Summer has already arrived, at least temperature-wise, and before you start worrying about how to provide entertainment for your kids (or yourself) during vacation, trips, and travels — the Nintendo Switch 2 console will officially launch on Thursday, June 5th, bringing back to the forefront all the Nintendo games we grew up on and love so much, alongside a variety of new and upgraded titles.

The console was announced in January this year, after a long wait by fans and Nintendo enthusiasts, who received the first generation Switch in 2017 and were eager to see the next generation. The detailed technical specifications were only revealed about two months ago, and this week millions of fans of all ages around the world will finally be able to enjoy the new generation — which hopefully will also be innovative.

Watch: The official console review video

So what exactly has changed compared to the previous generation?

  • Bigger screen — the Switch 2’s screen is an impressive 7.9 inches with a resolution of 1080p, compared to the previous generation’s 6.2-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 720p.
  • Double refresh rate — the Switch 2 has a screen refresh rate of 120 Hz, compared to only 60 Hz on the previous generation.
  • Higher quality TV connection — both consoles can be connected to a TV for a big-screen experience and comfortable multiplayer gaming, but the Nintendo Switch 2 supports HDR and 4K resolution on the TV, which the previous generation console does not.
  • Larger internal storage — the Switch 2’s internal storage, even before adding a memory card, is 256 GB — eight times more than before.
  • Memory, processor, and graphics — all the hardware in the Switch 2 has been upgraded, featuring three times more RAM, double the number of CPU cores, and a stronger graphics card, ensuring a better gaming experience.
  • New controllers — the console’s controllers have also been upgraded, hopefully without the annoying and unsolvable drift issues that characterized the first-generation Joy-Cons. However, if you have old Joy-Cons or the special controller, you can still use them.
    • The console price in Nintendo’s official store in Israel is NIS 2,399. Nintendo knows it holds a very valuable asset — exclusive rights to all the company’s titles like Pokémon, Super Mario, Bayonetta, Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, and more. This exclusivity always costs consumers a few extra tens (or hundreds) of shekels.

    If you want to feel the launch atmosphere yourself and be part of the excitement, the official console launch event will be held on Thursday at midnight at the official Nintendo store in Dizengoff Center. Also, throughout the day you can come and buy the console, games, and merchandise — but don’t expect sales or discounts; this has never been the strong suit of the world’s biggest gaming giant.