Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch 1: Hardware Comparison

Is the $449 Nintendo Switch 2 worth $150 more than the original model? In this article, we compare the differences between the two consoles based on price, design, screen size, and other essential features. Price Whether it's the price of technology or tariffs, the Switch 2 is Nintendo's most expensive system yet at $449.99. That's a big ask when the Switch is $299.99, the Switch OLED is $349.99, and the handheld-only Switch Lite is just $199.99. It's still less expensive than a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X, but not by much. MSRPReleaseNintendo Switch 2$449.992025Nintendo Switch OLED$349.992021Nintendo Switch$299.992017Nintendo Switch Lite$199.992019 Game prices are also moving upward. Mario Kart World is $80. That's even higher than $70, the current "normal" price of many console games, after decades of the market settling around $60 for major releases. Accessories, like the Switch 2 Pro Controller ($80) and Joy-Con 2 ($90), are also about $10 more than their Switch equivalents. Winner: Switch 1 Screen The Switch 2 has a bigger and better screen in almost every way. It's 7.9 inches and features 1080p resolution, so it has twice the pixels. It's larger at by 2.5 to 0.9 inches, depending on the Switch 1 model you're comparing it with, and has double the refresh rate (120Hz). It looks great in person. DimensionsResolutionNintendo Switch 27.9 in. LCD- 4K/2160p (docked)- 1080p (handheld)Nintendo Switch OLED7 in. OLED- 1080p (docked)- 720p (handheld)Nintendo Switch6.2 in. LCD- 1080p (docked)- 720p (handheld)Nintendo Switch Lite5.5 in. LCD- 720p (handheld) It's an LCD, so the OLED Switch actually has an edge in contrast and color. OLED screens can show incredibly dark blacks and usually have a wider color range than LCDs. That said, the Switch 2's LCD is significantly brighter and more vibrant than the first Switch's screen. Although its colors aren't quite as vivid as the OLED Switch's when looking at the two next to each other, it's within swinging distance and doesn't look remotely undersaturated. Even with a little less color range, the bigger size, higher resolution, and faster refresh rate all make the Switch 2's screen a superior one. Winner: Switch 2 Accessibility Features A new Accessibility menu on the Switch 2 lets you enable various features to help you use the system if you have visual, auditory, or verbal difficulties. You can tweak the size of system text, toggle a screen zoom, invert colors or set them to grayscale, use a speech-to-text screen reader, and make other adjustments based on your needs. The Switch has a button remapping menu, but that's about it. Winner: Switch 2 Design and Build The Switch 2 is the first Nintendo console to take the previous system's name and put a simple "2" after it. So, as you might expect, it isn't all that fundamentally different. Both systems are tablets with detachable controllers and a dock that lets you play the device as a handheld or as a home console connected to a TV. It's a great concept because you can play anywhere. I'm glad that Nintendo didn't reinvent the wheel. In terms of size and weight, the Switch 2 is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor by a half-inch in height, just under an inch in width, and four ounces in weight (with the Joy-Cons attached). However, it doesn't feel much bulkier or more cumbersome in my hands. Winner: Tie Processing Power Historically, processing power hasn't been a big priority for Nintendo—the original Switch showed its age pretty quickly compared with competing consoles. It was limited to 1080p60, a best-case scenario in docked mode. The quality of the games made for it, especially first-party titles that demonstrated how to get the most out of the limited hardware such as Breath of the Wild, made up for this. The Switch 2 can output 4K60 (or 1080p120 graphics while docked), depending on the game and settings. That means it's the first Nintendo system capable of 4K resolution or frame rates of 60 frames per second or better. How consistently it can reach those numbers remains a question for ongoing testing. Still, the Switch 2 has much sharper, smoother graphics than the previous system. Winner: Switch 2 Storage You won't immediately need a microSD card with the Switch 2 (though you'll specifically need a microSD Express card for it, not an ordinary microSD card). StorageNintendo Switch 2256GBNintendo Switch OLED64GBNintendo Switch32GBNintendo Switch Lite32GB The Switch 2 has 256GB of internal storage, which can go a long way with Switch titles. The Switch 1 only has 32GB of storage, while the Switch OLED has 64GB. Winner: Switch 2 Joy-Cons The Joy-Con 2 controllers for the Switch 2 feel similar to the originals and have almost identical designs. They have an analog stick, four face buttons, two triggers, and two menu/capture/home buttons. They're arranged so you can use a single Joy-Con sideways or two for dual-analog gameplay. The newer Joy-Con have slightly larger analog sticks, which is nice. However, the Joy-Con 2s have much more interesting tech. Optical sensors on the connection rails of each Joy-Con 2 mean the controllers double as mice. This lets you play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond using mouse-like aim as you would with a PC game. Winner: Switch 2 Voice Chat The Switch 2 has voice chat; the Switch doesn't. The right-hand Joy-Con 2 features a new C button that enables GameChat, the built-in communication system. After pressing it, you can speak to in-game friends using the console's integrated mic. It's an obvious feature Microsoft and Sony figured out some time ago, but it's new for Nintendo, and it's better than the strange smartphone app the company offered with the original Switch. Winner: Switch 2

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