The Nintendo Switch 2 console is officially an esports-compatible device.
Capcom has confirmed that the new console is competitively viable and will be an included option for Street Fighter 6 esports tournament.
A newly published update to the Capcom Pro Tour rules has added the Switch 2 as a console that players can use to compete.
With crossplay supported, this means owners of the new handheld console can use it to compete in LAN and online qualifiers for Capcom Cup 12, where the winner will take home $1m (£735k).
World Warrior events are a series of online, regional qualifiers with spots up for grabs at the Capcom Cup and are exactly where Nintendo players could thrive.
Especially as the dock for the Switch 2 comes with a built-in Ethernet port, removing the need to purchase awkward adapters.
This could open up opportunities to a lot more players, considering the Switch 2 is Nintendo’s fastest-selling console ever with 3.5 million sales in its first four days.
The release of the Switch 2 has also helped Street Fighter 6 reach the milestone of 5 million copies sold worldwide.
However, for offline LAN events like the Capcom Pro Tour Premier events and the eventual Capcom Cup, esports pros will likely stick to the PS5 and PC for peak performance.
Especially as the Switch 2 version of Street Fighter 6 doesn’t include the Input Delay Reduction option from other versions.
Street Fighter 6 has three types of control methods that can be used with the console’s new Joy-Cons.
Classic is the usual six-button setup, Modern allows for one-button special moves, and Dynamic offers AI-assisted attacks.
Fortunately for seasoned fighting game players, fight sticks can be connected to the Switch 2 for a much better experience.
Perhaps Nintendo will eventually follow in the footsteps of Sony, which recently announced its own dedicated PlayStation fight stick called Project Defiant.
It’s a great time for fighting game players right now with announcements of Invincible VS and Marvel Tōkon stealing hype from Riot Games’ 2XKO.
In my seven years of esports writing, I’ve introuduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I’m most proud of the latter.
