

The kickstand, meanwhile, is larger and can support the Switch console across a greater degree of angles. The video then shows the Switch 2’s controllers increasing in size. The improvements also suggest Nintendo has addressed the Joy-Con drift problem that plagued the Switch 1.

(Credit: Nintendo)
(Credit: Nintendo)

Switch 2 will also feature backward compatibility with Switch 1 games—digitally and physically through the game cards. That said, Nintendo notes, "Certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2."

Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 can also connect to an included dock, enabling you to game on a TV at a higher resolution. Unfortunately, Nintendo didn't reveal any other specs. The video is just a teaser with no pricing or launch date mentioned. Instead, the company plans on revealing more during a Nintendo Direct event scheduled for Wednesday, April 2. 

(Credit: Nintendo)

In the meantime, Nintendo created a website dedicated to the Switch 2, which says the company will host in-person demos starting in April in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

Gamers will need to register to attend the events. Registration will be open "from Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. PT / 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET until Jan. 26 at 11:59 p.m. local time for each Event location."

“Tickets will be made available through a free-to-enter, randomly selected drawing. Register during the registration period for a chance to attend," Nintendo says.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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