Nintendo Change 2 Preview: Every part You Have to Know – Decrypt

The Change is Nintendo’s best-selling residence console of all time, and broadly beloved for its wealthy library of video games—a dramatic flip from the middling Wii U earlier than it. However it’s been eight years for the reason that Change launched, and followers are getting antsy for Nintendo’s subsequent large factor.

Fortunately, it is coming. Following years of leaks and rumors, and even a pair official acknowledgments that the next-gen mannequin was coming, Nintendo formally revealed the Change 2 console in January 2025.

From what we all know formally and what’s been broadly reported, the Change successor will pack in additional energy than the unique whereas sustaining its profitable mix of residence console and handheld performance. This is all the pieces you’ll want to know.

What’s the Nintendo Change 2?

It is official: Nintendo is making a successor to its wildly well-liked Change console. Granted, that is no shock to anybody that is adopted the online game trade for greater than a minute. However now we have seen what’s coming.

Nintendo shared the primary official teaser video beneath on January 16, 2025, sharing many key particulars for the Change 2 whereas nonetheless taking part in coy on others. We have discovered so much from this video, little question, however there’s nonetheless lots we need to know.

However this is not the primary time that Nintendo has formally commented. On Could 7, 2024, Nintendo’s official company account tweeted the next assertion:

“That is Furukawa, President of Nintendo. We’ll make an announcement concerning the successor to Nintendo Change inside this fiscal yr. It should have been over 9 years since we introduced the existence of Nintendo Change again in March 2015. We might be holding a Nintendo Direct this June relating to the Nintendo Change software program lineup for the latter half of 2024, however please remember that there might be no point out of the Nintendo Change successor throughout that presentation.”

Even forward of the Could 2024 announcement, Nintendo was clearly planning for what’s subsequent. In response to a fan query in June 2023, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa mentioned, “As for the transition from Nintendo Change to the next-generation machine, we need to do as a lot as doable with a purpose to easily transition our prospects, whereas using the Nintendo Account.”

When will the Nintendo Change 2 come out?

Studies had lengthy pointed to a late 2024 launch goal, however that did not occur. Now, with the official trailer launch, all we’ve is a “2025” launch window.

We are able to make some educated guesses right here, nevertheless. Nintendo will maintain a Direct livestream on April 2, 2025 to presumably share far more concerning the console, after which maintain hands-on occasions in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas all through the remainder of the month, with the final introduced occasion ending on April 27.

So we doubt the Change 2 might be obtainable to personal earlier than then. Maybe a Could or June drop is smart, then, however we in all probability will not know for positive till that Direct livestream in April.

Any in-demand console launch is inevitably tormented by shortages, however Nintendo’s president says the corporate is already considering forward to the best way to decrease the affect the following time round.

In an investor-centric Q&A from June 2024 translated from Japanese by IGN, Shuntaro Furukawa mentioned that Nintendo is considering forward to provide points and searching into how native legal guidelines and rules may assist stymie the resale market that many consoles get snapped up and bought into at inflated costs. Moreover, the agency does not anticipate major factor shortages that would sluggish console manufacturing.

“Though we have been unable to provide ample portions of Nintendo Change {hardware} final yr and the yr earlier than on account of a scarcity of semiconductor parts, this case has now been resolved,” he mentioned. “Right now, we don’t consider that the scarcity of parts could have a major affect on the manufacturing of the successor mannequin.”

How a lot will the Nintendo Change 2 value?

Formally, we do not know but: Nintendo hasn’t mentioned something on this entrance. However there’s been loads of hypothesis.

The unique Change launched for $300 in 2017, with the purely handheld Change Lite rolling out for $200 in 2019. With some premium enhancements (together with a bigger, bolder display), the Nintendo Change OLED mannequin shipped for $350 in 2021.

In October 2023, a leaker—who WCCF Tech mentioned has beforehand shared dependable info—claimed that the value level for the Change 2 might be $449 for the bottom mannequin and $400 for a model that’s absolutely digital with out cartridge help. The official Change 2 trailer didn’t showcase or level to any absolutely digital mannequin, nevertheless, so that will not really be within the works.

The Change 2 will launch into an more and more aggressive handheld panorama that features many PC gaming units. Valve’s well-liked Steam Deck, for instance, begins at $399 for the bottom mannequin with an LCD display, whereas extra strong fashions with OLED panels begin at $549.

What’s going to the Nintendo Change 2 appear to be?

After a complete ton of hypothesis, a lot of which was proper on-target, we will lastly say: The Change 2 seems like a much bigger Change, largely.

Nintendo fortunately is not ditching the Change’s smash-success hybrid design, delivering a handheld that may simply be docked for TV use. At its core, the Change 2 does not change too a lot. However there are some notable tweaks and upgrades we’re seeing from the trailer and official imagery thus far.

First off, the display and Pleasure-Con attachment controllers are undoubtedly bigger. If we needed to guess on display measurement, we might estimate someplace round 7-8 inches, in comparison with 6.2 inches on the traditional Change. However Nintendo has but to launch official specs.

The mannequin proven within the first trailer ditches the daring purple and blue Pleasure-Con designs of the unique launch mannequin, as a substitute going for a glossy black or maybe darkish grey scheme with purple and blue accents below the analog sticks and within the connective tissue between the console (display) unit and controllers.

As an alternative of getting these Pleasure-Con controllers slide into place, they will plug in by way of an adapter port and be held in place with what seem like magnets. There had been vital hypothesis that the Change 2 will use electromagnets to maintain the controllers in place. We are able to additionally see from the trailer that there is a new launch button on the again of every Pleasure-Con that triggers a small plunger to disconnect them from the unit.

Moreover, there seems to be a brand new sensor on the Change 2 Pleasure-cons that lets them be used like a pc mouse on a flat floor, as soon as plugged into the wrist strap attachments. This seems to verify hypothesis relating to mouse-like performance, enabling extra superior management schemes for video games like shooters, technique sims, and possibly even inventive apps.

Nintendo even has the Pleasure-Cons scurrying round like little techie mice within the trailer. However the fitting Pleasure-Con seems to ditch the infrared digicam discovered on the unique mannequin, which was barely utilized by many video games anyway.

Different fascinating particulars from the trailer: The brand new kickstand is way bigger and hopefully sturdier than that of the unique Change, permitting for extra freestanding positions. Additionally, there at the moment are two USB-C ports—one on prime and one on the underside. Is the additional one meant to allow probably new equipment?

And we all know that the Change 2 will proceed to make use of the identical bodily cartridges from the Change—sure, enabling backwards compatability—together with downloadable video games.

How highly effective will the Nintendo Change 2 be?

Nintendo hasn’t shared official specs but, and the one recreation from the trailer did not give a terrific sense of a visible improve. However we definitely anticipate a notable step up from what the unique Change may deal with.

Studies counsel that Nintendo is not going to attempt to compete with the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Sequence X because the standard-bearers for residence consoles and as a substitute ship a gaming expertise with a bit much less constancy. That is been the usual Nintendo strategy for a couple of generations now. Even so, it appears like a major enchancment over the Change.

In September 2023, leaked paperwork from main recreation writer Activision confirmed that the corporate had evaluated the {hardware} in late 2022, in the end surmising that the Change successor could have comparable energy to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One {hardware}.

Whereas these are 10-year-old residence consoles, it nonetheless can be a notable step up from what the unique Change can deal with. The Change’s hybrid home-plus-handheld mannequin additionally implies that Nintendo has to bear in mind a slim type issue and battery life expectations, so it’s unlikely that we’d even see a Change-like system with top-end internals at an inexpensive value.

Eurogamer reported that Nintendo confirmed off personal tech demos for the Change 2 to builders on the Gamescom convention in August 2023, and that it used an upgraded model of 2017’s hit The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as an indication of the brand new {hardware}’s capabilities.

VGC supported that report and added that Nintendo additionally used Epic Video games’ The Matrix Awakens tech demo for Unreal Engine 5, with capabilities like ray tracing (lifelike lighting results) and AI-driven visible upscaling tips enabled. One other rumor factors to using “ray reconstruction,” a much less hardware-intensive approach of delivering ray tracing results with the assistance of AI, by way of Nvidia’s DLSS 3.5 tech.

All instructed, this will level to {hardware} that’s really extra succesful than the PS4 or Xbox One, even when it doesn’t fairly match the benchmarks of the current-gen PlayStation 5 or Xbox Sequence X. It may very well be comparatively effectively geared up by way of RAM, nevertheless, with famous leaker Felipe Lima suggesting that the system with have 12GB onboard—that is greater than the Xbox Sequence S console at 10GB.

A February 2024 report from Reuters cites a supply claiming that the Change 2 will use a customized Nvidia chip, very similar to the unique Change {hardware} did.

Based on a January 2024 report from Bloomberg, Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase says that Nintendo has picked a large 8-inch show for the Change 2, and the show will use LCD tech as different experiences have beforehand famous. Nintendo declined remark. The present Change OLED mannequin has a 7-inch display, so this is able to be bigger than any authentic Change system.

Mobapad additionally factors to an 8-inch show, which it says or not it’s upgraded from 720p HD decision on the unique Change to 1080p Full HD decision on the successor.

What video games will the Nintendo Change 2 have?

We all know one for positive: a brand new Mario Kart, revealed within the Change 2 trailer. We do not have an official identify but; Mario Kart 9 would make sense primarily based on the sequence’ mainline entries, although earlier rumors pointed to a reputation of Mario Kart X to account for the cellular recreation Mario Kart Tour launching since Mario Kart 8 on Wii U (and later Change).

Regardless of the remaining identify, the brand new Mario Kart seems very similar to what we have come to anticipate from the sequence, although the transient tease seems to indicate 24 beginning spots on the observe—so there could also be far more racers than typical.

You’ll be able to guess that we’ll see Nintendo’s tried-and-true franchises like Tremendous Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and plenty of others within the combine earlier than lengthy, although Nintendo hasn’t proven the rest moreover Mario Kart simply but. Earlier rumors have pointed to video games like a brand new Donkey Kong or Ubisoft’s subsequent as-yet-unannounced Far Cry sequel, however these stay unconfirmed for now.

After Rockstar Video games’ official reveal of Grand Theft Auto 6, which is presently introduced for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Sequence X and S, it begs the query: Will it come to Change 2, too? And maybe extra pressingly, will the Change 2 be highly effective sufficient to run it?

There isn’t any official phrase for now, in fact, and there would not be till Nintendo really reveals its subsequent console. However within the meantime, the technical consultants at Digital Foundry are doubtful that the Change 2 could have sufficient energy to deal with Rockstar’s subsequent large recreation—at the least primarily based on the leaks thus far.

“I’d like to say it might occur. I don’t suppose it would, realistically,” mentioned Digital Foundry founder Richard Leadbetter in a YouTube video (by way of IGN). “It’s a cellular chipset. We’ve seen numerous wonderful issues on the Change 1. Change 2 goes to be so much higher, a correct generational leap, and forward-looking in some ways. However the stuff they appear to be rolling out for GTA 6 is probably past that.”

“It appears a step past,” he added, “and out of character with what we find out about Rockstar’s M.O.”

Will it play authentic Change video games?

Sure! Nintendo tweeted on November 5, 2024 that the “successor to the Nintendo Change” can even be capable to play authentic Change software program. This had been rumored and reported beforehand, however the gaming big cleared up any questions on Change house owners making a sleek transition to the brand new system. The Change On-line service can even return on Change 2.

Nintendo repeated the message within the January 2025 trailer, displaying that Change cartridges will match into the Change 2, and noting that digital video games can even be supported. A bodily copy of Tremendous Mario Bros. Surprise was proven within the trailer. Nevertheless, there was a caveat: Some video games is probably not supported or work in full.

What does that imply? Whereas we do not know for positive but, it is doubtless that some video games designed for the dimensions and form of the unique Pleasure-Cons—like health recreation Ring Match Journey, which had gamers snap their controllers into an adjunct shell—merely will not work with the Change 2 controllers. And the uncommon few video games that used the IR digicam on the unique proper Pleasure-Con, like 1-2 Change, equally will lose performance on Change 2 {hardware}.

The opposite lingering query about backwards compatibility is whether or not the Change video games will merely run as-is, or if they are going to benefit from the Change 2’s anticipated efficiency bump—whether or not that is an automated improve, or one which builders might have to code and patch in.

A report from Eurogamer in February 2024 prompt that Nintendo will let customers play their authentic Change video games (each bodily and digital) within the Change 2 {hardware} with enhancements. Builders will reportedly have to replace their video games to unlock such upgrades, nevertheless, which suggests not each recreation will essentially benefit from the Change 2’s improved energy.

Editor’s word: This story was initially printed on September 19, 2023 and final up to date on January 17, 2025.