The Nintendo Switch 2 release date has finally been confirmed today, alongside plenty of other details.

Something I’ve seen far less reaction to than I expected? While the Switch 2 looks like it takes standard MicroSD cards, it DOESN’T. It takes the fairly obscure MicroSD Express standard! I can’t even BUY an SD Express card locally right now! It seems likely, at launch, that Nintendo’s branded cards will be the only ones people can get that will work with it!

The Switch 2 has 256GB of onboard storage, much more than the Switch, it is true. But it’s also backwards compatible with the Switch, and lets users bring their old digital library over with them. I have a 256GB card in my Switch, it’s nearly full, and it doesn’t have my whole library on it! If I got a Switch 2, I’d have it filled up on day 1!

And the MicroSD card issue won’t be obvious to most buyers. Parents will get their kids Switch 2s, and wonder why their old card won’t work with it. It’ll look to them like the Switch 2 or the card is broken, unless they implement a physical lock against incompatible cards, and I don’t know if SD cards even support those. Also, SD Express cards are more expensive than standard ones.

This could end up being a debacle almost on the scale of the price (which, as others have noted, isn’t even Nintendo’s fault entirely).

120 and 4K are often claimed on console specs but are rarely achieved within games. At best it will be capable of that when playing Netflix or streaming.

@MurrayL@lemmy.world
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Yes, for all but the simplest games it will be one or the other, not both at once. That’s how it tends to work even on the flagship XB/PS systems.

@pory@lemmy.world
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126d

Or it’s actually running at 720p30 and being FSR/framegenned into a blurry shimmery mess. There’s no way Nintendo managed to cram a chip powerful enough to render its own Switch 1 games at true 4k120 into a tablet.

Nah the direct didn’t claim 4k at 120.

You get 1080p at 120, or 4k at 60.

@pory@lemmy.world
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26d

Or it’s actually running at 720p30 and being FSR/framegenned into a blurry shimmery mess. There’s no way Nintendo managed to cram a chip powerful enough to render its own Switch 1 games at true 1080p120 into a tablet.

Fixed.

Natanael
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46d

The problem isn’t getting enough computing power into the tablet, the problem is cooling and battery power.

Chozo
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There was fine print at one point during the stream that specified that 4K will be limited to 60 FPS.

@Kelly@programming.dev
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57d

Well spotted!

I missed that while i was reading the supported resolutions on the screen.

@simple@lemm.ee
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537d

They announced Metroid Prime 4 will be able to run at 1080p 120fps or 4K 60fps when docked. It doesn’t have the most impressive graphics or anything, but it sounds like they’re actually going to try doing it for a few games.

I’d bet that’s using a lot of upscaling in both modes

Natanael
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26d

Switch 1 games can support dynamic resolution, it’s probably going to be used for higher end games on Switch 2 as well.

natryamar
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Nintendo will try but based off of some of the third party gameplay they seem to be the only ones who will

@addie@feddit.uk
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187d

The real advantage of a 120 Hz screen is that you get a much more graceful degradation if you dip below your fps target for a bit. If you’re targeting 30 fps but drop to 25, it still feels pretty smooth on a high-refresh screen, whereas that’s appallingly clunky on a low-refresh one. A “poor man’s gsync”, if you will.

@PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world
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This is what a lot of people don’t understand. Higher refresh rate even with lower fps makes games feel more responsive. I can play 30 fps games much easier on a refresh rate higher than 60hz.

@rbits@lemm.ee
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To the gsync comment, the Switch 2’s screen also has VRR

@SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world
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Bet they priced it that high to get ahead of any tariffs that might affect them. Consumers really don’t like to see price hikes right around a launch. Plus they still want to milk the Switch 1 since they probably have a very healthy profit margin on that machine. This price makes the Switch 1 look very appealing for people who still haven’t bought one.

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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66d

Okay, but why are they charging $80 for a digital game, which tariffs don’t apply to?

@Lumiluz@slrpnk.net
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16d

I believe the tariffs do apply to digital goods as well depending where the server is.

Either way, the main reason would be because of digital was cheaper it would cannibalize physical sales.

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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26d

How could it? It’s just data, no physical goods are being imported. Do tariffs apply to phone calls from other countries?

@Lumiluz@slrpnk.net
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16d

Don’t know, use internet these days, but in ye old days taxes sort of applied to long distance calls in a way so I’m unsure

@BussyCat@lemmy.world
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15d

It doesn’t matter if it’s data, tariffs are meant to be protectionist so you could easily say that since Nintendo is headquartered in Japan or because the majority of their workers are in Japan or because their name sounds vaguely Japanese that all sales of their product in insert country here has to pay an additional 10% tax

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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15d

I don’t THINK that’s how tariffs work - I’m pretty sure it’s physical goods only - but I’m no expert, so I guess we’ll see.

@BussyCat@lemmy.world
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24d

They currently don’t affect digital goods but there is no actual reason they couldn’t make one that does we are in some truly interesting times

It’s about 100 bucks more than the og switch… theres 24% tariff. 24% of 450 is 108. Math checks out for the physical copy of games too.

It’s too close to be a coincidence

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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76d

Then why does the rest of the world, who don’t have tariffs on Japan, have to pay those prices as well?

Idk about the whole world. I did look up the price for japan It’s 340 bucks in Japan.

@llii@discuss.tchncs.de
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56d

It’s $515 including tax in Germany. It’s too much for my taste.

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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Yes, Japan got the only exception because Nintendo knows the price sucks and they want to make sure it sells well in their home country. Mind you, this is a special region-locked Switch that only supports Japanese. A non-region-locked Switch that costs more will also be available there.

the size of the framebuffer has nothing to do with how much power the device has to fill it up.

Even the crappiest integrated gpu is “4k” capable

@Squizzy@lemmy.world
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436d

Given Nintendos never on sale pricing I cannot commit to this console. God 90 for a game is ridiculous.

Not to mention their awful peripherals pricing and chatoic lineup.

@mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca
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-266d

I don’t actually think that $90 for a game is ridiculous nowadays, if the game has tons of content.

But a company of Nintendo’s size, with their sales volume, selling a game for $90 when it only has a few hours of content? Fuck off

They’re like the exact opposite of the spectrum from Minecraft

@Abnorc@lemm.ee
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One thing I can believe is that AAA games have gotten really expensive to make, so it’s not surprising that companies have broken that sort of soft $60 limit that we had for a while. I’m not even against paying more for a good game. When an indie game for $20 can provide over 100 hours of enjoyment, it’s just getting to be a tough sell.

@CosmicJoker@lemm.ee
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-16d

Look at this bootlicking 🤡

@mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca
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-26d

Whose boot am I licking?

@CosmicJoker@lemm.ee
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-26d

Nintendos but you’re too bent over to see.

@mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca
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26d

Really confused by this. I said Nintendo can fuck off.

Something Burger 🍔
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847d

90€ for Mario Kart 🤡 I hope this console flops because of this alone.

kratoz29
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267d

You know it will not… The best I hope is that MK doesn’t sell too well separately thus forcing a discount.

@rbits@lemm.ee
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25d

I hope at the very least it forces them to drop it’s price

MudMan
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The reporting I’m seeing puts it at 40 if you buy the console bundle. Which… I mean, why wouldn’t you?

I’m not sure what the deal is with the physical version, I have to assume it’s some collector’s edition deal with an Amiibo or something. Can’t imagine they straight up double the price if you want to buy the card in a box instead of bundled with the console. Waiting on official prices for all of it, in any case.

Something Burger 🍔
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137d

This is the price for the game on the official Nintendo store. DK is priced at 70€ digital and 80€ physical, it’s not just a Mario Kart thing.

MudMan
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Got a link? My official Nintendo site hadn’t updated with Switch 2 info when I checked. Do they detail the contents of the physical versions?

Something Burger 🍔
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Here’s the link to the French store: https://store.nintendo.fr/fr/nintendo-switch-2 all regional stores have similar prices in their own currencies. No details on what’s inside the box.

MudMan
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77d

Got it, thanks. Yeah, it seems it’s a 10 euro extra for physical. I get why, those Switch carts were expensive, and it seems like they’ve moved to even more expensive, faster storage, but it REALLY sucks. Puts the “virtual card” stuff they announced in perspective.

It just seems crazier for MK specifically because… well, it’s forty bucks with the bundle, and the bundle is digital-only. Makes physical 2x the cost, which is nuts.

They’re really milking this launch on a number of avenues I’m not cool with, and I’m not sure the offering justifies it. Some of those current-gen ports looked rough.

@lennee@lemm.ee
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67d

The 10 FPS screenshare feature didn’t entice you? And like cmon, gamechat. Nothing else has gamechat. And you will never even have to use a mouse ever again cuz u can just take your joycon to work and scratch it over the desk.

MudMan
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67d

Don’t quote me, but I think they will ship a plastic guard to use for the mouse, just like the Lenovo Legion Go does. Don’t knock it til you try it, it does work.

For the record, it’s weird to see Nintendo stumble upon the incredible concepts of Kinect and Discord in the year of our lord 2025. But hey, every Nintendo console needs a gimmick you can proceed to ignore, and this one will at least be useful to… somebody? At least it’s a gesture that online games aren’t an afterthought anymore.

What I’m not sure about at all is the pricing model for games and backwards compatibility as it is. And while the hardware is perfectly acceptable for a modern handheld and very comparable to the current batch of PC handhelds it’s the target for the next decade, presumably, so it’s at best as outdated as the original Switch was while not being the only game in town to play some of those HD ports.

I don’t think it’s an underwhelming propostion at this point, and you can’t deny the first party software on display. I don’t think it’s nearly as exciting as the first Switch, though. We’ll see how it does with mainstream audiences, I suppose.

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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257d

But you know that’s not gonna be the only $80 game. The next Zelda and 3D Mario are guaranteed to be $80, too, because they know people will pay it. Just like TotK’s $70 price point.

@Noodle07@lemmy.world
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577d

Best switch console is still the steam deck I’m sure :3

Given the switch2 is going to cost more, definitely.

Also games are going to be $80 apparently :(

@Spider89@lemm.ee
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46d

Legion Go (Debian) for me :)

@dubyakay@lemmy.ca
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16d

How good is it? Does everything work like on the deck?

@Spider89@lemm.ee
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36d

Yea, except:

  • KDE’s built in screen keyboard is broken (Using Steam’s keyboard). GNOME keyboard does work fine.

  • Autologin is on and screen locking is off due to a broken keyboard.

  • Manual installation if hhd, steam, flatpak, lutris may required a physical keyboard for first setup.

  • KDE wallet is on to protect (non-file) data. (Wifi passwords, chrome/Firefox login, etc…)

  • JamesDSP is used as pulse/easyEffects may need a reset as the audio may “break” when resuming from suspend.

I didn’t want a non-vanilla Debian system (Bazzite), so I chose to manually install Debian and have a nice Debian setup. Besides those issues, everything works pretty good (no crashes, hiccups.)

Are you interested in Debian on a legion Go?

@melfie@lemmings.world
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46d

Either that, or the powerful gaming PC you put the Switch 2 money towards that will eventually emulate the Switch 2. Seems like a better investment than buying a locked down console with a GPU less powerful than a RTX 3050 that can only play $80 games.

Until March 31st, 2026, the GameChat system will be available for free for all Switch 2 owners

Is this so they can lock it behind the subscription after this? Along with all the other new features, not worth it for me. Getting the steam deck once I can’t get anymore physical games on the switch 1.

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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96d

Just like how online play was originally free on the Switch 1.

Natanael
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I hope they at least allow gamechat to be used for free locally, and by that I specifically mean allowing the camera stuff to be active (like if you plug in a small USB C camera in portable mode, maybe even if you sit in wireless range but in different rooms)

@Vari@lemm.ee
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336d

Can’t wait to never buy one. My switch has tears and BOTW on it, and those are the last games I’ll buy from Nintendo so…

@PhAzE@lemmy.ca
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16d

Bananaza looks pretty good.

Why are you guys mad at Nintendo now?

Because they are one of the most consumer hostile gaming companies. The only redeeming quality is their games are usually top notch. I personally refuse to give them any more money.

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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76d

Their games are usually top notch and their hardware is usually more cheaply priced. Not this time.

@RonnieB@lemmy.world
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196d

Their penchant for lawsuits

Echo Dot
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136d

Because their only saving grace up until this point has been relatively cheap consoles.

@Abnorc@lemm.ee
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45d

Nintendo has been pushing the limits of how far it can make things worse for their customers, and people are still locked in because of some of the first party franchises. (Zelda, Mario, Pokémon, etc.)

Frankly, I’m surprised that Nintendo fans aren’t more mad.

@Penguinz@lemm.ee
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226d

Same reason the ps3 fumbled the announcement and failed at launch. They got too greedy

Echo Dot
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Plus it was awful to develop for, so there was a lack of titles at the beginning

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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26d

FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE US DOLLARS

Brought to you by the losers of the lawsuits… Losers like you and me.

@jsomae@lemmy.ml
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46d

I think I’m going to hack my switch 1 now, and put some custom mario kart tracks on it

I thought the same thing

@Penguinz@lemm.ee
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417d

Console price doesn’t bother me so much, but these game prices really instantly killed my hype. Can’t wait to not buy the Wii U 2

UnhingedFridge
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146d

I wonder how quickly the modding scene will crack it.

@chetradley@lemm.ee
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86d

Imagine booting steam os on this thing.

@dyc3@lemmy.world
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56d

Probably not gonna happen since steam os isn’t built for arm systems

@chetradley@lemm.ee
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55d

Yes but just imagine

@caut_R@lemmy.world
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66d

I wanna see what the price is and what reviewers think of the screen and I might get one and sell my Switch OLED.

However, with these game prices I sure as hell am not getting any games, I‘ll play through my backlog games which I‘ll also check whether and which will get updates. It‘d be really nice if the games I have that play at 30 fps would play at 60 and at 1080p native. Maybe I’ll get physical copies of Switch 2 games heavily discounted later on.

Maybe I’ll get physical copies of Switch 2 games heavily discounted later on.

Later on, as in, in like 30 years? Assuming physical Switch 2 games don’t become prized collector’s items like every other Nintendo consoles’ physical games

@Cataphract@lemmy.ml
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15d

cough amiibo cough

seriously though, Nintendo knows what they’re doing with their new limited scarcity tactics with trying to stay relevant. I think you’ll be able to find physical SNES games easier than switch 2 games in 30 years.

@caut_R@lemmy.world
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deleted by creator

@samus12345@lemm.ee
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26d

At $80-$90 for physical editions, I wouldn’t count on the used market helping that much.

Noxy
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167d

And you’ll be sued by Nintendo into lifelong poverty if you use it wrong.

Fuck Nintendo.

@ripcord@lemmy.world
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16d

When has Nintendo sued someone for using something wrong?

Noxy
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16d

their legal action against emulators and DRM circumvention. they have the audacity of allowing people to play their games which were legally purchased on unapproved hardware.

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