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Why do I trust Tom’s Hardware? Hmm, it’s probably ’cause those experts dedicate an insane amount of time testing stuff. Comparing every odd gadget or service out there, they let you choose without losing your sanity. Curious? Here’s their testing manifesto.
So, yeah, semiconductors! How do I even start with those? Apparently, power’s the name of the game. Get yourself a chip sipping power like it’s the best wine, and boom—miracles start happening. Devices get tinier, batteries last longer. Magic!
While its rivals went big with power and thermal limits, Nintendo zigged where others zagged. They embraced Nvidia’s tiny, whispering Tegra X1 SoC for their Switch. Fast forward a few hundred million units? Nintendo’s like, “Hello, history.” And now, we have Switch 2—its older bro with muscles. More powerful chip, bright and loud VRR display, huge Joy-Cons, double USB Type-C ports—oh, and probably packing more surprises.
I’m primarily a PC gamer. But my partner’s a die-hard Nintendo fan, so we’ve always had their consoles cozy under our TV. I can’t say I adored the Switch as a portable, but its magic? Oh, couldn’t ignore that. Zelda’s breathtaking moment in BotW stuck with me. Emerging from a cave, feeling the sun in my eyes in Hyrule—spellbinding moments.
Props to Nintendo and friends—they squeezed the Switch’s hardware like oranges. Eight years later, creativity still thrives in limitation city. But times are changing, and yikes, it’s evident. Pokémon and Zelda’s Kingdom screamed for more power. Even Fortnite? Smh, let’s just get that hardware beefed up.
If Switch 2 follows its predecessor’s footsteps, our gaming future’s wild. Scooped one up myself and dived into its universe—more to tell than just surface chitchat.
The Switch 2, man, it pretty much levels up from the first round, but some choices? Oh brother, kinda baffling.
Nintendo and Nvidia joined hands again on the chip, but this bad boy’s not shelf material—it’s custom. Digital Foundry did some detective work aligning nitty-gritty specs with the actual chip—thanks, guys!
The Switch 2’s CPU flaunts eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores from 2020. Public benchmarks are a bit elusive, but Samsung’s Galaxy S21s boast a related core. They scored big with 3 GHz clocks though. With about 1 GHz on docked mode for the Switch 2? That’s modest but does the job.
And guess what? The GPU rolls with Nvidia Ampere, 1,536 CUDA cores folks—same as one GPC, they say. Think beefy integrated, not discrete. In docked mode, you get 3+ TFLOPS, and portable offers 1.7. Modern mobiles laugh with 4+ TFLOPS, but still, not bad, Nintendo.
Memory-wise? A chunky 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 9GB for developers. Bandwidth buzzing between 102 GB/s on dock, 68 when portable. Nintendo’s flexed some serious specs here compared to the old Switch.
Don’t get lost in teraflops just yet. The Switch 2’s hasn’t spilled all its architectural beans. Mystery keeps enthusiasts guessing.
Power draw? Nintendo claims a 19W peak in docked mode. We checked—18 to 19W, even about 11W portable. Not too shabby for battery performance, ongoing tests will unravel more.
Now, display-wise. The Switch 2 sports a 7.9-inch, 1080p LCD that should win hearts. Clear, vibrant, and mercifully better than its predecessor. Small text hunters rejoice—you shall squint no more.
Oh, HDR10—claims of glory yet reality may ground you since it’s not true HDR. It’s bright though, blink at Cyberpunk’s neon or Fortnite’s sunrise. The wide color gamut? Mario shindig like never before.
This beast rocks a 120 Hz refresh rate, with VRR onboard. A great dev tool, but it’s a win-win only sometimes. Often locked at 60 FPS, VRR prevents FPS foes from ruining game nights.
Why VRR only on the built-in display and no dock extension? Got nothing on that strategy.
Controls? No tap-to-wake here—buttons all the way for waking duties.
Take a tour around the Switch 2. Up top, power button, volume rocker, ambient light sensation, vents, USB-C, and game slot. Need a stretch? Top USB-C’s here, handy for external play while charging. Downstairs? Stereo speakers, USB-C, and hidden microSD.
Speakers? They’ll get you by. Fortnite’s music got me thinking—compression rules. Treble’s, well, tinny. Bass—builds character!
And behold, the kickstand evolution. Not the wimpy old one—try a full-fledged, adaptable stand. Perfect for tray tables or lazy laps.
And that’s not all. Controllers, aka Joy-Cons, revamped. Magnetic magic snaps them home and they pop off easy-peasy. Secure, yep.
Buttons and joysticks—all tactile feels despite minor wobbles. But hey, stick drift’s a monster waiting in the bushes, not gone yet.
Handling, handheld play? Erm, joy-cons can fidget. Pro Controller—ya gonna be my go-to!
Performance? Well, we skipped the charts—graphed it with a trained eye. Cyberpunk, Breath of the Wild, even Fortnite ran through the gameplay gauntlet. Spoiler: Pretty solid, mostly. Cyberpunk options, Breath of the Wild’s newfound magic—it was dreamy.
Fortnite feels home with those colorful mashups. On Beast mode Switch 2, frame rates flirt joyfully with 60 FPS. Goku won’t stand a chance this time.
Noise and thermals? Practically a silent ninja. Checked the heat—exhaust caps at reasonable warmth, even handheld—no oven mitts needed.
Network speeds? Drag race lost. Downloads snail-paced, you’ll need patience. It’s a network kinda world, though.
Last but not the cool factor—the accessory parade! Paired it with fancy gadgets like a gaming monitor, wireless headset, Bluetooth earbuds—no issue. Old Switch Pro Controller? It’s Switch 2 ready!
In the end, you’re eyeing the Switch 2’s choruses of fun and potential. $449 an entry price for your heart—and console adventures. It’s the kinda journey worth tagging along. The first-party brilliance, packed virtual shelves, sweet gaming spots anywhere. And grips? Few.
Nintendo’s surprising oversight on storage, VRR limitations, joystick sensor angst—those itch. But the fun compensates. Gaming’s joy has a name: Switch 2, maybe?
More tests lined up—let’s see where the battery bandwagon lands. Once the entire picture clicks, the tally and verdict await.
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