Well, looky here! Nintendo just came out with a trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2. It does feel like a few days too late because of all the leaks that have popped up for the past couple of months. Still, at that point, those were just rumors as nothing had been officially confirmed by Nintendo. Then again, the trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2 only showed a 3D mock-up of the company’s vision of what the new system is, what features it will have or any details on how powerful it actually will be.

The trailer does reassure us we’ll know a whole lot more in April during their next Nintendo Direct. But, even from this brief trailer of a 3D model of an upcoming console, there are already a few things I can nitpick about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Yes, I have a lot of time on my hands. So, let’s go check out five things I noticed from the trailer and why I either like or dislike these changes.

#1 Bigger is Better

When the first trailer for the original Nintendo Switch came out, I already saw one of the things I knew I would strongly dislike about the system: its small size. The screen already looked kind of small but my big issue were with the Joy-Cons, Nintendo’s proprietary controllers for the system as they looked tiny and uncomfortable when you use them as single controllers. It looks like Nintendo is addressing this issue as they are making the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Joy-Cons slightly larger.

The question now becomes how substantial is this size increase. While they increased the size [insert Michael Scott saying “that’s what she said” here] on both the base unit and the Joy-Cons by just an inch or two, this could be enough to make it feel a little bit better, especially when it comes to the diminutive Joy-Cons. Only time will tell. But still, the slight increase in size will make it feel much better than the original, in my opinion.

#2 The ports on the side of the Nintendo Switch 2 look problematic

The engineers/wizards over at Nintendo did a bang-up job designing the original Nintendo Switch for the most part. While I do hate the tiny Joy-Cons, I was amazed at how aesthetic it all was when put together. The nerd in me really admired how they slide into the base unit with a satisfying clicking sound. But, weirdly enough, the design element which genuinely amazed me is how the hid the charging ports on the Joy-Cons, as they are nestled discreetly just at the “bottom” part of each controller, just where they slide in.

This isn’t going to be the case with the Nintendo Switch 2 as, this time around, the engineers/wizards at Nintendo just said, “Ah, we can’t be bothered.” So, now, with the upcoming console, the charging port juts out of the side of the base unit and that slots into a hole found at the flat portion of the new Joy-Con.

I’m already sad we won’t be sliding the Joy-Cons into the base unit to feel that satisfying snap sound effect anymore. But the little exposed charging port just rubs salt into the wound. Not only does it remove a lot of what made the original Nintendo Switch a sleek looking console, I’m worried that thing could break! You will be plugging and pulling on those Joy-Cons to insert and remove them. So, having something like that means it could break off in the process. I can see a lot of little kids also just playing with that little thing and then snapping off because of them just getting a little too rough with it.

#3 It’s Backwards Compatible… Mostly!

The Nintendo Switch 2 will most likely be completely replacing the original system but Nintendo is smart enough to not alienate their current fans… mostly. A quick blurb at the very end of the trailer states that the Nintendo Switch 2 will However, be able to play both physical and digital copies of its predecessors games.

However, there was a little asterisks to that piece of information. While most of the “old” games will work, Nintendo is already warning potential buyers that the backwards compatibility might not work for each and every game. That’s why it’s important to read the fine print.

This really shouldn’t be a surprise for a couple of reasons and they all rely on the new Joy-Cons, actually. We already mentioned that the Joy-Cons for the Nintendo Switch 2 will be bigger. That does mean peripherals that were molded for use using the original controllers, such as Ring Fit Adventure… ring and the various Joy-Con Wheels, as they wouldn’t fit anymore.

Also, we don’t know what features were added and/or removed from the new Joy-Cons for the Nintendo Switch 2. For example, I’m not sure how many games used the IR camera so I wasn’t surprised that it looked like they apparently removed it. Still, those games which did support the IR camera won’t be playable with the new Joy-Con controllers those those two to three games won’t be backwards compatible, will they?

#4 The Kickstand Is Better But Still Looks Like It Kinda Sucks

Does anyone really use the kickstand of the original Nintendo Switch? I’m asking because I certainly don’t. Then again, if you don’t, I can hardly blame you as it sucks. It’s super flimsy and it’s designed to break away, which is precisely what you don’t want for something that’s supposed to keep your pricey Nintendo Switch unit upright! Honestly, it’s more like a cover for the memory card more than an actual kickstand. Oh, and it’s only on one side, making the weight distribution uneven and, as a result, unstable.

The Nintendo Switch 2 does have a more “complete” kickstand as it’s now a rail that can move several degrees rather than the silly one position of the original Nintendo Switch’s kickstand. There also seems to be some more reinforcement on the upper part of the new kickstand, meaning there is less chance of it cracking or breaking over there.

Even so, the lower legs of the kickstand still come off as a little too fragile as they are kind of thin. I also hope there are some substantially decent ratchet joints connecting the kickstand to the base unit. They do show it folding down really low and I don’t want it plopping to the ground and breaking when you bend it to that degree. Oh, and when it’s fully bent to its lowest position, you can see the kickstand just barely hooked onto the unit. I really hope the joints are really good and the kickstand is some kind of molded metal bar and not some plastic that can break off.

#5 A Possible Fix for Joy-Con Drift

Joy-Con drift has been a big problem for Nintendo Switch users everywhere. For now, there are two main reasons that are causing your analog sticks to break down. The first has to do with simple wear and tear within the analog stick mechanisms. The other has to do with dust getting embedded in the housing, thanks to some substandard dust insulation on Nintendo’s part. While the dirt may not directly cause the drift, they do exacerbate the daily wear and tear of the components.

While we don’t get to see the inside of the new Joy-Cons so we can’t really say if they’ve improved their innards. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they “borrowed” the tech from Gulikit’s Joy-Con analog stick replacement and plugged that into the updated controller as that’s supposed to be a permanent fix for Joy-Con drift issues. Also, simply based on the promotional video, it does look like Nintendo beefed up the analog stick’s dust protection seals as they’re nor raised up instead of being flush with the Joy-Con’s body. Still, there’s no confirmation but, based on the video, I have hope this kills the Joy-Con drift problem for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Bonus: What’s with the USB port on the top?

Nintendo added a USB-C port to the top of the Nintendo Switch 2’s main unit and that does open up some interesting options and questions, such as what’s it for? They didn’t remove the one from the bottom of the Nintendo Switch 2 as it still slides into the dock as with the original system. So, what could it be used for? It could be another way to charge the unit as, if you don’t have a dock and you’re using the kickstand, you don’t have access to the bottom USB port to charge it. It also could be used as a link cable or even a third party controller port? Right now, we just don’t know but it is interesting…

What are your thoughts on the new Nintendo Switch 2 reveal trailer? Let me know in the comments section below!