Highly anticipated: The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 has inevitably sparked intense scrutiny over its internal composition. While not enough time has passed for a detailed analysis, users and tinkerers have made intriguing and concerning discoveries regarding its hardware and software mere hours after the new handheld became available.
YouTuber ProModding recently uploaded the first Nintendo Switch 2 teardown. While the video doesn’t resemble a full-blown iFixit-style guide, it provides crucial early hardware information. Additionally, early testing of Switch 2 games has revealed disappointing HDR results but encouraging performance data.
The teardown reveals that Nintendo’s new handheld closely resembles its predecessor in several ways. Like the OLED model of the original Switch, the screen includes a film that should not be removed.
Furthermore, the thermal paste application remains unchanged, which could raise concerns over the device’s longevity. Some users claim that dried paste in aging original Switch units can lose its effectiveness and that reapplying it can improve thermal performance. The same might be true of the Switch 2 in a few years.
Meanwhile, the Switch 2’s outer screws could seriously hinder repairability. Disassembling the chassis requires removing the stickers covering the Joy-Con ports, which took ProModding several minutes and multiple tools.
Repair costs could become a bigger concern. While US prices are currently unavailable, replacement parts on Nintendo’s Japanese support site are up to 92 percent more expensive than components for the original Switch.
ProModding’s video also provides a close look at the Nvidia SoC and other components, confirming that the motherboard that leaked in January was genuine. A repairability guide from iFixit is forthcoming, but the site recently downgraded the original Switch’s score per new, stricter standards. iFixit takes particular issue with the handheld’s glued-in battery and the lack of available repair materials and documentation.
Despite potential repairability issues, Switch 2 owners should be pleased to discover that the system exhibits significantly smoother performance in all older titles, even those without upgrade patches. The experience roughly resembles playing last-gen PlayStation or Xbox games on current-gen hardware, in stark contrast with backwards compatibility functionality on prior Nintendo systems.
Many games pushed the original Switch beyond its modest limits, suffering from unstable framerates and low dynamic resolutions. Early tests and social media posts reveal that titles like Batman: Arkham Knight, The Witcher 3, Monster Hunter, and Bayonetta 3 no longer suffer from framerate drops when played out of the box.
Furthermore, users have debunked earlier reports that the Switch 2 requires an internet connection upon initial setup. While playing games requires a firmware update, physical copies of launch games contain the necessary OS version, which can be applied while the system is offline.
Additionally, YouTuber GamingTech expressed disappointment in an early look at the handheld’s HDR capabilities. Its display reaches a maximum brightness of only 450 nits, well below the Steam Deck OLED’s 1,000 nits.
However, the Switch 2’s HDR presentation when docked varies between games. While GamingTech described The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as “washed out,” Cyberpunk 2077’s HDR mirrors the PC and other console versions. Unpatched Switch 1 titles also differ dramatically with an automatic HDR mode engaged. While Metroid Prime Remastered is capped at 450 nits, Diablo III can reach 1,000.
