Nintendo Switch 2 released with open-world version of "Mario Kart"

More pixels and more memory: Nintendo announced the first hardware details for the Switch 2. The console will be released on June 5 - the price is still open.

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Nintendo Switch 2 in front of a red background

(Image: Nintendo)

2 min. read

Nintendo's Switch 2 will be launched on June 5. Nintendo announced this during a livestream on Wednesday afternoon. Nintendo revealed hardware information about the Switch 2 for the first time. The Switch 2's integrated screen is 7.9 inches in size and has full-HD resolution (1920 × 1080 pixels). The maximum refresh rate is 120 Hertz – a big step up from the 60 Hertz maximum possible on the previous Switch. The LC display also supports HDR. Nintendo does not offer an OLED version. The Nintendo Switch 2 can output 4K resolution via the new dock with built-in fan.

Nintendo has also worked on the ergonomics of the hybrid console, for example by enlarging the sticks. The thickness of the console is not said to have changed compared to the Switch, but the audio playback has: Nintendo promises improved speakers with 3D audio support. Practical: The Switch 2 can be charged via one of two USB-C slots – one at the bottom, one at the top.

Nintendo has significantly increased the internal storage space: The Switch 2 has 256 GB of space for games and apps. It can only be expanded with microSD Express cards; normal microSD cards are incompatible. Nintendo wants to offer a data transfer service that can be used to transfer game data from the Switch to the Switch 2.

The games for the Switch 2 include “Mario Kart World”, “Cyberpunk 2077”, “Elden Ring” and the new FromSoftware game “The Duskbloods”, which will be released exclusively for the Nintendo console in 2026.

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Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 back in January. At the time, there were video snippets and images of the new hybrid console, but Nintendo was still keeping prices and technical data of any kind under wraps. With 146 million units sold, Nintendo's Switch is one of the most successful games consoles of all time. Only the Nintendo DS family and the Playstation 2 have sold more. Recently, however, sales of the Switch have slowed significantly – probably also because many fans were already firmly expecting a successor.

(dahe)

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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.