Rumor: Switch 2 to Have Larger 1080p Screen, Backwards Compatibility, and More - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 01 May 2024 / 3,815 Views
There have been rumors on the Nintendo Switch 2 going around for several months and a post on Facebook that has since been edited from Chinese peripherals manufacturer Mobapad might have revealed new details on the successor for the Switch.
A screenshot of the unedited Facebook post has been shared by Wccftech. Mobapad calls the Switch 2 a "conservative evolution" and a "refined 'Pro' version" of original Switch.
The Switch 2 will reportedly have an upgraded and sightly larger 1080p screen. The original Switch has a 720p screen.
The Bluetooth in the console will support existing Joy-Con and Pro controllers, and still feature HD rumble. However, it appears the Joy-Cons won't be able to attach to the Switch as the new console will feature Joy-Cons that will connect to the screen using magnetic strips.
The successor to the Switch will also reportedly be backwards compatible with all physical and digital games from the original Switch. The report does mention the new Switch game cards for the Switch 2 won't be compatible with the original console.
The Switch 2 will have a USB-C port for docking and the new dock will have a "metal damping bracket for improved angle adjustment."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Having backwards compatibility is enough of a reason for me to buy!
This is my number 1 request for the next unit - I want to bring with all my current Switch games to it!
Makes one wonder what in God's green Earth Nintendo has in store in terms of games. For example how do you even compete against Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? Giving it a next gen upgrade and releasing another 48 tracks I hope because unless the new Mario Kart has a fun enough gimmick and a large enough collection of tracks and characters it can't compete with its own predecessor. And let's not get started on Smash. Ultimate could end up being quite the literal name.
Other sequels I can see them (Splatoon, Zelda, Animal Crossing). But MK and Smash are gigantic heavy hitters and they really have it tough to outshine themselves.
If Smash could navigate the world of copyrights seamlessly. We might see the release of Smash Ultimate DX, featuring a revamped history mode akin to Subspace Emissary with depth and complexity. This edition could introduce a plethora of new content, including a brand-new Characters Season Pass.
As for Mario Kart 9, picture it delivering fresh courses with upgraded graphics and mechanics. One eagerly awaited feature could be a history mode, allowing players to explore the game world, unlocking characters, vehicles, and more through various challenges or races.
For me, the prospect of a brand new Subspace Emissary and a Mario Kart Midnight Club Edition on a brand new Switch, would be nothing short of a dream come true.
If they are going to upgrade all of those courses it certainly won't be for the games launch. Thats a massive undertaking given the higher fidelity. A new MK with 2k/4k graphics, new power ups, a mix of brand new, more complex courses and old faves totalling about 32 to start with (about 8 cups) will be reasonable. With DLC allowing for the return of any outstanding courses from MK8 Deluxe.
Get rid of the HD rumble which I never used.
Backwards compat was never in doubt. The only times when it has been dropped in the past has been where there has been wildly different storage mediums (N64 > Gamecube) or massive changes in architecture (PS3 > PS4)... Whenever consoles have been easily BC, it's always been provided as a feature.
BC and Switch 2 physical games! LFG!
I hope the backwards compatibility isn't some lame tack-on like the "Wii Mode" with the Wii U. I want real backwards compatibility, as in the software of the last generation is compatible with this generation's platform--as opposed to simply emulating last generation's platform on a separate mode.
There were several issues, but the main thing is that it was a hacky and half-baked.
- • The Gamepad ceased to function.
- • Games weren’t accessible through the Wii U platform.
- • Switching to “Wii Mode” was significantly more time consuming than simply flipping from an HDMI port to component video because of all the added loading. A you couldn’t easily or quickly go between a Wii game and a Wii U game.
- • Certain Wii features were disabled, like WiiConnect24.
- • If you played Wii U games infrequently, then you were basically stuck with a less functional Wii that took about 4 minutes to load during the worst period, and after years of updates, you could access it from the front end but it still takes about a minute of loading. Also, you’re stuck having to keep that big clunky gamepad around, that is only used to turn the system on.
I personally don't think those were huge issues but they are definitely QOL improvements.
So I have a question, I'm on the side of "don't really care about backwards compatibility" so I might not understand, but can't you just swap the HDMI cable to play on older consoles? That's what I do with my Wii U and Switch although I rarely play older games. The only issue is that it takes up space, but it's not much of a hassle to switch the cable back and forth. In fact, TVs and monitors usually have multiple HDMI ports you can switch channels. Is my assumption that QOL is the reason why people want backwards compatibility correct?
Backwards compatibility was a no brainer, no way they were going to release a successor without that.
1080p screen makes sense, important to have the next gen looking crisper than Switch.
Cool if Switch controllers all pair with the new system.
I couldn't see this being a mild increase AND a 1080p screen. That means that much of the improved GPU would be taken up by the resolution increase alone. Unless their plan is to rely heavily on DLSS and render internally at 540p or 768p and scale linearly. Even then, the lower the internal rendering resolution the worse the output.
Personally, I felt like a 720p screen was fine and that would scale linearly to use DLSS for 1440p on the TV. But I guess they want to try and go for that full fat 4k. Just doesn't really seem believable to me.
The more linear and even the scaling the better. 1080p is 2.25 times the raw pixels of 720p, whereas it's almost exactly 2x the raw pixels of 768p. But, obviously, it's not a must, and each dev might use it differently. I just think that they might get the most consistent image quality if they go for something like 768p.
Switch Pro,
Tailored and priced for professionals.
If there’s a Switch Pro, is there going to be a Switch home edition?
I was a bit worried after the magnet leak the other day that it would be flimsy, but this new leak says those are stronger electromagnets, so I'm less concerned about the joycon connections feeling flimsy now. Physical back compat was something I wasn't expecting at all, so this is great news if true.
Well I'll certainly take that full backwards compatability if true. Without seeing them I really can't imagine what the point of the magnetic strip joy-cons would be though.
If you have ever attached a case to a modern iPhone, or a Apple Pencil to an iPad, it works MUCH better than the slid-on rails of the current Switch. I would be 100% okay with Nintendo implementing this even if it means my current Joy-Cons only work detached on it.
I mainly use the joy-cons unattached and have never thought about the rails as an issue. If the new joy-cons are significantly different I probably won't mind but if this is the one area they choose to change it seems like a questionable one to prioritise and too small a thing to warrant having two joy-con generations.
The Joycons tend to grind against the rails eroding the locking mechanism over time. So when you have older joycons, they'll slide out unntentionally during gameplay. Magnets could help this by stabilizing them. I think it will be some combination of magnets and rails going on but we'll see.
I just hope the backwards compatibility isn't some lame tack-on like the "Wii Mode" with the Wii U. I want real backwards compatibility, as in the software of the last generation is compatible with this generation's platform (as opposed to simply emulating last generation's platform on a separate mode).
Can't wait to emulate this!
…emulate a console?? Not even the games? (p.s. yall this guy clearly is looking for downvotes. don’t feed into it.)
That's what emulators do. They emulate consoles, not separate games.
Yes, that's how emulators work
