3 must-have Switch 2 features that'll make me pre-order on day one

We're only weeks into January 2025 and already the Nintendo Switch 2 rumours are coming in thicker and faster than ever before – with an apparent 16 January reveal date now rumoured once again, for a possible March or April release date later in the year. All dates which had previously been surfaced by leaks.

All of this is unfounded at the time of writing, however, but with a Switch 2 announcement possibly mere days away, and a case-maker showing off what the console will purportedly look like, it's got me thinking once more about what Nintendo's true second-gen Switch console needs to do to be an instant pre-order.

I'm perhaps still somewhat surprised that the console will supposedly be known as a 'Switch 2' – I previously wrote about Nintendo's biggest mistake (the naming of the Wii U) – but as a massive Switch fan and player I'm very excited about its probable imminent release. So with that in mind, here are three major things the Switch 2 needs to do to be a day-one instabuy.

1. A killer launch title

The more I've thought about it, the more I've come to realise that, while the Switch 2 will be more powerful – and it needs to be, let's face it – it's actually a killer day one exclusive title that'll really sell it.

Something as landmark as Mario 64 on the N64, say, a Switch 2 exclusive that you can't play on the older console that shows off everything the console can do and feel like a real step up. Here's hoping for a new Mario Wonder, personally, but we shall see – it's not as though Nintendo is short on IPs.

2. Backwards compatibility

That said, as someone who suffered through The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, I really want the original Switch carts to work in the Switch 2 – and perform better. No more stuttering frame-rates, thanks very much.

This would give a great lease of life to all those Switch games already in hand, while opening the door for you to buy ones you've backed away from considering, owed to the graphical limitations of the original handheld.

But the extra power on board to make that happens also means greater graphical ability for the new console – and I think it's a no-brainer that's to be expected. Switch 2 games aren't going to look like PS5 titles, which I'm fine with, but they do need to step up a gear – and I'm confident Nintendo will pull that off with this system.

3. A bigger OLED display

A big part of the Switch's appeal is its handheld nature. The original, with its 7-inch screen, is a nice size – but the rumoured 8.4-inch display of the Switch 2 would be extra appealing for me. Especially if Nintendo can make it near edge-to-edge and, therefore, the new console not much bigger than the last.

Current rumours are that the Switch 2 won't feature an OLED panel, rather that it'll be LCD, which is a shame – but, just like the original, I suppose that leaves opportunity for a mid-term upgrade option later down the line. Perhaps there'll even be a Switch 2 Lite, but at the 7-inch size of the original Switch rather than any smaller.

In conclusion

There's probably more I could say in addition – such as extended battery life, more accurate Joy-Con controllers, and enhanced power and resolution output to TV sources – but those three above listed factors would be key in getting me to sign-up for pre-order of the Switch 2.

I don't think Nintendo need worry too much about the price game either, as with the PlayStation 5 Pro costing a bomb and Microsoft rarely shifting its Xbox One X price down (even in recent sales), the Switch 2 ought to be much more aggressively priced and appealing.

But really, above all else, it's whether that killer launch title is in tow – as that'll be the single biggest lure to get Nintendo fans jumping on board. Nothing has leaked in that regard either, which is great, I just hope Nintendo has something major up its sleeve to make it truly worth it...