The Nintendo Switch 2 launches today. Here’s what to know
CNN
It’s a big day for Nintendo fans. The gaming giant’s new console, the $450 Switch 2, arrives on store shelves globally after being announced in April — marking Nintendo’s first major console launch since the original Switch arrived roughly eight years ago.
It’s a big day for Nintendo fans. The gaming giant’s new console, the Switch 2, arrives on store shelves globally after being announced in April — marking Nintendo’s first major console launch since the original Switch arrived roughly eight years ago. And fans have clearly been waiting; 2.2 million people applied for a lottery system to buy the Switch 2 in Japan, according to a translation of an X post from Nintendo in April. Nearly all US Best Buy stores opened just after midnight to accommodate eager fans. The Switch 2, priced at $450 in the US, can be played in handheld mode, when propped up on a table; or on a TV when plugged in to its accompanying dock, like its predecessor. While the formula is the same as that of the original Switch, Nintendo has made significant upgrades to the hardware, including giving its new console a larger screen, upgraded versions of the Joy-Con controllers and new social features. Nintendo’s decision to stick with a winning template for the Switch 2 is a testament to the original’s popularity — but also a gamble that its success will endure for the better part of the next decade. While the 2017-era Switch introduced gamers to the concept of a home console that also serves as a portable game machine, the Switch 2 doubles down on that idea, amid growing competition from PC rivals like Valve and Lenovo that have emerged over the last three years. But Nintendo’s catalogue of beloved characters and games could give it an edge against rivals. Gamers typically buy a Nintendo console because they want exclusive games, like “Super Mario” or “The Legend of Zelda,” despite owning another gaming device. “The cross ownership rates historically between people that would own an Xbox or a PlayStation or a gaming PC, and who also own a Nintendo device, have always been pretty high compared to other systems,” Mat Piscatella, executive director for video game coverage at market research firm Circana, told CNN in April.
