Nintendo has officially revealed the specs and features of the Nintendo Switch 2, and while initial announcements caused some confusion, the Japanese company has provided more clarity in recent days. Among the updates, one major omission stands out: a key feature that has been standard on PlayStation and Xbox consoles for three generations will not be part of the Switch 2.
No Achievements or Trophy System on Switch 2
As Nintendo continues to modernize its ecosystem, many gamers hoped the Switch 2 would include a unified achievements or trophy system, similar to Xbox’s Gamerscore or PlayStation Trophies.
Unfortunately, that won’t be the case. Bill Trinen, head of product and player experience at Nintendo of America, confirmed to Polygon (via VGC) that Nintendo Switch 2 will not include achievements.
While there won’t be a system-wide achievements feature, some games like the enhanced versions of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will include in-game achievements via the Zelda Notes companion app. This suggests that Nintendo may continue to offer recognition systems on a per-title basis, possibly through mobile apps.
Joy-Con Still Lack Hall Effect Sensors – Is Joy-Con Drift Returning?
Another disappointment for fans is that the new Joy-Con controllers will not feature Hall effect sensors. This magnetic technology was rumored to be included to eliminate the long-standing issue of Joy-Con drift, a mechanical wear problem that plagued original Switch users.
Despite speculation based on Nintendo patents, the company has confirmed that the new Joy-Con sticks do not adopt Hall effect tech. This raises concerns about potential durability and whether drift issues could return in this new generation.
Limited Backward Compatibility Raises Concerns
Although the Switch 2 retains the hybrid concept, it’s been built entirely from scratch, meaning it doesn’t rely on emulation for backward compatibility. Nintendo has acknowledged compatibility issues affecting several Switch-era titles.
In fact, the company published a list of known issues—including boot problems and in-game bugs—when playing certain original Switch games on the Switch 2. These are being investigated and should be fixed over time, though some titles may never run perfectly due to hardware differences.
microSD Cards from Original Switch Won’t Work on Switch 2
One of the most frustrating limitations is that Switch 2 does not support the same microSD cards used with the original console. The new hardware is more powerful and has upgraded audiovisual capabilities, which require a new standard: microSD Express.
While this newer format offers much faster data transfer speeds, it is more expensive and means players will not be able to reuse their existing microSD cards.
However, Nintendo has promised a streamlined data transfer process and will allow users to re-download digital games linked to their Nintendo accounts. Still, simply inserting your old microSD into the new console won’t work.
Final Thoughts
The Nintendo Switch 2 is shaping up to be a major leap forward in terms of hardware power, but it comes with several limitations that fans will need to consider:
- No universal achievement or trophy system
- No Hall effect in Joy-Con—drift may return
- Partial backward compatibility with some game issues
- No support for original Switch microSD cards
With its launch approaching, players are eager to see how these trade-offs will impact the user experience. Stay tuned for more updates as Nintendo reveals additional details about its next-gen console.