Alarmingly, as we write this, very little has leaked. We know there’ll be a new Mario Kart game for the console, as it was revealed alongside the system itself. Other than that, though, there’s an air of mystery around the machine.
Its new JoyCons will probably double as mice, as there seems to be enough smoke around that story now to seem legit. There’s also a curious new C button, which has raised eyebrows. Could it work similarly to the DualSense’s own Create button?
While we’ll obviously hand you off to our friends over at Nintendo Life for all of the tiny details, we figured it’d be worth considering what today’s presentation will mean for PS5.
So, let’s get right into it, then – here’s five things to pay attention to during today’s presentation if you’re a PlayStation fan.
The Tech Specs
Nintendo doesn’t strike us as the type of company to come out and talk about teraflops to its audience, but we’ll likely get a spec sheet in the aftermath of its presentation.It’s going to be interesting to see, then, how the Switch 2 compares to the existing PlayStation family, like the PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5, and PS5 Pro.
Nintendo, generally, has avoided the technological arms race, settling on older components which are cheaper to manufacture but still allow it to deliver beautiful software. Considering the Switch 2 is still a hybrid, it’s unlikely it’s going to be outperforming the stationary PS5 on a raw performance alone.
But it’s going to be interesting to see how close it gets.
With technologies like DLSS expected to help it maximise the performance of its machine, will we see PS5-only era games like Monster Hunter Wilds, Baldur’s Gate 3, Black Myth Wukong, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth running on the device?
Or will the system instead be coveting PS4 era third-party games, like Red Dead Redemption 2, Elden Ring, and GTA 5?
It may take a while to learn exactly what the Switch 2 is and isn’t capable of, but it’s going to fascinating to see just how closely it’s able to match the PS5.
The Price
Sony’s done excellently selling over 75 million PS5 consoles so far this generation, because luck hasn’t been on its side.The pandemic and subsequent inflation means, in some countries, the PS5 now costs more than it did at launch. The PS5 Pro retails for $699, while the PS4 Pro could be purchased for $399 at roughly the same stage of the previous generation.
Nintendo’s modus operandi has always been to offer affordable hardware, but it won’t be immune to the issues Sony has also faced. It’s going to be interesting to see just how much the Switch 2 will cost then.
It seems the common point of discussion revolves around the $399 sweet spot, which would be a great price in this day and age, and would make the console roughly the same price at the PS5 Digital Edition.
We’re sceptical, though. Considering a Switch OLED currently retails for $349, it’s hard to imagine Nintendo selling its all-new machine for just $50 more.
Our guess is that it’ll cost at least $449, which would match the price of the disc-based PS5 console.
The Ports
While we’re sure Nintendo will have an unrivalled offering of first-party software on deck for the Switch 2, it’s going to be really interesting to see how many multiformat ports are announced for the new machine.We’re expecting a Greatest Hits of recent PlayStation titles to be revealed for the system – either during the presentation, or in its aftermath.
The likes of Elden Ring, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 all seem like locks. We imagine Microsoft will be porting everything too, including Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Other de facto exclusives that Sony’s assembled over the years, like Genshin Impact – originally announced for the Switch – Honkai: Star Rail, and Infinity Nikki will likely make the transition as well. And evergreens like Fortnite will of course get beefed up on the machine.
How much is this going to alter the perception of the PS5’s library? And moving forward, how many of these titles are going to deploy day-and-date on the Switch 2?
These are all interesting questions that are going to emerge in the aftermath of the presentation.
The Innovation
Perhaps the last thing worth paying attention to from a PlayStation persuasion is does Nintendo have anything innovative up its sleeve?The Mario maker has undoubtedly pushed gaming forward with its various imaginative ideas over the years, but the Switch 2 has seen some criticism so far for seemingly leaning on iteration as opposed to innovation.
But could there be something special we don’t know about yet? Will the JoyCons really double as mice, and how will that new control scheme be used? Is Nintendo planning anything unique for the system’s user interface?
It’s going to be interesting to see how the manufacturer improves on its oft-criticised online gameplay functionality, as well as its eShop storefront. Could there be Nintendo’s answer to Trophies implemented at long last?
These are all questions that we should finally learn the answers to later today.
The Multiplatform Games
The last but perhaps most obvious thing for PS5 owners to be paying attention to are the multiplatform games.We live in an era where almost all software is available everywhere, and while there’ll no doubt be tons of first-party games on display during Nintendo’s presentation today, we’d expect a bunch of third-party announcements too.
Rumours that spring to mind include the Final Fantasy 9 remake, which has been talked about heavily in anticipation of today’s stream. We’ll likely see various other announcements from big Japanese and Western publishers of projects that could come to the PS5 as well.
Naturally, we’ll bring you all the news of the multiplatform games as and when we get it, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Is there anything else you’re particularly going to be paying attention to during today’s Nintendo Switch 2 livestream? Let us know in the comments section below.
