The wait is finally over. After months of speculation and rumours, the Nintendo Switch 2 has at last been unveiled. Some announcements were a little surprising, such as the announcement that the Switch 2 will support 4K resolution.

The original Switch rapidly acquired a reputation for being able to punch far above its weight class. Despite its relatively limited mobile-grade processor, it could still handle massive games like The Witcher III or Xenoblade Chronicles X. The Switch 2 seems set to continue that legacy with some fairly impressive visual capabilities.

Though the Switch 2 doesn’t have an OLED screen, the LCD it comes equipped with still supports HDR. The screen is also bigger at 7.9 inches, for double the number of pixels. This provides a 1080p resolution in handheld mode, with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This makes many of the specs even better than the Steam Deck, one of the most popular handhelds today.

Docked mode for 4K

The news is even better in docked mode. Thanks to an additional fan in the dock, the Switch 2 can turn up the power when in docked mode. This enables the console to output up to 4K and still support HDR for better colour reproduction.

Switch 2 users can also look forward to using the Joy-Cons as a mouse, as well as communicating online with friends using the new GameChat feature and built-in microphone. The Joy-Cons themselves have seen a redesign, now using a magnetic connector to secure them to the console, along with larger analog sticks and trigger buttons.

These specifications put it in the same class as the Steam Deck in handheld mode, and within shouting distance of the mighty PlayStation 5 when in docked mode. An impressive achievement for such a small device. Assuming the software can live up to the hype. We can’t speak for performance, but the display technology brings Nintendo up to date.

About the Author

Rebecca Hills-Duty

Writing and journalism experience at VRFocus, UploadVR, The Escapist, HTC, PC Gamer, Tech Radar+ and Dexerto. Can sometimes be found playing with retro tech.