The Switch 2 is bigger than the original, but how does it compare to a GameCube?
Nintendo has just pushed the big Splatoon 3 update for the Switch 2. The company also noted that it has also made some improvements / changes to how the game runs on the original Switch in order to “reduce differences in game operation speed as much as possible” when compared with the new console.
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Teardowns have confirmed that the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons are using the same joystick technology as the originals, which could potentially lead to issues with drift over time. GuliKit, the company that released Hall effect upgrade kits for the original Joy-Cons two years ago, said on X that it’s already “working hard on the magnetic joystick replacement.” But it hasn’t confirmed if the replacements will use Hall effect technology, or the newer TMR joystick tech.
Through four days, at least, after moving 3.5 million units over the weekend. You’ve heard our thoughts on the system, what are yours?
Nintendo Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Minami-ku, Japan; Representative Director and President: Shuntaro Furukawa, “Nintendo” hereafter) announced that its new game system, Nintendo Switch 2, sold over 3.5 million units worldwide in the four days following its release on June 5, 2025*. This is the highest global sales level for any Nintendo hardware within the first four days.
It’s not easy to follow a game like Mario Kart 8, but Nintendo’s open-world racer does an admirable job.
8BitDo recently launched updated firmware for a batch of its controllers, including its USB Adapter 2. Now, you can plug that dongle into a Switch 2, and it recognizes anything from Sony’s DualSense to old wireless Wii U controllers as a native input device. The adapters are $18.99 a pop on Amazon.
The DualSense doesn’t have the same buttons as the Switch 2’s Joy-Con or a Pro Controller, but you can easily remap controls in the Accessibility options. For my purposes, clicking its touchpad launches GameChat.
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Some quality time with Nintendo’s handheld shows a pleasant upgrade, as opposed to a dramatic next-gen shift.
Open the Switch 2’s GameCube collection and it will launch with a red splash screen and take you directly to the three titles currently available: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soul Calibur 2. But if you hold the left joystick in any direction while opening the collection you’ll be treated to the GameCube’s startup animation with the rolling cube and iconic intro music, as spotted by Eurogamer.
Our 8BitDo pads definitely needed them (they’re live!), and GuliKit has now announced its KK3 Max needs this one to unlock Amiibo support. (Yes, it’s the rare quality 3rd-party pad with working NFC for Nintendo’s figurines, and it’s in our best controller guide.)
Depending on your pad, some simply won’t pair with the Switch 2 at all, while others are missing some features. In general, Nintendo says original Switch controllers won’t be able to wake the Switch 2 from sleep.
Once again confirming what many original Switch owners feared, iFixit’s teardown of the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons reveals a familiar joystick design that uses a resistive material that could lead to joystick drift again if it wears down over time.
The new Joy-Cons also don’t look any easier to disassemble and repair. You’ll need a tri-point screwdriver to remove screws, and iFixit had to use a pick and isopropyl alcohol to dislodge the batteries.
You can use your iPhone (and likely Android phone) as a webcam for the Switch 2 if you connect them via a USB-C to HDMI cable and HDMI converter cable — total cost about $30.
No need to buy a dedicated webcam just for the new console, which are typically worse than the cameras on modern phones anyway.
Nintendo made the original Switch’s game cards taste terrible, coating them in a bitter chemical called denatonium benzoate. So we had to know... do Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges taste better? Time for a taste test! And while we’re at it, why not add a button battery coated in the same stuff, a Nintendo DS cartridge, and a 3DS cartridge too? Don’t try this at home, kids.
Have a look: we tested load times on three Nintendo Switch games on the Switch 2, and they’re noticeably faster. So is the eShop.
We aren’t having great luck, and Reddit’s seeing mixed results too. Though Nintendo assured the public that “you can use... any compatible USB-C camera you’d like,” our USB-C toting Logitech Brio 4K, Opal Tadpole and DJI OP3 aren’t working, even while a nine-year-old Logitech C922 with USB-A does when docked.
Redditors say the Elgato Facecam, Insta360 Link, Sony ZV-E10, and Sony’s various PlayStation cameras don’t work, while aging Logitech and Microsoft Lifecams apparently do. Modern cameras that seem compatible: Razer Kiyo Pro, Logitech StreamCam, Logitech Brio 300. We’ve pinged Nintendo, and are calling in more cameras.
Pokémon Home has become the centerpiece of Nintendo’s larger Pokémon ecosystem, and the company announced this week that the cloud storage service is getting a new feature called Wonder Cards that will make it easier to receive event pokémon and special item giveaways.
Nintendo has acknowledged an issue with Ultimate when a match is played online between people on Switch and Switch 2 and one of them is Mii Fighter, IGN reports. An update is in the works.
Staples (the retailer) is selling the Switch 2 today, but some people getting the console at Gamestop say they had staples (the office equipment) on the front of their console boxes that damaged the screens on their Switch 2s. IGN covered some of the reports.
