1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:08,240
The good news is the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming very soon, specifically on

2
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:10,719
June the 5th. But there's also bad news.

3
00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:16,000
Nintendo has jumped on the Gameflation bandwagon hard with a price of

4
00:00:13,639 --> 00:00:21,760
$450. For those keeping score at home, that is 50% more than the OG Switch. And

5
00:00:19,359 --> 00:00:25,760
there's more. It was very clear from today's Direct that Nintendo learned

6
00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:29,439
some big lessons from the Wii U. like that. Teaching people what makes the

7
00:00:27,599 --> 00:00:34,320
console different from its predecessor is a good idea. What might not be a good

8
00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:39,920
idea though is charging people for those lessons. I mean, seriously, Nintendo,

9
00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:45,200
what the heck? And seriously, Lionus, why the heck are you still going to buy

10
00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:47,280
two of them? Well, because aside from

11
00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:51,760
the bad bits, that might have been one of the strongest console showcases that

12
00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:56,239
I have ever seen. We got oodles of details on the hardware itself, new

13
00:00:53,600 --> 00:01:01,039
online features, and most importantly, games, games, games. There's old

14
00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:06,479
favorites, there's some soon to be new favorites, and some big surprises. What

15
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:11,520
won't surprise you, though, is that as I'm continuing the sentence, I'm already

16
00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:16,000
15 words into this segue to our sponsor, Dbrand. If you want to make sure you've

17
00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:21,840
got the best Switch 2 case that Dbrand makes, the Kill Switch 2, check it out

18
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,840
at I am very

19
00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:36,320
short.com. While they didn't dive into anything especially technical, Nintendo

20
00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:41,040
did confirm a lot of what we suspected was coming on the Switch 2. At its core,

21
00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:45,280
it's still a juiced and jacked up switch, but there are also important

22
00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:49,200
quality of life improvements that really set it apart from its predecessor, like

23
00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:53,439
a built-in microphone, improved speakers, active cooling in the dock for

24
00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:59,680
stronger performance on the big screen, bigger and faster storage, and bringing

25
00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:05,040
Nintendo finally into this decade, support for 4K HDR output. Not going to

26
00:02:02,799 --> 00:02:09,360
lie, guys, that one's a big relief for me after all those rumors that it would

27
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:15,520
be stuck at 1080p. But now, we also know that the tablet got a big upgrade from

28
00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:18,720
720p to 1080p. And maybe more

29
00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:21,360
importantly, it is now 120 Hz refresh

30
00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:25,920
rate with support for variable refresh rate. These are both huge wins. I mean,

31
00:02:24,319 --> 00:02:29,599
with the amount of competitive gaming that takes place on Nintendo hardware,

32
00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:34,000
seeing them finally take latency seriously is a giant relief. And

33
00:02:32,319 --> 00:02:37,920
especially on a mobile device where frame rates can be all over the place,

34
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:42,640
variable refresh rate is great for perceived animation smoothness. What

35
00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:47,760
isn't a win though is the panel technology in the launch version of the

36
00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:49,680
console. After the original Switch OLED,

37
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:53,599
I was very hopeful that that would be the end of LCD displays for Nintendo.

38
00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:58,319
But knowing that that would have certainly pushed the launch price to

39
00:02:55,640 --> 00:03:02,560
$4.99, I can at least understand why they felt the need to hold off for the

40
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:06,879
inevitable OLED refresh. It just sucks for me because I know I'm going to buy

41
00:03:04,319 --> 00:03:11,519
the launch one and the refreshed one, hence the title of this video.

42
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:15,760
Speaking of things you need to buy over and over again, we got a few more

43
00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:19,680
details about the new JoyCons, including a closer look at the magnetic lock and

44
00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:24,400
release system that looks like a huge improvement in function and reliability

45
00:03:22,159 --> 00:03:28,400
over the old rail system, the bigger shoulder buttons on the inside rails

46
00:03:26,239 --> 00:03:34,000
that will hopefully make using Joy-Cons in landscape mode somewhat tolerable,

47
00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:38,480
and the new mouse functionality that, well, I got to say, I was just plain

48
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:43,440
wrong about. See, in our last rumor roundup, I hedged. Okay, in the video, I

49
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:47,360
was like, maybe it'll happen. Off camera, though, I was adamant that

50
00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:52,159
there's no way Nintendo would take the world's worst controller and then turn

51
00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:57,439
it into also the world's worst mouse. But I was wrong. Or maybe I was wrong. I

52
00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:01,680
mean, Nintendo, it looks so uncomfortable. You could still just

53
00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:06,080
bail. It is an option. Another big surprise for me was the C button present

54
00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:10,080
on both the right Joy-Con and the new Pro Controller that looks just like Gen

55
00:04:08,159 --> 00:04:14,640
1, plus the addition of a 3 and a half millimeter jack. The speculation around

56
00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:18,799
the meaning of C was rampant with some folks proposing some pretty cool ideas

57
00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:23,600
for it. Unfortunately, we ended up with the most disappointing one. It's a chat

58
00:04:21,280 --> 00:04:28,320
button. Yep, Nintendo spent a few minutes showing off their new game chat

59
00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:32,720
feature that connects players online via voice chat with a brand new menu brought

60
00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:39,120
up with the C button. That's right, folks. After 23 years, Nintendo has

61
00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:44,320
finally caught up to the first generation Xbox. Speaking of

62
00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:49,360
generations, that is so long ago that the 9-year-olds that were shrieking into

63
00:04:46,479 --> 00:04:54,560
your ears in Halo 1 literally have their own 9-year-old kids who will now shriek

64
00:04:51,759 --> 00:04:59,120
into your ears in Mario Kart World. But wait, there's more. Game Chat will also

65
00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:05,280
support streaming your gameplay to your friends at what appears to be 480p sub

66
00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:08,960
10fps. I mean, it's still neat, I guess, if you've never heard of Discord. And

67
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:14,080
you can even buy an optional webcam and add your face to the stream or even to

68
00:05:11,039 --> 00:05:16,800
supported games. Wow, Nintendo also

69
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:21,360
caught up to the PS2's eye toy, both in terms of gameplay implementation and

70
00:05:19,199 --> 00:05:25,759
camera quality. A big question this all raises for me though is quality of the

71
00:05:23,759 --> 00:05:30,479
features aside. What's going to become of Nintendo's family-friendly image?

72
00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:35,680
Even support for emotes feels like a relatively new addition for Nintendo

73
00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:39,600
with voice chat. Honestly, how many hours are going to pass after I hand my

74
00:05:37,759 --> 00:05:43,600
eight-year-old a Switch 2 for her to hear her first nword? And I realize that

75
00:05:41,840 --> 00:05:48,320
that's a really strong way to put that. But serious mode here for a second. As a

76
00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:53,280
parent watching this reveal, Nintendo did show off some new parental controls,

77
00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:57,440
but I still have a lot of questions that I need answered before I hand one of

78
00:05:54,800 --> 00:06:01,199
these things to my kid. Okay, back to excitement. Speaking of online, Nintendo

79
00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:05,440
is adding some GameCube games to the Nintendo Switch Online expansion pass,

80
00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:10,080
meaning you'll be able to play F-ZeroGX, Soulcalibur 2, and Wind Waker on the

81
00:06:07,759 --> 00:06:14,080
Switch 2. All at a higher resolution than the original Gamecube, but

82
00:06:11,840 --> 00:06:18,880
seemingly not quite HD, like the full Wind Waker HD remaster that is still

83
00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:22,160
currently marooned on Wii U Island. Give us that version, Nintendo. Thankfully

84
00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:27,520
though, you'll be able to play GameCube games online with your friends, customize your controls to fit a modern

85
00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:31,440
controller, or buy a wireless GameCube style controller with more games looking

86
00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:35,199
to be added in the near future. Honestly, pretty stoked for a whole new

87
00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:39,360
generation of gamers to get to fall in love with some of the all-time classics

88
00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:44,800
that really haven't gotten as much love as they deserve. I'm even more stoked

89
00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:47,360
that Nintendo, of all companies, is

90
00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:52,400
loosening restrictions on game sharing. Now, even online in supported games, up

91
00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:55,919
to three friends will be able to play multiplayer games with you, even if they

92
00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:59,759
don't own a copy. That means you probably won't need to buy four copies

93
00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:04,880
of the new Mario Kart across your friend group. Even though, if you're being

94
00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:06,400
honest, you still will. And this is in

95
00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:10,080
addition to Nintendo's recent improvements to console and family

96
00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:14,880
sharing for digital games that we saw last week. Absolutely fantastic. What

97
00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:19,039
feels a little less fantastic though is Nintendo's approach to updating the

98
00:07:16,639 --> 00:07:22,639
experience of Switch One games on the Switch 2 hardware. Personally, I was

99
00:07:21,199 --> 00:07:29,280
hoping that I could just play the same game at 60 or even, dare I say, 120 FPS,

100
00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:35,280
but it looks like instead these are mostly going to be paid upgrades on a

101
00:07:31,759 --> 00:07:37,280
per game basis. The good news is that it

102
00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:41,280
seems like they generally include real performance and visual upgrades as well

103
00:07:39,599 --> 00:07:46,960
as additions to the games that range from exciting like new DLC chapters to

104
00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:52,160
kind of sort of nifty like new game modes to one of the stupidest second

105
00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:57,840
screen features that I can even imagine. Proceed north. Now, I can't be mad yet

106
00:07:56,319 --> 00:08:02,319
because I don't know the price for any of these upgrade packs. And they did

107
00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:06,400
announce that some of them will be free for some games. It's just a little

108
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:11,840
frustrating when you compare to some of the other handhelds that seem to be on

109
00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:13,360
the horizon, like the rumored Xbox XOG

110
00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:19,280
Ally that I imagine is going to be capable of the same, if not better

111
00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:21,440
performance for free on every OG Switch

112
00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:25,120
game. though. But with that said, I doubt it'll manage the same two to six

113
00:08:23,599 --> 00:08:28,960
and a half hours of battery life that Nintendo's advertising. So, there is

114
00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:33,440
that. And if we look at some of the first party Switch 2 games that likely

115
00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:37,519
you won't be able to yar anytime soon, it may be worth it to stick with Big Red

116
00:08:35,519 --> 00:08:42,640
for your next upgrade. The first thing Nintendo showed off was Mario Kart

117
00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,640
World, the

118
00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:50,080
long awaited sequel to The Carding King.

119
00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:55,120
now with a bit of open world exploration in between your contests, seemingly like

120
00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:57,839
Crash Team Racing. It also boasts 24

121
00:08:55,120 --> 00:09:03,040
racer, not necessarily player support, which seems pretty slick. And it looks

122
00:09:00,399 --> 00:09:07,200
better, though not by as much as some folks seem to have hoped, which is a

123
00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:11,360
stark reminder of just how much juice Nintendo can squeeze out of lowowered

124
00:09:09,519 --> 00:09:15,360
hardware, which makes me pretty excited for the future capabilities of this new

125
00:09:13,519 --> 00:09:19,279
handheld, even if the launch titles might not look like that much. Jumping

126
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:23,279
to the end of the presentation, the last thing Nintendo showed off was Donkey

127
00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:27,040
Kong Bonanza. It's the first 3D Donkey Kong game since literally the N64, and

128
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:33,600
you'll be digging your way through destructible environments, platforming your way to giant bananas, and punching

129
00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:37,440
bosses, all while wearing pants. Very respectable, Mr. Kong. We also got our

130
00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:41,120
first look at Kirby Air Riders, a new Hyrule Warriors for the people who are

131
00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:46,480
into that. a wheelchair basketball game that focuses on mouse movement. And

132
00:09:43,519 --> 00:09:50,160
lastly, what actually looks to be a tutorial where you walk around

133
00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:54,880
activating text boxes that tell you about the Switch 2 with some mini games

134
00:09:52,320 --> 00:10:00,880
sprinkled in. And yes, that bit in the intro was not a joke. Nintendo wants

135
00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:03,680
real actual money for Switch 2 Welcome

136
00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:10,160
Tour. Is this even the same company that put Wii Sports in the box of a $250

137
00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:11,839
console? Okay, so maybe there's not that

138
00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:16,880
much on the first party side, which normally would be a death nail for a

139
00:10:13,839 --> 00:10:19,519
Nintendo console, but check this out.

140
00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:25,600
Strong third-p partyy game support. No, no, that would be an understatement. We

141
00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:28,320
saw, I kid you not, 48 non- Nintendo

142
00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:32,800
titles during the direct with 15 being available at launch and 21 more coming

143
00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:37,120
before the end of the year. Immediate standouts for me were definitely the new

144
00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:42,240
From Software game, Dusk Bloods, a more modern set multiplayer Bloodborneesque,

145
00:10:39,519 --> 00:10:46,399
and Demon X Machina, a cross between Vanquish and Armored Core. We also saw

146
00:10:44,399 --> 00:10:52,800
classic heavy hitters like Elden Ring, Street Fighter 6, now with added waggle,

147
00:10:48,959 --> 00:10:55,279
Hogwarts Legacy featuring mouse magic,

148
00:10:52,800 --> 00:11:00,560
Hitman, Cyberpunk 2077, the upcoming Borderlands 4, and Final Fantasy is

149
00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:05,839
back. That's right, baby. Final Fantasy 7 remake. Let's go. EA and 2K are even

150
00:11:03,839 --> 00:11:10,720
porting their biggest sports franchises. We're getting a new Tony Hawk and that

151
00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:12,959
new 007 from IO Interactive was teased.

152
00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:16,399
Wait, teased again. Come on, guys. Show me some gameplay. We're also getting

153
00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:22,560
some indie darlings like Hollow Night Silk Song, which I'll believe is actually coming in 2025 when it's out in

154
00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:26,480
2025. Hades 2 and new chapters for Delta Rune. As a big handheld lover, by the

155
00:11:24,399 --> 00:11:30,240
way, the quality of the visuals in the gameplay that was shown was really

156
00:11:28,079 --> 00:11:34,720
impressive to me, with many of the games appearing to run with noticeably better

157
00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:38,320
fidelity than what we've seen on most PC handhelds. There are a couple of

158
00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:41,600
potential reasons for this. One is that Nintendo is likely running their demos

159
00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:46,480
docked, which is going to give the Switch to more performance. And the

160
00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:51,440
other is that NVIDIA, the provider of the Switch 2's GPU, just plain knows

161
00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:56,720
what they're doing when it comes to efficient gaming. and especially when it

162
00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:01,760
comes to AI upscaling. Now, the words DLSS were never mentioned in the video,

163
00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:06,160
but looking at what I'm looking at, I stand by what I said. If the Switch 2

164
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:11,440
doesn't have some form of AI upscaling, I will buy and eat an entire box of this

165
00:12:09,519 --> 00:12:16,440
Super Mario cereal with Mountain Dew as the milk live on Wow. Now, let's talk

166
00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:21,920
about the value. $450 is the price for the base console.

167
00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:25,519
And I really do mean base, given that you have to pay for the freaking

168
00:12:23,279 --> 00:12:28,079
instruction manual. Oh god. Sorry. I know this is the third time I've

169
00:12:26,639 --> 00:12:34,320
mentioned this, but I'm still annoyed about it. Then it's going to be $500 for

170
00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:38,880
the bundle with Mario Kart World. Now, that's not an outlandish price, at least

171
00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:44,000
when you consider its functionality as both a living room console and a

172
00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:46,079
portable console, but a 50% price bump

173
00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:51,040
versus its predecessor is certainly going to make it a a less obvious

174
00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:56,399
purchase for many families out there. And that's on top of new games getting a

175
00:12:54,000 --> 00:13:02,079
wicked nextG tax. I didn't mention yet that Mario Kart World sets a new high

176
00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:04,399
mark for pricing at $80 US for a digital

177
00:13:02,079 --> 00:13:09,839
copy with the physical copy rumored to be even higher. Now, not every title is

178
00:13:07,279 --> 00:13:14,880
going to be so expensive, but this is Nintendo, so it also probably won't be

179
00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:19,279
the only one at that price. So, if you look at this as spending a whole conso's

180
00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:24,160
worth of dollars for what is essentially an evolutionary change, the Switch 2

181
00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:28,079
kind of looks like a big miss. But from my point of view, it's been almost 4

182
00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:33,920
years since Nintendo has asked for any money from me for a console and 8 years

183
00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:37,600
since the original Switch. And when you consider that the Switch 2 addresses

184
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:42,320
most of the fundamental issues that I had with the original, which is exactly

185
00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:46,639
what a good sequel should do, it's hard not to get at least a little excited

186
00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:51,279
about it. especially with Nintendo actually taking strong action against

187
00:13:48,639 --> 00:13:57,440
scalpers to ensure that gamers can freaking buy these things and not just

188
00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:59,839
resellers. Now, personally, I am fairly

189
00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:04,399
irritated that they are requiring 12 months of Nintendo Online, which I don't

190
00:14:02,079 --> 00:14:08,639
pay for on principal because I shouldn't have to buy a subscription to back up my

191
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:12,560
save games. But I still do have to acknowledge that they've done something

192
00:14:10,639 --> 00:14:16,959
to ensure that their most ardent fans can pre-order this thing at MSRP. And I

193
00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:20,800
also have to acknowledge you for listening to this segue to our sponsor

194
00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:25,279
Dbrand. Now, I'm a little annoyed at Dbrand right now. Not because their

195
00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:28,160
vanity URL is I am very.com, but because I thought that they were going to send

196
00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:33,839
me one of their kill switch cases for the Switch, too. So, Dbrand, where is

197
00:14:31,199 --> 00:14:37,199
it? Oh, you we actually don't have one. Great. I am still excited for the case,

198
00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:42,880
though. I thought I thought it was a setup. One of my biggest issues with the original Switch was the terrible Joy-Con

199
00:14:41,279 --> 00:14:46,480
ergonomics. And considering that my hands aren't very big, that's really

200
00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:51,120
saying something. Well, the Switch 2 doesn't fix that, but the super

201
00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:55,519
ergonomic hand grips on the Kill Switch look way more comfortable. One thing I

202
00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:58,959
was curious to find out is how Dbrand was going to handle OEM dock

203
00:14:57,079 --> 00:15:03,519
compatibility. Well, as it turns out, the answer is a totally custom dock

204
00:15:00,959 --> 00:15:06,639
adapter with built-in USB 4. Not only does it give you full data and power

205
00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:12,880
pass through, but it actually turns your system into a nice little trophy display. Finally, the latest kill switch

206
00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:16,800
has an allnew game card holder. It lets you take up to 10 game cards with you on

207
00:15:14,639 --> 00:15:19,839
the go, and it's built into the crush proof travel cover. Now, I know a lot of

208
00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:26,720
us around here are going to take advantage of our free Dbrand products perk for this one. Do we have that? Oh,

209
00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:29,600
that's hilarious. Um, but for the rest of you out there, if you want to make

210
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:34,800
sure you've got the best Switch 2 case at launch, you'll have to reserve yours

211
00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:36,399
at, you guessed it, I am very short.com.

212
00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:40,800
If you want some more Switch 2 details, you should check out the last video we

213
00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:44,639
made, which is more about rumors, but still manages to include a deeper dive

214
00:15:42,639 --> 00:15:47,040
into what are the likely technical specs of the