The official reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 was expected for the longest time. Nintendo provided us with a general announcement, but with what amounted to just barely more than a teaser with no real concrete tech specs or details about the new devicet, except for what we could obviously see or infer.

What We Do Know

Let’s get into the (lack of) details!

First-look images at the console design and a teaser trailer were revealed by Nintendo Thursday, but the Japan-based video game company has held back the price tag for the Switch 2 as well as the official release date.

Additional details about the Switch 2 will be announced during a Nintendo Direct event on April 2. The company says it will host Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events “where consumers can go hands-on with Nintendo Switch 2” in cities around the world beginning in April.

Here’s what we do know, specs-wise, what we can infer from Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal, and what’s been leaked unofficially in recent months.

The Switch 2 is bigger. It has larger Joy-Cons and it looks like Nintendo made an earnest attempt at some quality-of-life hardware tweaks.

System Size

The original base model of the Nintendo Switch is approximately 4 inches high and 9.4 inches long, according to Nintendo’s official system specs. Based on Nintendo’s side-by-side imagery of the Switch and Switch 2, the successor is approximately 14% larger. That would mean the Switch 2’s overall system size (Joy-Cons included) is approximately 4.5 inches high and 10.7 inches long.

Screen size

Switch 2 will have a larger screen, reportedly an 8-inch LCD. The original Switch featured a 6.2 inch LCD screen, while the OLED Switch, introduced in 2021, features a 7-inch screen. Based on Nintendo’s side-by-side imagery of the Switch and Switch 2, reports of an 8-inch screen appear accurate. Our own measurements put it at slightly smaller, at approximately 7.8 inches, a minor difference with room for error, but expect the Switch 2 screen to be about 25% bigger than the original Switch.

CPU/GPU

The Switch 2 will be powered by an Nvidia custom Tegra T239 processor, according to leaked details gleaned from the console’s motherboard. That would put the system’s processing power on par with previous-generation consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, according to analysts. But leaks suggest the Switch 2 will employ upscaling technology that can boost 720p resolution visuals up to 4K when docked, using machine learning techniques.

Storage

Nintendo hasn’t announced how much internal storage the Switch 2 will boast, but like the original Switch, it will support expandable storage via SD cards. The original Switch supported microSDHC and microSDXC (UHS-I) cards up to 2 TB, while the Switch 2 is rumored to support microSD Express cards, which offer much faster read speeds and larger storage capacity — up to 128 TB.

Additionally, Switch 2 is rumored to feature 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of built-in UFS 3.1 storage.

Ports

Switch 2 features a port for game cartridges, two USB-C ports, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, based on the system’s reveal and early leaks. A slot for expanded microSD storage appears to be tucked away underneath the Switch 2’s kickstand, similar to the original Switch.

The Takeaways

The new Nintendo Switch 2 appears to be just more of what makes the Switch a great handheld console: more power, bigger screen, more storage. Nintendo has been fairly tight-lipped about forward and backward compatibility. It would be a colossally bad move for the Switch 2 not to be backwards compatible with the original Switch, so we’re not anticipating that as an issue. There may be some exceptions to this, but it’s safe to assume backwards compatibility will be there.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be released sometime in 2025. We don’t have an exact date, but having the new console released for the holiday buying season would be a safe bet.