AP gets behind-the-scenes look at Nintendo Switch 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Nintendo’s Switch 2 is bigger and better than its predecessor of eight years past as the video game developer pushes to bring its brand into “a new era” where social experiences are at the forefront.

The Associated Press and other members of the media got an exclusive look this week at Nintendo’s latest handheld, TV-console hybrid, which dives head-first into the social world of online gaming.

The Switch 2 will hit the market June 5 at a price of $449.99.

“You’ll be joining us as we step into a new era of Nintendo,” Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s president, told those in attendance before they scattered to test out the new Switch.

What are some of the Switch 2’s new features?

Video and audio chats and game-sharing functions are huge parts of the new console. One of the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons — it’s controllers — even has a “C” button to quickly access “GameChat.” Click the button and up pops window views to others players’ gameplay, lined up at the bottom of the user’s screen in squares like a video conference call.

A camera attachment — sold separately — allows gamers to project themselves into those windows instead of sharing their own screen, while some games let the camera-user appear in the game itself. A microphone is now built into the console for audio.

Another feature, “GameShare,” allows users to share the game they are playing temporarily with other consoles that don’t have it.

And then there’s a function to control the console’s Joy-Cons like a computer mouse — an appeal toward the growing PC-based gaming audience — something developers are excited for people to try.

“Because of the environment were in, it’s a hands-on experience,” Takuhiro Dohta, the console’s director, said through a translator at the media event.

Kouichi Kawamoto, the Switch 2’s producer, called the mouse feature a “fun,” “engaging” way to experience gaming.

It can be used on multiple surfaces, not just a mouse pad, he said.

“We have made adjustments so that you can control the mouse on your pants,” Kawamoto said through a translator about sitting down and using your own leg as a mouse surface. “There were some people in development where that was their preferred way of playing.”

Testing out the Switch 2

The media demo area had a station to test out the mouse function on a wheelchair basketball game. Players used both Joy-Con “mice” for that one. Using both at the same time was a gaming experience unlike many, or any. This particular station had a smooth pad that the Joy-Cons slid around on seamlessly. Another station without the pad worked just fine on a hard desk surface — that one was a world-building game with less precision required.

The first game played was Mario Kart World — included in the console’s bundle package. That was in handheld mode. The 7.9 inch LCD screen is bigger and it feels it. Next to a last generation Switch OLED Model, there’s a stark difference.

The handheld graphics were obviously better in 1080p. In the docked mode, Nintendo says the system is able to support 4K resolution for compatible games. It wasn’t immediately clear if the docked games that were demoed were compatible, but the graphics looked better than the first-generation Switch. Especially in Hogwarts Legacy. Wow.

The Joy-Con controllers, which are now magnets that click into place, are upgrades from the slide-into-place mechanism in first-gen. The AP didn’t spend enough time with the demo unit to get a great read on how sturdy they are, but developers were asked about what one reporter thought was a “flimsy” connection and had this to say:

“It may at first glance look flimsy, but if you’ve actually touched it, I think you’ll see that it’s not as flimsy as it looks,” Kawamoto said through a translator. “We did our best to make sure it’s strong.”

The new Mario Kart World featured a thrilling Knockout Tour mode that pits 24 players against each other in a race where the field is culled at five checkpoints until one racer remains.

Switch 2’s battery life and price analysis

Among the wishes from Switch fans was an increased battery life. Developers weren’t able to promise that, mainly because they said battery life depends on the environment and conditions the console is operating in. The Switch 2 does uses more energy. But they did say it has a larger battery to compensate for that.

“With Switch 2, because of things like ‘GameChat’ … There’s variability of battery life even wider than the Nintendo Switch,” Dohta said.

The Switch 2 will cost $150 more than its predecessor at launch. Joost van Dreunen, author of “One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games,” said the Trump administration’s tariffs have hit the video game console industry at a fragile moment. He believes the console costs about $50 more than it would have without the tariffs, which he says impact video game hardware because console devices are manufactured and shipped from China and the surrounding region.

One of the Switch 2s that media members demoed said “Made in China” in the small font on the back of the console.

Nintendo didn’t address pricing, with a company moderator declining to answer a reporter’s question on the cost during the media event.

When asked about chip shortages, hardware costs and the pandemic, however, developers did say those factors impacted development in terms of the number of consoles they could produce.

“Yes, for example covid certainly had a large impact in the development,” Tetsuya Sasaki, the console’s technical director, said through a translator. “Even with the chip shortage we were working with our partners and had to be creative in working our way through that. … And yeah even the Nintendo Switch was hard to get at one point.”

A few other games that Nintendo announced

In addition to Mario Kart World, two more Switch 2 exclusives feature its marquee characters: Donkey Kong Bananza, a 3D adventure with the big ape punching his way through a huge underground world, arriving July 17, and Kirby Air Riders, a racing game from the director of the Super Smash Bros. series, due later in the year.

The new console will be backwards compatible — able to play physical and digital Switch games — but not every game from the predecessor console will have that capability. Also, users will need to purchase a microSD express memory card for the Switch 2. The Nintendo Direct on Wednesday revealed that normal microSD cards will not be compatible with the system.

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Associated Press reporters Sarah Parvini in Los Angeles and Lou Kesten in Washington contributed to this report.