Nintendo squashes Switch 2 DS dreams, confirms Switch 2's top USB-C port can't output video

The Switch 2 has a second USB-C port at the top, but it's not for video output.

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As the name suggests, Nintendo's new Switch 2 is basically a new-and-improved Switch. The device makes some major quality-of-life changes like a sturdier kickstand, snap-on magnetic controllers (that now incidentally cost $95 a pair), and a second USB port on the top so gamers can charge while in Tabletop Mode.

That extra USB-C port sparks all kinds of possibilities for extra attachments for the Switch 2, maybe even a second screen, whether it be a clamshell-style mini panel like the DS or a larger portable LCD screen. Nintendo has since confirmed the top USB-C port is only for charging and interfacing with other accessories like the Nintendo Camera. Video output is reserved for the port on the bottom--this port uses a process called DisplayPort Alternate Mode to deliver video signals through USB-C.

The designers of the Switch 2 over at Nintendo have recently confirmed the status of the top USB-C port.

In a Q&A session with Japanese media, Switch 2 hardware producer Kouichi Kawamoto told GNN News:

GNN News: Switch 2 has two USB-C ports. Can both USB-C ports output images? I have used devices that can output to display glasses on other PC handhelds. Does Switch 2 support this kind of accessory? Or other devices with high bandwidth output?

Kawamoto: These headsets are not official Nintendo products, so we cannot guarantee support. The video output of Switch 2 is limited to the USB-C port at the bottom; the USB-C at the top cannot output images.

The glasses that GNN is referring to are something like Lenovo's Legion Glasses, which can create a big-screen theater effect for gaming when hooked up to the Legion Go handheld.