Will the Nintendo Switch 2 Be Too Big?

The Evolving Handheld Market

The handheld market has undergone a significant transformation since the launch of the Nintendo Switch as the successor to both the Wii U and 3DS. Despite being the king with over 140 million units sold since March 2017, the Switch is not alone in this space.

The Nintendo Switch 2: A Bigger System?

We recently got a first look at the Nintendo Switch 2, and the full reveal is just days away on April 2. While it’s quite similar to the original Switch, there’s one thing we can say: It’s definitely bigger. But a game system can only get so big before it stops being portable, and the Switch 2 has us wondering: Could it be too big?

A Growing Market

Since the Switch debuted, the handheld market has exploded and multiplied. At the top end are portable PC devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally X, while the rest of the market has an ever-growing number of options like the Retroid Pocket 5 and the Ambernic RG35XXSP.

The Bigger Handhelds

The bigger handhelds offer something closer to a 1:1 experience to the Nintendo Switch, albeit with access to a massive array of PC games. The smaller handhelds, which focus on retro emulation, have a variety of prices, sizes, and form factors—so if one model looks too big or awkward to hold, then you can almost certainly find a quality alternative.

The Weight of Portability

Systems like the Steam Deck and its brethren have screens ranging from 7 to 9 inches—that’s ignoring Acer’s comically oversized 11-inch Nitro Blaze 11—and weigh anywhere from 670 to almost 900 grams. For comparison, the ‘biggest’ Switch is the Nintendo Switch OLED edition, which has a 7-inch screen and weighs 420 grams with the controllers attached. The semi-portable Wii U tablet weighs 491 grams.

The Concerns

Let’s focus for a moment on Valve’s Steam Deck, the most popular PC handheld and the closest thing the Switch has to a challenger. The deck weighs in at 673g with a 7-inch screen. If you dig around online, it’s not hard to find plenty of comments about the Steam Deck being too heavy and much too big to be portable; there’s even a market for lap pillows specifically for handhelds.

The Portability Dilemma

Even the default Nintendo Switch borders on being too large to be portable for many people, especially once you take into account the need for some players to affix a case to protect the screen and those sensitive Joy-Con sticks and rails.

The Nintendo Switch 2: What’s to Come?

Nintendo is keeping system specs on the Nintendo Switch 2 close to the vest ahead of its April 2 Nintendo Direct full reveal, but estimates have flooded out due to information leaks, details from accessory makers, and eagle-eyed observers combing through Nintendo’s reveal trailer. What we can see in that trailer seems to suggest that the Nintendo Switch 2 has an approximately 8-inch screen and is roughly 30% larger than the original Switch, all told. We can’t really estimate the weight, though, since power increases aren’t necessarily going to scale linearly with weight.

Conclusion

The Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be a big beefy boy, regardless of its exact measurements in millimeters and grams. It’s big even for a Nintendo handheld, given that it’s larger than the Switch and likely heavier than even the Wii U tablet. Bigger isn’t always better—at least not for everyone. None of this is to say that the impending Switch 2 isn’t incredibly exciting; it’s still Nintendo hardware, and Nintendo hardware is usually excellent (Switch stick drift aside).

FAQs

Q: What’s the significance of the Nintendo Switch 2’s size increase?
A: The size increase may be a concern for some gamers who value portability.

Q: How does the Nintendo Switch 2 compare to other handhelds?
A: The Switch 2 is bigger than the original Switch, but its size and weight are still comparable to other handhelds on the market.

Q: What does the future hold for the handheld market?
A: The handheld market is expected to continue growing, with new options and innovations emerging.

Q: How will the Nintendo Switch 2 impact the gaming industry?
A: The Switch 2’s release will likely have a significant impact on the gaming industry, with many gamers eagerly awaiting its release.