Nintendo Switch 2 biggest questions on graphics, battery life, and stick drift
Will the Nintendo Switch 2 improve on the Nintendo Switch in every way?
The big Nintendo Switch 2 reveal surprised us with an early morning teaser, and while we appreciate confirmation that the video game console is on its way, it’s left us with more questions than answers. Naturally, this is Nintendo’s plan all along to hype us up for its next portable console as it spoonfeeds us more details leading up to its full reveal this April.
Looking back at the original Switch, we’ve got big questions Nintendo’s first-ever console sequel will improve on graphical power, battery life, fix stick-drift and more. Here’s a list of the biggest mysteries about the Nintendo Switch 2 we’re still waiting to be revealed.
Which (and whose) chip is powering the Nintendo Switch 2?
Possibly, the biggest quandary about the Switch 2 is which chip is powering it inside. The original Switch came equipped with an Nvidia Tegra X1 chip, and that would lead us to assume Nintendo will go with Nvidia’s latest SOCs like 2022’s Thor or 2021’s Atlan. Nintendo, however, has also had a history of jumping ship to new manufacturers for every console generation with the Wii U (ATI) and Wii (IBM), so there’s a chance that Switch 2 could use an entirely new GPU.
Sticking with Nvidia would hopefully let Nintendo tap into Nvidia’s amazing DLSS 4 technology, which can help a mid-range GPU like the RTX 5070 compete with a top-teir RTX 4090. Conversely, AMD could be Nintendo’s new chip provider, given it’s become the industry standard for the Xbox Series X, PS5 Pro, and a majority of PC gaming handhelds with its chips, the Z1 (Asus ROG Ally X) and now Z2 (Lenovo Legion Go S).
How long is the Nintendo Switch 2 battery life?
It’s almost a given that the Switch 2 battery life will last longer than Nintendo’s original portable console – it’d be a massive blunder otherwise. The Switch OLED gives us about 4.5 hours to nine hours of battery life, so we’re hoping for double-digit hours of playtime.
We predict the Switch 2 will have a bigger battery since it’s both a larger device and the U-shaped kickstand affords the system more internal space to work with. Higher capacity solid-state and sodium-ion batteries are also on the horizon, but it’s unlikely Nintendo will adopt such cutting-edge technology for its next mass-market device.
What else could you ‘Switch’ on?
The original Switch’s detachable Joy-Cons were a brilliant feature, and the Switch 2 makes them even easier to attach/detach with magnets. Nintendo put out dozens of colored Joy-Cons, while the third-party market created plenty of alternatives that were more portable or gave you a portable dock like the CRKD Nitro Deck+. We’re hoping Nintendo goes all out with more than just a variety of Joy-Con colors and gives us alternative controllers, such as the Wii steering wheel, Wii Zapper, or Donkey Kong Jungle Beat Bongos.
Will the Nintendo Switch 2 have stick-drift problems?
The Nintendo Switch was, unfortunately, the poster child of stick-drift problems. We hope that Nintendo has learned its lesson and will install hall-effect sensors in its new Joy-Con controllers. Hall-effect parts have made their way to almost all third-party controllers and even gaming handhelds, so this drift-proof technology has proven to work and become mass-market enough for Nintendo to implement.
Is the Nintendo Switch 2 back-compatible or not?
Nintendo’s Switch 2 teaser worryingly ended with an on-screen disclaimer stating that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” While Nintendo says details will be released later on its website, it's the first reversal on backward compatibility since Nintendo’s previous statement three months ago.
Nintendo’s flip-flopping on the matter is a little worrying, but we’re hoping the Switch 2 will support most Switch and Switch Online retro games rather than a select few. The Switch 2’s seemingly non-universal backwards compatibility also leads us to believe the new console will run on a (radically) different chipset.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.