We have breaking information about the Switch 2, based on new leaks.
Yes, we just reported on some leaked Switch 2 consoles, with one arriving in United Arab Emirates, and another staying confidential. Based on those early impressions, we know that there is a day one update waiting for the console. However, there was more to the Switch 2’s status than those early impressions suggested.
One Fedor Volkov has revealed on Twitter that he has gotten his hands on a leaked Switch 2 console as well. While Volkov shared many of the same general impressions that games press and gamers who got to play the Switch have already shared, he added some new insight. Volkov was able to access the menus of the Switch 2 and he claims that VRR, HDR, and ALLM are all visible in the settings.
Now, as we reported and Nintendo later confirmed, the Switch 2 does have VRR, but it’s only available on the built in screen, at least for now. HDR was a feature that was officially confirmed for the console and isn’t in any dispute will be available on docked and portable modes. We also reported earlier that the Switch 2 has auto low latency mode. This mode will automatically adjust to any screen you display the Switch 2 in such a way that you get the shortest input lag when playing games.
Of course, the first thing that was interesting about Volkov’s insights is that you could bypass the supposed day one update message on the Switch 2 after all. Based on earlier reports, it sounded like the console was a complete brick until the day one update arrived, but we now know that that wasn’t the case at all.
While we already knew that the Switch 2 would have VRR, HDR, and ALLM, what’s interesting is that they appeared in the settings. This means that we will have control over using these features. It’s possible that Nintendo provided extra settings for all these because they could be potential impediments to performance. So in particular, you may have to toggle these features on or off, depending on if you’re playing the console docked or in your hands, and what screen you could be outputting the console too.
While we would be skeptical of Volkov’s claims, he received a surprising backer. Necro Felipe claims to have gotten in contact with Volkov, and confirmed even more information about his leaked Switch 2. According to Necro Felipe, there is a 120Hz TV mode, with options to adjust to 1080p and 1440p resolutions. This would make sense given what we know of what Nvidia has packaged into the console’s hardware.
Lastly, Necro Felipe claims that of the 256 GB UFS internal storage, 35 GB has been allocated to the operating system, leaving 221 GB free for games and content. Of course, we already knew some of the storage space would be allocated to the OS, but this is definitely a considerable increase.
In comparison, the original Switch had 32 GB internal storage, with 4 to 6 GB allocated to the Switch operating system. The Switch 2’s operating system is apparently larger than the entire capacity of the Switch! In terms of ratios, the original Switch took between 12 to 18 % away from the storage capacity for the operating system. There will be some variance for the Switch 2, but if the Switch 2 operating uses 32 GB, that amounts to 13 % of the total storage capacity.
It looks like Nintendo can’t really do much about all these leaks, but we assume they already knew what information could potentially leak a few days before the US street date. It’s simply unavoidable that some countries and regions will get products a few days earlier, especially if shipping and trading routes get them to some intermediary countries and regions first. There’s also the fact that companies just have to work around logistics and other challenges in bringing products around.
We may very well still expect more leaks even this close to the official launch of the Switch 2. But it’s just as true that in a matter of days, there won’t be any leaks anymore, as the public finally gets their hands on the console.
