Nintendo Switch 2 Hardware Developer Interview
Blog Andrew Joseph 08 Apr , 2025 0
Editor's note: This interview will be held on April 3, 2025 Nintendo announces announcement on delaying Switch 2 reservations due to potential tariff impact. For the sake of clarity, part of this interview has been edited.
IGN and Hardware lead the development of Nintendo's latest console after working on hands with the Nintendo Switch 2 in a New York reveal last week. Kouchi Kawamoto and Takuhiro Dohta from Nintendo's Entertainment Planning and Development Department, along with Tetusya Sasaki from Nintendo's Technology Development Division, talked to IGN's Brian Altano about the technology behind Switch 2, the classic Nintendo handhelds that have inspired them and the impact former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's legacy had on the development of the console.
IGN: Can you talk about the SOC system on the chip that the Nintendo Switch 2 is running? Is it nvidia tegra? If not, what graphical architectures can you reveal based on?
Nintendo: I think you'll find a lot of details in the Nvidia information shared by NVIDIA.
IGN: It is directly recommended to reach 4K in dock mode, which may require an upgrade. What magnification scale does this system use? Is it using AI to upgrade?
Nintendo: I think the easiest upgrade possible to use is the DLSS provided by Nvidia. So from this perspective, I think you can say this AI.
Nintendo: That is, we plan to provide other options through software, from using AI to things that are not things. I think you'll see this over time. Finally, even with an upgrade, I can add it, and choose not upscale, but just local output. Therefore, this is also an option that developers can use.
IGN: What about ray tracing? Is this something your team experiments with?
Nintendo: Just like DLSS, that's when we make game graphics. We think of ray tracing as another tool to do this – it's not that we're trying to use ray tracing on everything, but that's really trying to figure out what types of graphics, which types of screens, which types of cases are best for ray tracing and then try to apply it. This is the approach we take when doing all our research and experiments.
IGN: We see that the switches support two third-party cameras. Where is the third-party mouse?
Nintendo: Are you talking about USB mouse, something like that?
IGN: Yes, not an animal!
Nintendo: (Laughs) It really depends on the gaming software with structure. So, if the software supports third-party USB mice, then yes.
IGN: I have a six-year-old daughter. She took my switch and I stopped playing it anymore. She also gave up a lot of things, it doesn't matter. What did you do with the Switch 2 to make sure it survives the kid who dropped it on the floor or dropped it off the stairs?
Nintendo: Nintendo has made very solid equipment, and I believe this time, we have also made some solid stuff.
Nintendo: Yes, you can put some. I don't recommend it!
IGN: I also have a steam deck and I love it, but when I play high-end games, the fan becomes big. It's almost distracting. What did Nintendo consider when designing hardware for the Switch 2?
Nintendo: When the fan is loud, it does affect a person's gameplay, so this is definitely something we have in our minds during the development of the Nintendo Switch 2. Depending on the processing power, the system is intended to adapt to processing power, so I was curious to hear about other people's experiences.
Nintendo: When I play it, it's not like, “Wow, there are fans there.” It didn't really arrive, and even through the development of the hardware, it bothered me.
Nintendo: The hardware team put in a lot of effort to ensure the airflow is smooth. So, there are a lot of things coming, but there are a lot of things to come out, so the noise of the fan is not that important.
IGN: Nintendo invented the directional pad, which is important for my lifelong video games. How does your team make sure DPAD on the Switch 2 is perfect for fighting games, puzzle games, platforming games, and all the fun stuff?
Nintendo: You might think that whenever you see the orientation pad it's the same button being reused, but the truth is, we did make a few adjustments and add a few changes at a time. I have someone – our development and game development team – when we make a new person, give it a try.
Nintendo: This is a more detailed point, but for the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Direction button, we made it so the wrong input is much harder. Of course, it doesn't completely eliminate this possibility, but it should be reduced.
IGN: I'm a big fan of Nintendo's handheld system and have been since the original game boy. What is your favorite classic Nintendo handheld handheld from each of your personal favorite?
Nintendo: I have wonderful memories of every system that appears, but personally, I think the original game boy does have a special place in my heart. Part of this is that since then, there have been obvious new systems, such as Game Boy Advance. But I just remember clearly that my mother and the original game boy were playing Tetris, and that was just burning my memory.
IGN: Some of you work with the legendary satoru Iwata. Is there any specific part of his legacy that inspired the Nintendo Switch 2 design?
Nintendo: There are all kinds of aspects, but the first thing that comes to mind is the magnet connector. We didn't initially adopt it for the Nintendo Switch because it's not as safe as we wanted it to be. But we have put in a lot of effort in this regard, and this has been achieved.
Nintendo: It is Mr. Ivata's concerns about the magnet that means it is not implemented (for the original switch). So it makes sense to be able to really solve all problems and create something that might meet his standards.
IGN: I like it. I think I took the Joycon 20 times yesterday!
Nintendo: I actually have a question to ask you. You see the lens of the Joycon 2 turn on and off. Are the impressions you get from that video different from the impressions that actually turn on and off?
IGN: Yes. I thought it would be like a refrigerator magnet, it would be swaying, instead it would be just a “snapshot” and click. I was like, “Oh, that feels really good.”
Nintendo: I feel very relieved to hear this news!
IGN: Yes, they told me I had to stop doing this!
Brian Altano has been playing Mario Kart for over 30 years, and it was a crazy decade spent with Mario Kart 8. We haven't seen the battle mode of Mario Kart World, but he still has hope that the Fortress can come back. Bring back to the block fortress!
