(Photos) The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 ignites the excitement of video gamers around the world. What are its features?

Video gamers finally got their hands on Nintendo's new Switch 2 on Thursday, which could set record early sales for the Japanese developer of Super Mario Bros.




Featuring a larger screen and more processing power, the console is an upgrade from the Switch, a global phenomenon thanks to hit games like Animal Crossing.




The original Switch has sold 152 million units since its 2017 launch, making it the third-best-selling console of all time.




At an electronics store in Tokyo on Thursday morning, Nintendo fans, including 24-year-old Li Wang, a recent graduate in China, lined up to receive their consoles.




Pre-order

Wang couldn't hide his "shock" when his attempt to pre-order the new console was successful, while none of his friends were.




"I was the only one chosen... so I don't really want to say anything," he said, laughing.




Shinichi Sekiguchi, 31, explained that he was so excited he forgot to bring his phone, while Kuro, 33, said she took the day off work to get her new console.




“I think the improved graphics and the ability to play with a wider range of games are crucial,” she said.




Smashing Sales Records

Serkan Toto, of Kantan Games, a Tokyo-based consultancy, said he “wouldn’t be surprised to see the Switch 2 break sales records in the coming weeks and months.”




In Japan, Nintendo’s eShop received 2.2 million pre-orders for the Switch 2, “an incredible number that the industry has never seen before,” Toto told AFP.




Is It Worth the Price?

The Switch 2 has eight times more memory than the original Switch, and its magnetically attached controllers can be used as a desktop mouse.




New features that allow users to chat while playing online and temporarily share games with friends could be a major draw for a younger audience accustomed to watching games via live streams. However, Nintendo faces significant challenges in matching the success of the original.




Challenges include uncertainty surrounding US tariffs and whether it can convince enough people to pay the high price of its new console.




Price

The Switch 2 is priced at $449.99 in the US, up from the original's launch price of $299.99. Both are hybrid consoles that can be connected to a TV or played on the go.




New Switch 2 games, such as Donkey Kong Banana and Mario Kart World, which allow players to explore the overworld, are also more expensive than existing titles.




"After trying it, I think it's worth the price," Steven Paterno, a 24-year-old aspiring filmmaker, told AFP at Nintendo's launch event in New York City.




"I loved the original Switch, but I have to say the Switch 2 beats it."




Pre-orders canceled

Retailers in the United States, Europe, and other major markets are bracing for a deluge of eager fans, with some stores opening at midnight to welcome them.




"I'm so excited to get the console at midnight," said 22-year-old Angel Caceres at the launch event in New York.




"I'm going to be so tired afterward."




Supply pressures have forced some retailers to cancel orders, with British company Game stating it is "working hard to return as many affected pre-orders as possible."




15 Million Switches Shipped

Nintendo expects to ship 15 million Switch 2 units in the current fiscal year, roughly equal to the original console's shipments in the same period after its release.




Company President Shuntaro Furukawa said in a May earnings briefing that the new console's price was "relatively high" compared to its predecessor.




He warned that it "won't be easy" to maintain the initial momentum.




While Nintendo is diversifying its business to include theme parks and blockbuster movies, about 90% of its revenue still comes from Switch sales, according to analysts. (AFP)