Home Tech The Nintendo Switch 2 plays it safe. That’s the smart choice

The Nintendo Switch 2 plays it safe. That’s the smart choice

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Rear view of a black Nintendo Switch 2, a portable video game console with a U-shaped kickstand extending from the back

We also see an additional button on the front of the right Joy-Con, below the “Home” button. While this isn’t labeled in the trailer, you could see some form of “C button” functionality, which Nintendo has used in various ways on the N64 and GameCube in the past. Also worth noting is a particularly precise shot centered on the rotation of the Joy-Con’s left stick. Could this be aimed at highlighting improved joysticks for the new generation, possibly incorporating Hall effect technology? Given the drift issues that plagued the original Switch, it would be a smart move on Nintendo’s part.

Photography: Nintendo

The biggest changes to the main console, beyond the increase in physical size, are the addition of an additional USB-C port on top and a new U-shaped stand. While the former is a great addition, as which opens up the potential to support more accessories, the second seems a bit flimsy – better than the bump that held up the original Switch, but less sturdy than the Switch OLED’s solid back panel support.

Speaking of the Switch OLED, and judging solely by the thick bezel shown in the Switch 2 reveal, it’s possible the new console will once again feature an LCD panel. Again, this has been rumored for a whilebut it will be difficult not to see it as a small step back.

The best thing about the reveal, however, is that Nintendo immediately confirms compatibility with existing Switch games, both physically and digitally (albeit with some as-yet-unspecified exclusions). It’s fantastic news for gamers who have spent the better part of a decade building their libraries and another example of Nintendo’s quiet confidence and sense of continuity. When you have accumulated 1.3 billion software sales for your incredibly successful platform, why risk alienating those customers?

And, in a nutshell, that’s apparently Nintendo’s strategy for the Switch 2: if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Gamers love the Switch just the way it is, the company’s main competitors are emulating it to varying degrees, and all signs point to “more, but better” being a compelling draw. You’re playing it safe, but you don’t need to do anything else.

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