Nintendo has officially revealed all regarding the Nintendo Switch 2, but how does the gaming handheld compare to Sony’s ever-popular PS5?
If you’re on the fence about which console to buy you’ve come to the right place. We’ve broken down all of the biggest differences between the Switch 2 and PS5 to help you figure out which one is best for you.
Keep reading to discover how these two consoles compare in terms of price, portability, display resolution, game availability and more.
Pricing and Availability
The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, with prices starting at $449.99/£395.99 for the console alone or $499.99/£429.99 when bundled with Mario Kart World. This makes it the most expensive Nintendo console ever released – even when accounting for inflation.
The original PS5 was replaced by the PS5 Slim in 2023. Currently, you can pick up the PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition for $499/£479.99 and the PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Edition for $449/£389.99, though there are also bundles available for titles like Astro Bot and Fortnite.
There’s also the PS5 Pro, which launched in 2024 at a price of $699.99/£699.99.
It is worth noting that the PS5 comes with one DualSense controller, while the Switch 2 comes with two Joy-Cons. This means you can play in-person multiplayer games with friends right out of the box with the Switch 2.
The Switch 2 can be used at home and on-the-go
The Switch 2 is the more versatile console of the two when it comes to how you play. This is because you can move between gaming on your TV and playing handheld. You can even play with friends when out and about by disconnecting the Joy-Cons and propping the console up on a table using its built-in stand.
Essentially, this means you can play single player and multiplayer wherever you go. If you want a console you can keep hooked up to your living room TV one day and take on a flight the next, the Switch is for you.
The PlayStation, on the other hand, is designed to be played at home. The console is bigger, heavier and in many ways more powerful than the Switch, making it best kept below your TV or next to a monitor.
For on-the-go PlayStation gaming, stick with the smaller, portable PlayStation Portal.
The PS5 delivers higher-resolution streaming
A major upside to the PS5 is its higher-resolution streaming abilities – especially if you opt for the Pro model.
The PS5 is capable of playing games and movies in 4K at up to 120fps natively, or 8K with upscaling from your TV. The PS5 Pro, on the other hand, can deliver up to 8K graphics on supported TVs with games that offer 8K modes, though these are still far and few. The PS5 also supports HDR and ray tracing, for more realistic light and shadow effects.
The Switch 2 includes a 7.9-inch LCD display with a 1080p resolution and up to 120fps variable refresh rate. Slide the Switch 2 into its dock and the console will output up to 4K video in TV mode, with HDR support and AI-powered upscaling providing sharper visuals and smoother gameplay than before.
There’s also real-time ray tracing support and resolution-boosting DLSS thanks to the custom Nvidia processor and GPU at the helm.
Both consoles offer exclusive games
One of the more prominent deciding factors in which console you buy should be which games you want to play.
For example, if you want to race against friends in Mario Kart World or save Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll want to go with the Switch 2. You can see a full list of all the first- and third-party games coming to the console in our guide to every Switch 2 game announced during the April Nintendo Direct, with more than 60 already confirmed.
You can also access nostalgic games from older consoles on the Switch 2, with the GameCube being the latest console to join this list.
Moving on to the PS5, Sony has its own wide array of console exclusives on offer. This includes huge titles like God of War Ragnarök, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Horizon Forbidden West and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Other major games, like Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2, are scheduled to launch later this year.
The PS5 can play DVDs and Blu-rays
Another major perk worth touching on here is the PS5’s ability to play DVDs and Blu-ray discs. The PlayStation also supports a wide range of TV and movie streaming apps, making the console more of an all-round entertainment hub than just a gaming stop.
The Switch 2 also supports a couple of streaming apps, including YouTube and Hulu, there’s nowhere near the wide range of apps supported on the PS5, meaning you’ll probably want to use your TV’s OS or a streaming stick instead of the console for movie nights.
The Switch PS5 and Switch 2 also use very different physical discs/cartridges, meaning if you already have a PS4 or Switch OLED, you might prefer to stick with the same brand to make use of your existing game library.
Both consoles also support digital games, with Sony even selling digital-only versions of the PlayStation that can be upgraded with an add-on disc drive later down the line if you change your mind.
Early Verdict
The PS5 is a highly successful game console and, following the popularity of the original Switch, the Switch 2 is expected to gain similar traction. However, which console you should buy depends largely on the games you wish to play and how much you value portability and the ability to take your games on-the-go.
All that said, you’ll want to wait for our full review of the Switch 2 to learn how these two consoles compare in our experience, factoring in aspects like performance and battery life that we’d need to test ourselves before speaking on.
