Switch And Switch V2 Review: What Are The Differences?

Abbey Freehill
3 min readJul 14, 2020

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Now that Nintendo released the updated version of the switch, a lot of people are curious. How will Switch V2 compare to the original? In this post, we will look into the difference between the two. So for anyone looking to upgrade, this article will give you a better understanding of what to expect. The so-called V2 quietly appeared in store shelves as early as August 2019. Some people even traded their old Switch model for the updated hardware.

Power

From the get-go, the variance is apparent from the specs. The new version features upgraded processors, which means power efficiency and extended battery life. The first-generation hardware has a battery life of up to 6.5 hours. On the other hand, the new V2 claims to give you up to 9 hours of power. So, for you to test the power efficiency of both units, the screen brightness was up at 100 percent. The sleep timers were also off during this battery test. So what’s the result? The original version lasted for three hours and 30 minutes, while the V2 ran close to five hours. That’s a considerable difference in battery life, don’t you think? But is it worth making the switch to another Switch? Let us look at the other points of comparison.

Switch Design

Both consoles are virtually identical. Perhaps the only glaring difference between the two is the fresh look of the Joy-Cons. But if you want to look closer, you will notice the new model number on the upgraded hardware. That’s for the exterior.

Now let us look into the inside of each model. When you remove the shell, you will notice some slight changes in the new version. The most significant changes involve the original placement of the system-on-chip and the NAND memory components. Also, not to mention the flash storage. But is there a significant difference in gameplay or loading times? The answer is there is not much.

Joy-Cons

Speaking of Joy-Cons, perhaps the only difference between the two on this aspect is the placement of the antenna. If you remove the cover from the new hardware, you will notice its antenna’s new location. Now, the purpose behind this is to improve connectivity. With the new console’s Joy-Cons, users reported fewer to none connectivity issues compared to the original model.

Switch Screen

Did you know Sharp is working with Nintendo in creating Switch panels? Not sure if the Sharp screen is now on the upgraded switch. But there seems to be a difference between the two models. At a glance, you may see a slightly brighter screen for the V2. Plus, it gives off a warm color compared to the original model’s screen. However, it takes a closer look to spot the variance. Otherwise, both screens are virtually identical as well.

Do you think will the screen on the new switch affects gameplay or performance? Well, the games loaded at about the same time on both consoles.

Should You Make the Switch from Original to V2?

You will get more out of the new hardware. Better battery life, improved gameplay performance, and other hybrid abilities are just some of the benefits. But migrating is a hassle; this is perhaps one of the most significant factors why people forego the move to V2. The process of moving the saved games from one system to another can get complicated. Plus, Nintendo deletes all data when switching from the original. Other than that, the V2 is an impressive console.

Originally published at https://playpc.io on July 14, 2020.

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Abbey Freehill
Abbey Freehill

Written by Abbey Freehill

I play and write all about games, from Mobile to PC.

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