People were camped out in front of stores this week for the launch of the new Nintendo Switch 2, which went on sale Thursday at midnight. Audacy checked in with some of the people waiting in line to see what the buzz is all about.
“It’s bigger than the normal Switch and it’s got better internals so it plays better games and the old games... we can play them, play them better as well,” a man waiting for the new mobile console at a Best Buy in Novi, Michigan, told WWJ Newsradio 950.
He was just buying one of the $499.99 consoles Thursday, though he said he might buy another one later for his 12-year-old daughter, who joined him to wait in line. When asked why he decided to wait in line for the new device, the man said it has become a tradition of sorts for new releases, from “Harry Potter” books when he was young to the PlayStation 5 in 2020.
“It’s nice to meet fellow people who are also really like enjoy the stuff and celebrate something new coming out, especially a console launch because they really don’t happen that often,” he explained.
Digging deeper into why Nintendo Switch 2 made the cut, the man added that he’s a big fan of Nintendo games (including Zelda and Mario Party) and that they can be therapeutic. In addition to working as a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety and depression, he said the games connect him with his friends, including some who were also waiting for the launch at Best Buy Thursday.
With the new device, he expects it will become even easier to keep those connections strong.
Here’s why: “Switch 1 was just basically like… you could play it online or you can play it handheld or you could, you know, on the go or you could put it on the TV. But the Switch 2 takes it a step further. You can do all those things, yes, but you can also chat with people live time, video chat people live time, which is something that Nintendo’s never done before,” the man told WWJ.
According to a press release from Nintendo, the new Switch system “provides powerful new hardware,” as well as “reimagined online capabilities and a broad range of games,” informed by eight years of experience with the first model. In addition to the new GameChat feature, the Nontendo Switch2 also has retooled Joy-Con 2 controllers that can now be used as a mouse in compatible games and that snap to the system with magnetic connectors, along with other new features and new games such as “Mario Kart World” and “Donkey Kong Bananza”.
“With its new features that expand the possibilities of gaming experiences, I truly believe that Nintendo Switch 2 is a leap forward in our journey of putting smiles on the faces of everyone that Nintendo touches,” said Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa.