After an investor expressed that they did not feel that Nintendo Switch 2 innovates enough for it to demonstrate a generational change, Nintendo has explained its decision to pursue increased hardware processing performance to help developers deliver new gameplay experiences.
“We began development of Nintendo Switch 2 as an official internal project around 2019, but we constantly conduct R&D for new hardware, including basic technical research,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explained at the company’s financial results briefing.
“Nintendo Switch has enjoyed very good fortune in that many consumers are continuing to play it even in its ninth year. On the other hand, over the course of these eight years and counting, it has become necessary to increase hardware processing performance in order for software developers to realise one of Nintendo’s most valued tenets: offering new gameplay experiences. Thus, this time we decided to design the hardware with enhanced processing capability. We believe that Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza offer new gameplay experiences that could not be realised on Nintendo Switch.
“Regarding your questions about the innovativeness of the hardware, it may appear that there is not a major change between Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. However, we have created new hardware and accessories from the ground up, and these are products very characteristic of Nintendo, packed full of our development team’s dedication to quality through various creative efforts and integrated hardware-software development.
“Going forward, we will develop a variety of new titles centred on Nintendo Switch 2 and offer new gameplay experiences. We aim to make Nintendo Switch 2 the new standard for Nintendo Switch, as hardware that continues to provide fresh surprises to our consumers.”
Nintendo Switch 2 will be released at retailers around the world on 5 June 2025, priced at £395.99 in the United Kingdom, €469.99 across Europe, and $449.99 in the United States.
