The Nintendo Swap 2 could appear to be its predecessor, however there’s been a number of adjustments to its options and underneath the hood. The brand new console has “10x the graphics efficiency” in comparison with the unique Swap, says Nvidia, which constructed the customized processor powering the Swap 2.
The Swap 2, with a launch date on June 5, is priced at $450 alone or $500 in a bundle with Mario Kart World, the headliner of the console’s launch video games. Here is all the information on the right way to preorder the Swap 2.
Observe that we’re largely evaluating the Swap 2 to the unique Swap 1 launched in March 2017, as a result of looping within the Swap Lite and Swap OLED will get sophisticated.
Design
Broadly, the Swap 2 is a bigger model of its predecessor, with all the pieces wanting barely inflated: larger footprint, larger display, larger Pleasure-Cons.
Authentic Swap: The unique Swap, with Pleasure-Cons slotted into the aspect rails, is just a little over 9.4 inches huge, 4 inches tall, just a little over half an inch thick and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Pleasure-Cons slide into place from the highest of the gadget’s sides, whereas a skinny wedge of plastic pops out of the again of the console to function a kickstand.
The Swap additionally got here with a dock, which the console may slot into to for recharging and outputting to a TV or giant show through HDMI port.
Swap 2: The brand new Swap 2 is greater in each manner, however it has the identical general form and format as the unique. The brand new Pleasure-Cons will certainly be held in place on the console magnetically, and connect with the console through pins. The brand new console additionally sports activities a large U-shaped kickstand that spans virtually its whole rear width, which may be moved round to prop up the Swap 2 at a wide range of angles. Nintendo says the console has extra highly effective audio system, which we’re wanting ahead to testing.
The Swap 2’s dock is essentially comparable in operate although it has rounded edges and an inside fan to chill down the console throughout lengthy recreation classes. Extra importantly, it could output video games in 4K to TVs, however just for choose video games.
From the January reveal trailer, a Pleasure-Con comparability between the Swap 1 (left) and Swap 2 (proper).
Pleasure-Cons
The Pleasure-Cons had been a marvel after they arrived on the primary Swap, and whereas they’re functionally comparable in its successor, there have been upgrades within the Swap 2’s controllers.
Authentic Swap: The Swap Pleasure-Cons are easy however highly effective controllers that slid on and off the console through plastic rails, connecting and recharging through pins on the aspect. Detach they usually turn into their very own micro-controllers, with little shoulder buttons besides.
A aspect view of the Swap 2 Pleasure-Con (high) in comparison with the Swap 1 Pleasure-Con (backside).
Swap 2: The brand new console’s Pleasure-Cons are bigger to suit the Swap 2, and lock into the aspect of the console through highly effective magnets — there are small inward-facing buttons to the aspect of ZR and ZL to detach the controllers from the console. The larger-size Pleasure-Cons have longer L and R outdoors shoulder buttons, in addition to a lot wider SL and SR inside shoulder buttons, that are accessible when indifferent from the console.
And sure, you should utilize the Swap 2 Pleasure-Cons as mice by inserting their internal edges flat on a floor. Throughout the Nintendo Direct, we noticed it getting used to regulate energetic motion video games just like the wheelchair basketball-simulating DragXDrive and technique video games like Civilization VII.
The Swap 2 appears to be like identical to the rumors mentioned.
Show measurement
Authentic Swap: The unique Swap has a 6.2-inch LCD display with 1,280×720-pixel decision, which was moderately spectacular at launch in 2017 however has been outclassed by newer handhelds with sharper shows. The Swap OLED upgraded this with a bigger 7-inch show exhibiting deeper blacks and colours, however no improve in decision. The Swap Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD display.
Swap 2: Unsurprisingly, the Swap 2’s bigger measurement means a bigger show. The brand new console has a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD display that may rise up to 120Hz refresh charge in handheld mode, or as much as 4K when docked and outputting to a TV.
Why no OLED show? Presumably to save lots of on prices… or probably to present Nintendo room to launch a Swap 2 OLED model down the road.
Watch this: Extra Particulars of the Nintendo Swap 2 Revealed: Supercut
CPU/GPU
Authentic Swap: The unique Swap runs on an Nvidia customized Tegra X1 processor cut up into 4 ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores, and in line with Hackaday, there are 4 additional A53 cores that are not used.
Swap 2: As soon as once more, Nintendo hasn’t launched any official information on the Swap 2’s specs, even after the Nintendo Direct reveal stream — they usually most the corporate reveals is that it has a “customized processor made by Nvidia” on the Swap 2’s official specs web page. Nvidia confirmed it additionally has a customized GPU, claiming that the brand new console has “10x the graphics efficiency” of the Swap 1, and the customized processor’s AI-powered options embrace Deep Studying Tremendous Sampling (DLSS), face monitoring and background elimination for video chat and real-time ray tracing.
We do nonetheless have extra supposed particulars from earlier leaks. Months in the past on X (previously Twitter), leaker Zuby_Tech posted that the Swap 2’s CPU can be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. In addition they urged that the GPU can be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with years of comparable rumors reported on by Eurogamer and others concerning the customized chip, which derives from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and cell units.
RAM and storage
Authentic Swap. The Swap has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable as much as 2TB through microSD playing cards within the slot beneath the kickstand.
Swap 2: Even after the reveal stream, Nintendo did not launch official specs for RAM. Leaker Zuby_Tech posted on X again in September suggesting the Swap 2 may have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. That leak additionally urged the brand new console may have two inside followers, up from the one one within the unique Swap.
Nintendo did verify that the brand new console may have 256GB of onboard storage, which may be expanded with particular microSD Categorical playing cards — sorry, your previous Swap-compatible microSD playing cards will not work on the Swap 2.
Battery life
Authentic Swap: The unique Swap packs a 4,310-mAh battery, which provides between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life relying on display brightness and different elements.
Swap 2: Although Nintendo did not launch particulars on the Swap 2’s capability within the reveal stream, the corporate does checklist specs on its web site, exhibiting it packs a 5,220mAh battery. Whereas that is notably bigger than the one in its predecessor, Nintendo estimates it will solely get gamers between an estimated 2 and 6.5 hours, relying on video games performed.
A screenshot from Nintendo’s Swap 2 introduction video exhibiting the console’s topside and the brand new second USB-C port subsequent to the three.5mm headphone jack and, presumably, the cartridge slot to the precise.
Ports
Authentic Swap: The primary Swap sports activities a single USB-C port out the underside, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the highest and Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. On the highest is a slot on the high for Swap recreation cartridges in addition to the microSD slot beneath the kickstand on the rear of the console.
Swap 2: The Swap 2 retains the unique’s USB-C port on the underside and three.5mm jack on the highest whereas including one other USB-C port topside, and now we all know what it is for: to attach with equipment just like the Nintendo Swap Digital camera, a webcam-like digital camera on a stand to allow you to do Nintendo’s model of FaceTiming when you play video games with your folks.
Nintendo hasn’t clarified the console’s connectivity choices, and rumors are scarce on the topic.
As for cartridges, Swap 2 will play some unique Swap video games in bodily variations. The cartridge slot is to the precise of the headphone jack within the above picture, which is the place the slot is on the unique Swap. You possibly can inform recreation cartridges from the 2 console generations aside by colour: ones for the brand new Swap 2 are pink, whereas older Swap 1 video games are black.
Watch this: We Performed Nintendo Swap 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Digital camera and a Lot Extra
