After making rounds on the internet for a few years unofficially in the form of leaks and rumors, the successor to Nintendo’s Switch console finally made its first official appearance last week in a video shared by the company on its YouTube channel. The video, right from the get-go, confirmed that the Switch 2 will be bigger than its predecessor. You can clearly see the main body of the console and the Joy-Con grow in size before taking the final form. It seems like a substantial increase indicating that Nintendo is embracing the era of big portable handhelds. But just how big is the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 gaming handheld going to be? Let’s try and find an answer to the question below.
Nintendo Switch 2 vs Switch size comparison: How big is it going to be?
While the official video gave us a pretty good look at the Switch 2, it didn’t reveal everything. No exact dimensions have been provided by Nintendo officially just yet, but we can use the trailer and info from recent leaks to piece together the puzzle and get a rough idea of how big the Switch 2 handheld could actually be.
A quick comparison shot on the official site shows the original Switch and the upcoming Switch 2 side-by-side, and the latter looks substantially larger. The official trailer also shows the console growing in size when it popped out from the old Switch Joy-Con. Here are a couple of shots from the trailer that give you a good idea of just how big the newer console could actually be. You can clearly see the size difference in the shots when the Joy-Con transition from the old to new models.
We also have plenty of leaks from various sources claiming to have mockups and know the actual dimensions of the Switch 2. Genki, an accessory manufacturer, suggests the Switch would be about an inch wider and half an inch taller. Dbrand, another tech accessory maker, went as far as to give out point-to-point measurements of the Switch 2, claiming it will be 270mm wide, 116mm tall, and 14mm thick. These numbers, in case you’re wondering, make it even bigger than the OLED Switch, which is already bigger than the original Switch and the Switch Lite.
Redditors in the Nintendo Switch community, as you’d expect, were quick to get to work and churn out some renders based on the numbers shared by various sources. The results show a console that’s significantly bigger than the existing Switch versions. Here’s a quick look at the size comparison courtesy of a Reddit user who shared an interactive size comparison tool that you can check out right here.
It is, in fact, just a little bit smaller than Valve’s Steam Deck, which I personally consider to be the ideal size for a gaming handheld for a comfortable gaming experience. For those who don’t know, the Steam Deck is 298mm wide, 117mm tall, and 49mm thick, indicating that the Switch 2 could almost be as tall as the Steam Deck, but less wide and a lot thinner.
Nintendo Switch 2 overall size
All things considered, it is safe to say that the upcoming Switch 2 console is going to be a lot bigger than the original Switch, and you’ll particularly feel the difference coming from the Switch Lite. That being said, it appears as though it’ll still be smaller or about the same size as some of the most popular PC gaming handhelds on the market like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Of course, there are exceptions to this like Acer’s new Nitro Blaze with a giant screen, and I’m glad Nintendo isn’t going that route.
I am all for bigger gaming handhelds as they allow the manufacturer to pack bigger screens, batteries, and better cooling components and whatnot, but all this comes at a cost of usability. The last thing you want is a handheld that’s too difficult to hold and use for prolonged gaming sessions. It’ll be interesting to see how the Nintendo Switch 2 console feels in the hand. The rumored 8-inch screen size sounds great for playing all the upcoming games that are said to debut alongside the new console. Be sure to stay tuned to our Nintendo hub to be among the first to get all the latest info surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 console.
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