Nintendo Switch 2 features we want to see

The wait is almost over. This week, Nintendo is finally pulling back the curtain on the Nintendo Switch 2 console. It’ll obviously sport several differences and improvements over its predecessor, but we’ve got a specific wishlist of features that we think would elevate the Switch 2 to the next level.

Nintendo Switch 2 features wishlist

Better online play/crossplay

The online infrastructure has been a weak point for Nintendo for generations. While it's typically futile to compare Nintendo's efforts to the likes of PlayStation and Xbox, online play is the one area that we'd really like to see The Big N catch up. Playing games with friends is usually a multi-step process that's harder than it needs to be, and nearly every game handles it differently. The fact that Switch 2 will carry over the accounts from Switch 1 might help this issue, but Switch 2 games need to be designed with online play in mind.

A Miiverse replacement

Is it weird to say we miss when Nintendo's online ecosystem was populated by Miis and Mii activities? Our little digital selves that once hung out with other little selves, went on adventures, solved puzzles, and generally just represented us in the Nintendo gaming space gave us plenty of fond memories. With that in mind, it's kind of strange that Miis have been almost entirely relegated to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We missed having a plaza where our Miis hung out and met other Miis. We miss having StreetPass that would allow us to see Miis from around the world in our travels. Do we expect to see Miis make an extravagant comeback? Probably not, but we would like to enjoy them in a fresh way on Switch 2.

Discord

By the numbers, I have no idea what the most popular chat app is, but Discord has to be close, right? We’ve already seen Discord integrate with the PlayStation and Xbox, so it feels only natural that the Switch 2 would also be an option. Am I optimistic this will happen? No, but we can certainly dream.

60 FPS

The call for games to run at 60 frames per second isn’t abnormal these days, it’s the expectation. With the Switch 2 undoubtedly being more powerful than the original, it’s fair to ask that it can pull 60 fps on most games that run on it. Of course, a lot of that depends on the game and the developers, but if the Switch 2 can have hardware capable of that number, more and more games are going to meet it. Here’s to hoping.

Hardware backwards compatibility

It's a foregone conclusion that the Switch 2 will let us pop in Switch cartridges without issue, but what about our accessories? Can I use my Nintendo Switch Pro Controller on Switch 2? What about my OG Joy-Cons, or the myriad third-party devices that have been released over the past eight years. It'd be disappointing if all of those items were rendered useless on the Switch 2, so here's hoping Nintendo doesn't make us toss them into a cardboard box and place them in a closet.

GameCube NSO library

Nintendo has been working its way through its retro libraries for Nintendo Switch Online, letting Switch players who sub to NSO enjoy a select number of games from those systems. The next console in chronological order would be the Nintendo GameCube. Nintendo's first home console of the 21st century may be divisive among fans, but it undoubtedly brought a slew of games that stand as all-time favorites in the community. Imagine being able to play Super Smash Bros. Melee on your Nintendo Switch 2. Need we say more?

DS NSO library

Another Nintendo console whose "retro" status may make some gamers shudder, the Nintendo DS stands as the one piece of Nintendo hardware that the Switch has yet to pass in sales. It speaks to the system's legacy, which was greatly powered by the absolute banger lineup of games that it saw over its lifespan. Just about every major Nintendo IP received notable entries on the DS, and providing access to just a fraction of them would appease fans looking for a way to enjoy the classics.

Better Pro Controller

Given that the Joy-Cons are pretty gimmicky, they're not considered by many to be an ideal controller for the Switch when you're sitting in front of the TV. We expect that the launch of the Switch 2 will also be followed by an accompanying new Pro Controller that acts like a regular gamepad. However, we have some notes if that happens. The d-pad was squishy on the original Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and felt pretty crummy as a result. We hope a little bit more quality goes into the button feels and feedback. The Pro Controller doesn't need a full redesign in the slightest. It just needs a bit more oomph to make it a perfectly responsive option for games like Splatoon on the couch.

Themes

There were a lot of complaints about a lack of themes (outside of dark grey and white) on the base Switch. It may seem insignificant, but themes can go a long way in personalizing a console and making it fun just to log in and flip through the menus. Nintendo is great with the small details, and we're sure they could do a lot of fun things with themes for Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and other franchises. Modern minimalism trends have seen most of the console makers scale back on features like this, but here's yet another opportunity to zig while everyone else zags.

Nintendo Music app

The Nintendo Music app launched late last year and finally offered a way to officially listen to Nintendo songs without having to idly play them from your console. A Nintendo Music Switch app just makes sense. Let us listen to Nintendo songs while we browse other apps and even play games. Lastly, let's make sure that we can continue to play music when our consoles are asleep.

Bigger internal storage

The original Nintendo Switch included 32 GB of internal storage. While this was borderline acceptable in 2017, this doesn’t really cut it in 2025, especially with the sizes available to consumers these days. We don’t expect Nintendo to include a 2TB microSDXC with every purchase, but it would be nice if the internal storage could handle more than just The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before becoming almost entirely full.

Longer battery life

This feature request needs no introduction. Battery life is a topic of conversation with almost every device in the world that uses batteries, and the Switch 2 will be no different. Given that it will be a handheld device that you can take on the go, be it a long flight or a morning commute to work, having a battery that can live up to the demands of users is essential. Here’s to hoping the Switch 2 can knock it out of the park with this one.

StreetPass (or something similar)

The Nintendo 3DS was one of the company’s greatest products. I, Sam Chandler, adored the 3D screen, but there is a feature that everyone loved and could use: StreetPass. If you crossed paths with another 3DS player while out and about, your character information would be shared, and you’d get to see their Mii visit your world (and vice versa).

This character could then be used in a little dungeon crawling mini-game, added to a collection of other Miis, and would help you level up your account. It was an ingenious feature that fostered community and connectivity – it was also bizarrely absent from the Nintendo Switch. The console was perfect for this sort of social element.

When it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2, we hope that Nintendo leans hard into the social aspects like StreetPass.

Docked 4K gameplay

It’s not outrageous to say that most people play games in 4K, have access to 4K gaming, or at the very least have a television that is capable of the resolution. When it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2, we have our fingers crossed that the system is able to output 4K resolutions while docked. While Nintendo games look great on the Nintendo Switch, we’d love to see higher resolution textures, and that would mean going beyond the 1080p limits of the OG Switch.

Enhanced Switch 1 games

Better hardware means that games can look better and run better. The idea here is simple: Switch 1 games, especially ones that struggled on the 2017 device, should receive updates or versions that make them run better on the Switch 2. In a perfect world, we'd be able to pop those games into the Switch 2, update them, and enjoy noticeable enhancements as we play through them. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, we're looking at you.

Streaming in handheld

One of the unfortunate limitations of the original Nintendo Switch was that while it could play in handheld, and it could stream to platforms like Twitch, it couldn't do both at the same time. You had to have the console in docked mode to be able to enjoy any kind of streaming on the device. That's a shame, and we hope it's one that Nintendo sorts out for the Switch 2. How cool would it be if you could stream while having the freedom of Handheld Mode to be able to move your setup wherever you wanted? This might not appeal to everyone, but it should definitely speak to the content creators that want to share Nintendo Switch content with greater ease.

We think these features would help Nintendo improve upon a console that’s already one of the greatest we’ve ever seen. More than anything, Nintendo needs to lean into everything that made the Switch special. We trust them to do it, but we’d be lying if we said we don’t have our fingers crossed for some of the features we shared above.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_