Moving to the Switch 2? Here's how to bring everything with you.
Digital purchases are tied to your Nintendo Account, not your console. Sign into your account on Switch 2 and your whole library appears. Download what you want to play. Easy.
This is where people sometimes get tripped up.
If you have Nintendo Switch Online: Most
Yep, the Switch 2 does 4K when docked. Connect it to a 4K TV and you get 3840×2160 resolution at 60Hz with HDR. Big upgrade from the original Switch's 1080p max.
The Switch 2 uses NVIDIA's DLSS technology to hit 4K. Basically, the console renders games at a lower resolution and then AI upscales them to 4K. It sounds like cheating, but honestly? It looks great. Mo
The Switch 2 costs $449.99 for the standard console. That's $150 more than the original Switch cost at launch, and $100 more than the Switch OLED.
If you want Mario Kart World—and let's be honest, most people do—the bundle at $499.99 saves you about 30 bucks compared to buying separately. Limited stock though. Once it's gone, it's gone.
The price jump makes more sense
The Joy-Con 2 controllers snap onto the Switch 2 with magnets. No sliding, no rails. Hold them near the console and they click right into place.
Line up the Joy-Con and it pulls itself onto the console magnetically. There's an audible snap when it locks on. To remove them, press the button on the back of each controller and pull. The button extends a small pin that breaks the ma
A lot of people see "LCD" and think Nintendo downgraded the screen. Actually, it's more complicated than that. The Switch 2's LCD is better than the OLED in several important ways.
To get HDR10 support and 120Hz refresh rate at this screen size and price, LCD made more sense. Those features matter a lot for gaming, and Nintendo prioritized them over OLED's deeper blacks.
Here's something that catches a lot of people off guard: you can't use regular microSD cards with the Switch 2. Those cards from your original Switch? Won't work for games. The Switch 2 uses a completely different type called microSD Express.
MicroSD Express is a much faster version of the standard format. Regular microSD cards top out around 100 to 170 MB/s. MicroSD Ex
Good news and slightly annoying news: your old Joy-Cons do work with the Switch 2, but they won't attach to it. The new console switched to magnets for controller attachment, so your old Joy-Cons can only connect wirelessly.
Pair your Joy-Cons through Bluetooth like any wireless controller, and they work great. Motion controls, HD Rumble, all the usual feature
Let's be honest: battery life on the Switch 2 is not amazing. Nintendo says 2 to 6.5 hours, and in real-world use, that's pretty accurate. What you get depends a lot on what you're playing.
Fire up Mario Kart World with the brightness cranked up? You're looking at around 2 hours before needing a charge. That's not great for a long flight or road trip.
But here's the
Good news if you're worried about your game collection: yes, the Nintendo Switch 2 plays almost all your old Switch games. You won't have to rebuy everything or say goodbye to your favorite titles.
Pop your old cartridges right into the Switch 2. It has a slot that accepts original Switch game cards. Already gone digital? Just sign in with your Nintendo Account and your w
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In most cases, yes. Our answers are put together from each product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected, and every price on an answer shows when it was last seen. That said, product details can change — we recommend checking the latest prices and availability before making a purchase.
We collect prices from tens of thousands of retailers and combine them with each product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected. Every price on a page shows the date it was last seen, so you can tell how current it is.
We try to keep our content as fresh as possible. Most answers are reviewed and updated regularly, though the frequency can vary depending on how quickly a product category changes.
