In just over a month, players will have a better idea of what to expect from the Switch 2 when it’s showcased during a Nintendo Direct on April 2. Because Nintendo had to share certain technical specs with the Federal Communication Commission ahead of time, players are now privy to a few additional details about the upcoming console.
Via The Verge, the FCC has posted some of the Switch 2 technical specs online. While most of these reports are very dry with technical jargon, they do indicate that Switch 2 will support near field communication, or NFC, which is how the Amiibo figures were able to connect with Nintendo’s previous console to unlock new in-game content. It’s also been confirmed that the radio-frequency identification (RFID) feature is located in the right Joy-Con, just as it was in the first Switch. While that’s not 100% confirmation that Amiibos will continue to be utilized with the Switch 2, it certainly seems likely that they will.
The FCC filings indicate that Switch 2 will support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) networks with up to 80MHz of bandwidth. That’s an upgrade from the original Switch’s Wi-Fi 5 capabilities, but not as fast as Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. These reports also confirm that Switch 2 has two USB-C ports, one at the top and one at the bottom. The system can be charged through either of those ports.
A previously released Japanese patent application revealed that Switch 2’s Joy-Cons will have mouse-like capabilities. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently suggested the company must push “beyond video games” to get people to engage with more than just its games and consoles. It’s not entirely clear what that means for Switch 2 yet, but hopefully more answers will be shared soon.
