If you want a top-notch portable gaming machine, sure you could get yourself a laptop or a tablet, but gaming handhelds are all the rage. And the Nintendo Switch is still one of the best gaming handhelds around. But the Switch 2 is on the way, and it's slated to bring a ton of changes with it.
However, we won't know the specifics until April, but that isn't stopping us from thinking about everything we'd like to see in a Switch successor. From better performance on older games to a fresh, modern take on online gaming, there's a lot we'd like in a new Nintendo console.
So, read on for the top seven upgrades we want from the Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally official - and arriving later this year
Nintendo has finally put an end to the speculation
7 Backward compatibility for most Switch games
A few outliers are okay, but only a few
Nintendo has announced that the Switch 2 will be backward compatible with original Switch games; however, the company has also been careful to note that not every Switch game will work on the Switch 2. We currently don't know to what extent certain games won't work.
Ideally, we'd like to see widespread backward compatibility, which means the majority of original Switch games will work on the Switch 2, aside from special cases like the Nintendo Labo game that requires some pretty unique functionality. Something similar to PS4 games on PS5.
3 reasons I'm not purchasing a Switch 2 on release day
Maybe play the waiting game on this one.
6 Joy-Cons that don't drift
Don't do it to us again, Nintendo, please
Arguably the biggest widespread console hardware failure since the Xbox 360's notorious red ring of death, Joy-Con drift has been a major problem for Switch owners since the handheld launched all the way back in 2017, demanding repairs and replacements time and time again.
Switch 2 needs a Joy-Con redesign that makes Joy-Con drift nowhere near as much of an issue. Of course, all controllers will eventually experience some drifting, which is the nature of thumbsticks, but the scale and severity of this issue on the original Switch can't be understated.
Nintendo needs to sort its Joy-Cons for Switch 2
I'm on my second set of Joy-Cons for my original Switch. That's not bad for a seven-year-old console, but I don't play the Switch a lot and when I do the controllers prevent me from pouring more hours on this portable console. My first pair was damaged by a slight drink spill. I took them apart to clean the insides and they ceased to work when carefully re-assembled. Okay, my fault. I bought a replacement pack from Nintendo and after a few months, I noticed the right Joy-Con doesn't secure properly and can slip right out. The left Joy-Con decides to sometimes disconnect for no apparent reason, pausing gameplay. After countless searches, I know I'm not alone with sub-par Joy-Con experiences. If I'm to buy a Switch 2, the controllers need to be better.
5 Models with more internal storage
Give us a few options, at least
The original Switch had just 32GB of internal storage, while the OLED version bumped that up to 64GB. Of course, you can expand your storage further with microSD cards, but those come at an additional cost and slower loading times, so it isn't exactly the greatest solution.
Games are likely to be larger than ever on a newer, more powerful machine that can handle more detail and higher-res textures, so storage is going to be even more important. Accordingly, we'd like to see 256GB, 512GB, or even 1TB options available on Switch 2, even if they cost a lot more.
Place your bets — when will the Switch 2 launch?
Nintendo has finally stopped teasing fans and unveiled the Switch 2 earlier today. The console got its first official trailer, but it didn't reveal much that wasn't already known from the numerous leaks over the past few weeks, and among the missing details were the price and launch date. We were simply given a vague 2025 window. So, it's time to put down your (playful) bets. When do you think the system is launching considering the first showcase of games will be on April 2nd? Personally, seeing as hands-on events are mostly happening between Aprril and early May, I'm betting on a launch in early to mid-June. South Korea is getting the latest of the hands-on events, ending on June 1st, but to be fair, South Korea also received the original Switch several months after most worldwide markets, so I think the same could happen here and this date wouldn't mean that much. As for a price, my bets are on a $400 system, but I wouldn't be too shocked to see that move up or down by up to $50.
4 A better UI and more customization
Sony had themes on the PS3
At best, the UI of the Switch is unimpressive: it gets the job done. At worst, navigating something like the eShop is a painfully laggy, clunky experience that makes you feel like you're on AOL dial-up internet. Switch 2 needs a slick, modern user interface that's smooth and easy to use.
Beyond just the interface, though, it's time customization came to Switch. Themes have been around on consoles for the better part of two decades, so why is Nintendo still dragging its feet on this in 2025? Just let us make our Switch 2 our own with some basic customization.
I was done with consoles ... until the Switch 2 was teased
Nintendo, Nintendo, Nintendo. You know full well how to lure me back in for that dreaded Pokeball capture. I've not touched a console aside from the original Switch here and there for years, but this was largely due to how uncomfortable I found the Switch to be for longer periods and the Joycons were anything but reliable. This all looks to change with the Switch 2. Nintendo may well have answered all my complaints and I'm properly excited for something that's not a PC part. Bravo!
3 Upscaling, especially when docked
DLSS support could be coming
Switch 2 is widely rumored to have a custom Ampere GPU, courtesy of Nvidia. And it's similarly speculated that such a GPU could support DLSS, Nvidia's upscaling solution. On the PC, DLSS is a godsend, routinely doubling framerates for little or no cost in visual fidelity.
DLSS on Switch 2, particularly when played docked on a big TV, could be a game-changer. The original Switch would output, at most, 1080p when docked, and 1080p just doesn't look great on what is more and more often a 4K TV. DLSS could very well bridge that gap.
10 games that would make the Switch 2 Nintendo's best console ever
Give me these and I'm set
2 Modern online features like PSN or Xbox Live
Messaging, party chat, achievements, and more
For about 20 years, Sony and Microsoft have supported features like direct messaging, party chat, and achievements. In recent history, consoles have been able to share their screens, use Discord, and even stream directly to Twitch or YouTube, all at the press of a button.
The Switch doesn't do any of this, but Switch 2 could. If Nintendo can keep up with at least some of the last few decades of online features we see on other consoles, even playing older original Switch games on Switch 2 could be a significantly better, more interesting experience.
I'm ridiculously excited about the Nintendo Switch 2
I'm a life-long gamer, and while my first console was the PlayStation 2, I quickly became enamored with the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii when those were released. I moved on to the Nintendo 3DS, skipped the Wii U, and picked up a Nintendo Switch shortly after its launch. While most of my gaming these days is on a PC, there's something particularly special about the offerings on Nintendo's platforms that you can't get anywhere else, and the unique form factor means that it's something I can't just get on a PC either. While PC gaming handhelds have filled that void for me, the original Switch still holds a special place in my heart and I'm so excited for what the Nintendo Switch 2 can bring.
1 Higher resolutions and FPS on old games
Something like FPS Boost or Boost Mode would be perfect
In the era of the Steam Deck and other competitor handheld consoles, the Switch just can't compete in terms of graphics quality and framerate. The Switch 2 doesn't need to be as responsive and beautiful as a high-end PC or traditional console, but it needs to keep up.
Be it patches delivered by developers or system-wide technology like Boost Mode or FPS Boost, being able to play original Switch games at higher framerates and resolutions would go a long way toward making the original Switch's huge library competitive with other handhelds.
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If Switch 2 can manage to offer all of the above, it may well be able to recreate the massive success of the original. Even with just a few of these upgrades, like a modern online system, sleek new UI, and patches for some of the biggest games on the original, that'd go a long way.
It's important to remember that, at the time of writing, we don't know if any of these upgrades we're hoping for are coming. The good news is that we won't have to wait long to find out, as Nintendo has a Direct scheduled for April where we're set to hear all about the Switch 2.