Nintendo Switch 2 filings have revealed Near Field Communication (NFC) support, which means Amiibo will probably work with the next-gen console.
As spotted by The Verge, Federal Communication Commission (FCC) filings confirm the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) feature is located in the Switch 2’s right Joy-Con, as with the original Switch. The question is, will Switch 2 support existing Amiibo that already unlock in-game content?
Elsewhere, the filings confirm you can charge the Switch 2 from either its bottom USB-C port or the new top one, functionality fans expected following the console’s official reveal. Switch 2 will also support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) networks with up to 80MHz of bandwidth, up from Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) on the original Switch. There’s no mention in the filings of Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E, The Verge pointed out.
And finally, Switch 2 is still rated for a maximum of 15V, but the filings mention an AC adapter that goes up to 20V, leaving actual charging speed unknown.
Last month, a Nintendo patent suggested Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers could be attached upside down. It seems the Switch 2 operates with gyro mechanics in a similar way to how phones work without screen lock. Unlike the original Nintendo Switch, which had rails for the Joy-Cons to attach and lock into place, the new controllers feature magnets that presumably allow them to be attached on either side.
While this won’t make much of a difference on the hardware front, it will allow players to essentially choose where they’d like certain buttons, the headphone port, and so on. If it makes it into the final product, the flipping ability may spark interesting gameplay mechanics, too.
If the Nintendo Switch 2 will work as the patent suggests, Nintendo will likely outline the feature fully at the special Nintendo Direct event. This will take place at 6am Pacific / 9am Eastern / 2pm UK time on April 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 likely isn’t far from release either, as while Nintendo hasn’t confirmed any window yet, some suggest it will be between June and September. This is because hands on events are taking place up until June and Greedfall 2 publisher Nacon said the console will be out before September.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed earlier in January with a brief trailer that confirmed backwards compatibility features and the addition of a second USB-C port. Most details, such as its other games and what the heck the mysterious new Joy-Con button does, were left out, though the Joy-Con mouse theory did gain a traction.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
