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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Review: Sony Has Serious Competition

Bose’s new flagship QC Ultra Headphones make a very compelling alternative to both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.

Back in 2015, Bose released a set of wired earbuds called the SoundTrue Ultra Earbuds that were among my favorite sounding Bose products. They were discontinued a few years ago, but Bose has brought back the Ultra name for its new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds ($299) and Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones, which I’m reviewing here. At $429 (£450, AU$649), the latter are Bose’s most expensive headphones to date. 

Not surprisingly, they’re very good. But are they better than Sony’s WH-1000XM5, Apple’s AirPods Max and some other «premium» noise-canceling headphones in this price range? Let’s get right into the review so I can try to answer that for you.

Bose QC Ultra Headphones design

The QC Ultra Headphones’ design is totally new. It’s sort of a cross between Bose’s previous flagship model, the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the QuietComfort 45s, which have morphed into a new $350 model that Bose has simply named the QuietComfort Headphones.

The Headphones 700 had some metal parts, but the QC Ultra Headphones incorporate an aluminum yoke and arms that slide into the headband. Another upgrade is their dual-hinge design so they both fold up and fold flat, which allows them to have a smaller carrying case than the Headphones 700 and the Sony WH-1000XM5s, both of which only fold flat. Just be careful not to get your finger caught in the Ultra’s hinge, which I did a couple of times and got an unpleasant pinch. 

The headphones feel durable and are surprisingly lightweight at 254 grams, just a couple of grams more than the Headphones 700. The Sony WH-1000XM5 weigh 249 grams, while the much heavier AirPods Max tip the scales at 385 grams.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have a mix of physical buttons and touch controls
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have a mix of physical buttons and touch controls

Bose reps told me the QC Ultras are designed to fit a wider range of head types and like other Bose headphones, they’re quite comfortable to wear. They did clamp slightly more than the Sonys, but I was able to wear them for a couple of hours straight without a problem. Like other over-ear headphones, they will steam up your ears if you wear them around in warm environments. It’s also worth mentioning that the black version of the headphones can end up showing some smudges if you have any grime on your hands or just have oily skin. The white smoke version doesn’t. 

I like their controls. The QC Ultra Headphones feature a mix of physical control buttons along with a raised capacitive touch volume strip on the right ear cup that’s easy to reach and use by feel alone. 

The main multifunction button on the headphones allows you to pause and play your audio with a single tap, skip tracks forward with a double tap and skip them back with a triple tap. Holding the button down lets you toggle through full noise canceling, an awareness mode and an immersion mode that activates full noise canceling along with Bose’s new spatial audio feature with head tracking that it calls Immersive Audio.

There’s also a touch-and-hold gesture for the volume strip that’s customizable as a shortcut. You can choose to map it to one of four functions: hear battery level, change Immersive Audio (cycle through still, motion and off settings), access your voice assistant and resume Spotify.

Bose QC Ultra Headphones features

While Bose mentions that both this over-ear Ultra model and its new QC Ultra Earbuds feature «world-class noise cancellation» — and they certainly do — the real feature it’s hyping this go-round is Immersive Audio, its custom version of spatial audio. Bose says Immersive Audio «goes beyond special effects and creates a wider, more spacious soundstage so your content becomes multi-dimensional and layered, regardless of the audio platform or device.»

Like other headphones that feature spatial audio — Apple’s latest AirPods, for instance — the QC Ultra Headphones and QC Ultra Earbuds have two spatial audio modes: one «still» mode without head-tracking engaged and a «motion» mode that uses head-tracking and allows the audio to «move with you, so it’s always in front of you.» Bose says it works with movies and any stereo track, but it’s really designed for music listening. 

Using the Immersive Audio feature does widen the soundstage, creating the illusion that your audio is more outside your head. It works better with some tracks than others, but it does open the sound a bit, giving it an airier quality. 

The Bose QC Ultra Headphones have a dual hinge design and fold up and flat
The Bose QC Ultra Headphones have a dual hinge design and fold up and flat

Most people will probably choose to mostly leave it on, but the downside is that engaging it does impact battery life significantly. The headphones are rated for up to 24 hours of battery life at moderate volumes levels with noise canceling on. But the number dips to 18 hours with Immersive Audio engaged.

The aware mode is equivalent to Apple’s transparency mode, and it sounds quite natural with almost no audible hiss. There’s also a new ActiveSense feature that kicks in some ANC should the sound get too loud around you (a horn blast, for instance, or a construction worker’s jack hammer). That’s similar to the AirPods Pro 2’s Adaptive Audio feature that isn’t available for the AirPods Max because it requires Apple’s H2 chip, which isn’t present in that model.

As I said, holding down the multifunction button allows you to toggle through three sound modes. I mentioned the default sound modes, but you can add additional sound modes in the app and then designate three of them as favorites so you can easily toggle through them. When creating a sound mode, you simply customize the level of noise canceling you want (anywhere from none to max) and decide whether you want Immersive Audio (still or motion) activated and wind noise reduction on or off. You can also tweak the sound profile with the app’s equalizer. 

Thanks to wear sensors in the ear cups, when you take the headphones off your ears, your audio will pause and resume playback when you put them back on. Beyond that, if you set your headphones down somewhere and forget to turn them off, they’ll go into a sleep mode to conserve battery life. You also have them completely turn off after a set period of time. The default setting is 24 hours, but you can change that in the Bose Music app to as little as five minutes. That sleep mode is similar to the AirPods Max’s power saving features.

Wearing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in New York City

While the QC Ultra Earbuds still lack multipoint Bluetooth pairing — Bose is still working on adding that feature — which allows you to connect to two devices simultaneously and switch audio between them, both the QC Ultra Headphones and QC Headphones have it. I was able to switch back and forth between the audio on an iPhone 14 Pro and an Android device without any issue. The headphones will also pair with your computer, but computer Bluetooth audio can be more finicky, especially with older Windows PCs and Macs. 

The QC Ultra Headphones and QC Ultra Earbuds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, while the new QC Headphones use Bluetooth 5.1 and lack Bose’s Immersive Audio feature. 

Finally, both the Ultra models are LE Audio ready, which means they can be upgraded via a firmware update to include LE Audio features such as Auracast that would allow you to tune into audio broadcasts over Bluetooth, say from a TV at your gym. The LE Audio standard also includes support for the LC3 audio codec.

Modest improvements to already very good sound quality

I spent some time comparing the sound quality of the QC Ultra Headphones to that of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and AirPods Max. While the QC Ultra Headphones have the same drivers as the Headphones 700, the Ultras’ sound has improved from the 700’s. It’s not a huge improvement, but the Ultras’ seem slightly cleaner sounding and more revealing, with deep but well-defined bass. Since they feature the same drivers, most of the audio quality gains come from a more powerful chipset, which has improved digital processing power. Bose also has a feature that optimizes the sound for your particular ears.

Both the Sony XM5 and AirPods Max are excellent sounding headphones and sound quality is subjective, as everybody has different ears and different musical tastes. But I’d say this Bose is a touch ahead of both the Sony and the AirPods Max for sound quality. The Sony has a slightly warmer sound profile, and the Bose just comes across as slightly more natural sounding than the AirPods Max. By that I mean it sounds slightly more accurate. 

The QC Ultra Headphones go into a sleep mode when you take them off your head

Using the Immersive Audio mode does open up the sound, giving it an airier quality. Everything sounds a little more dynamic and vocals come forward a bit and there’s a bit more separation between instruments with more sparkle in the treble. When you switch back to stereo mode, everything sounds a little duller. You ears eventually adjust and you don’t notice as much, but the natural tendency will be for people to engage the Immersive Audio (whether you choose the still or motion mode is another matter). 

For testing, I mainly leave the equalizer at the default flat setting. It’s only a three-band equalizer — you can choose from a few presets or adjust the sliders yourself. Ideally it would be a five-band equalizer, but in years past, Bose didn’t allow you to adjust the sound (there was just the Bose signature sound), so having even this amount of control is a big plus. 

The headphones are fairly well-balanced in the default setting. Like Beats, Bose used to get criticized for having some bass push, but that’s not the case anymore. The bass is powerful but not overpowering and it remains tight, even at higher volumes. 

I used a few streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify and Qobuz to listen to tracks and I also plugged the headphone cable in to have a listen in wired mode, both with and without a headphone amp. I didn’t really notice a bump in sound in wired mode, but I need to run some more tests to be sure. 

I listened to an eclectic mix of music. Tracks included Spoon’s Knock Knock Knock, Athletes of God’s Don’t Wanna Be Normal, Orbital’s Dirty Rat, Bjork’s Hollow, Drake’s Passionfruit, Pixies’ Vault of Heaven, Florence and The Machine’s Choreomania and various Foo Fighters tracks. The headphones seem well-suited for listening to a variety of music genres. 

What I don’t like

I was slightly disappointed the headphones don’t feature USB-C audio. You get a headphone cable for wired listening, which will come in handy for air travel. But with most smartphones now missing a headphone jack, it’d be nice to be able to plug a USB-C cable directly into your phone and have an all-digital wired connection for listening to lossless audio tracks. The Beats Studio Pro and some other headphones offer that feature. And now Android devices and the latest iPhones have USB-C connectivity.

I have one other small gripe. Bose has been using Qualcomm chipsets in its recent headphones, and it says both new QC Ultra models feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite (QCC5181 chipset) and have support for the aptX Adaptive audio codec, including lossless and low-latency capabilities for Android and other devices that offer aptX compatibility. There’s also Swift Pair for Android, while Apple users get the AAC audio codec, which is also compatible with Android devices. But I had some problems getting aptX to work because it turns out that some leading Android smartphone manufacturers, including Google and Samsung, have stopped paying the licensing fees for aptX.

I paired the headphones with a Google Pixel 7, which supports aptX audio, but it defaulted to the AAC audio code for HD Audio even after I accessed developer mode. (With Android devices, you sometimes have to turn on developer mode to gain access to additional audio codecs.) When I paired them with a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, which is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the same thing happened. However, when I connected them to an Asus ROG Phone 6, another Snapdragon-enabled phone, I was able use aptX Adaptive. This inconsistent support is more of a Qualcomm problem than a Bose problem (how can a phone that uses Qualcomm’s top Snapdragon chipset not also support aptX?), but it does impact folks who buy these headphones expecting them to support aptX streaming when in fact it’s not supported by market-leading Android handsets like Samsung’s Galaxy devices.

Great noise canceling and excellent voice-calling performance 

I’ll finish by talking about the noise canceling and voice-calling performance. As I said, Bose isn’t talking up the noise canceling as much as it usually does. Maybe that’s because it’s as good as it is and speaks for itself. You can argue over whether Sony or Bose has better noise canceling — and Apple’s is also excellent — but I wore these in the raucous streets of New York and the headphones really muffled everything around me, including people’s voices. It’s top-notch.

Voice-calling performance is also excellent. I was told they have five microphones in each earcup (four external and one inside the earcup) that help drive both the noise-canceling and voice-calling performance. While I was slightly disappointed with how much background noise the QC Ultra Earbuds let in, that wasn’t an issue with these full-size Ultras. Even in noisy environments, callers said they heard only minimal background noise while my voice came through clearly. 

If you want to get a sense of the QC Ultra Headphones’ voice-calling performance, I show a test call in my companion video review of these headphones, so check that out. 

Why should I get these instead of the AirPods Max?

The AirPods Max are excellent headphones with a uniquely premium design that I rated highly and continue to recommend despite their elevated price. That said, they obviously appeal only to Apple users, while headphones like the Bose QC Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 are more platform-agnostic and have a appeal for both iOS and Android users.

It’s also worth noting that the AirPods Max are almost three years old and are probably due for an upgrade in the coming year. And while they’re surprisingly comfortable given how much they weigh, they’re still pretty heavy and don’t come with a headphone cable for wired listening (you have to purchase the cable separately). On top of that, the QC Ultra Headphones’ case is better than the controversial case that’s included with AirPods Max. The Bose also has slightly better noise canceling and may also have a slight edge for sound quality, depending on your audio tastes. And the Bose does cost a little less. 

Why should I get these instead of the Sony WH-1000XM5?

This a bit of a trickier question because I still like the WH-1000XM5s a lot — we gave them an Editors’ Choice award in 2022. The Sony is arguably a touch more comfortable than the Bose and also features excellent sound, great noise canceling and best-in-class voice-calling performance. But the Bose headphones both fold up and fold flat, so their carrying case is smaller, and the Bose arguably has slightly better sound and perhaps a touch better noise canceling. I think the Sony has a slight edge for voice calling but it’s not by much.

I prefer that the Sony has support for Sony’s LDAC audio codec (rather than aptX) and like Sony’s Speak-to-Chat feature that automatically pauses your audio and puts the headphones in transparency mode when you talk to someone, enabling you to have a conversation without taking your headphones off. Apple brought a similar feature to the AirPods Pro 2 — it calls the feature Conversation Awareness — but not the AirPods Max.

Bose’s companion app is more user-friendly than Sony’s, and the new Immersive Audio feature does offer some sound enhancements. How much is debatable, but it’s better than than Sony’s 360 Reality Audio simply because it works with any stereo tracks — not just tracks encoded for 360 Reality Audio.

When all is said and done, the Bose has the slight edge in my book, but the Sony will get the better discounts because it’s been on the market for more than a year and will hold a price advantage over the Bose until it also goes on sale. 

Bose QC Ultra Headphones final thoughts

Despite the fact that Bose made a bad decision when it moved away from its QuietComfort branding in 2019 when it released the poorly named Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, that headphone does have a lot of fans. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones may not be a huge upgrade over the 700 (it has the same drivers after all), it does offer some meaningful improvements both in terms of its design and performance. If I were a 700 owner, I wouldn’t be in a rush to run out in buy if my headphones were still in good condition, but I’d certainly be tempted to upgrade if and when the Ultras go on sale. 

I do think the QC Ultra Headphones are a compelling alternative to the Sony WH-1000XM5s and Apple AirPods Max, and also hold a slight edge over such premium models as the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2E ($400), another very good set of headphones. If these models are a little out of your price range, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, which have dipped to as low as $250 in a sale, are an option. So, too, are the Beats Studio Pro, which dropped to $180 for fall Prime Day and should see discounts during the holidays.

But if you’re looking for the best noise-canceling headphones, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones are certainly at or near the top of the heap, even with their small downsides. Hopefully, over time they’ll get even better with a few firmware upgrades.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Everything We Know About the Console, New Games, Release Date

The $450 console will get Mario Kart World at launch, 4K gaming when docked, Switch 2 Edition game enhancements and new mouse controls.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday morning as part of the company’s Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs, and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities. 

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them. 

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan. 

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series. 

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode. 

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera. 

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2. 

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

  • Borderlands 4
  • Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
  • Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
  • Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
  • Deltarune
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Drag x Drive
  • EA Sports FC
  • EA Sports Madden NFL
  • Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
  • Enter the Gungeon 2
  • Fast Fusion
  • Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
  • Fortnite
  • Hades 2
  • Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
  • Hogwarts Legacy
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
  • Kirby Air Riders
  • Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
  • Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
  • Mario Kart World
  • Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  • NBA 2K
  • Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
  • Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
  • Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  • Project 007
  • Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
  • Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  • Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  • Split Fiction
  • Star Wars Outlaws
  • Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
  • Street Fighter 6
  • Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
  • Survival Kids
  • The Duskbloods
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
  • WWE 2K
  • Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.

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Technologies

Which Nintendo Switch Accessories Will Work With the Nintendo Switch 2?

The next-gen Switch console has many physical changes, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to get rid of all your gear for the original Switch.

Nintendo detailed the highly anticipated Switch 2 on Wednesday. We still have to wait a few more months before we can actually get our hands on it — June 5, to be precise — but that gives us plenty of time to make sure we have all the extra accessories we’ll need. On the upside, many of the accessories for the original Nintendo Switch will work with the Switch 2, but some important ones won’t.

Controllers

Joy-Con

The Switch 2 will come with its own set of updated Joy-Cons, but you can still use the original ones. They won’t attach physically to the Switch 2, as the new Joy-Cons are larger and attach magnetically, but you can pair the original Joy-Cons wirelessly. That way, you can still play with your family and friends without buying extras.

Pro Controller

Nintendo’s excellent Pro Controller also got an upgrade for the Switch 2, but as with the Joy-Cons, the original Pro Controller will work fine with the Switch 2. It will pair wirelessly with the console and can be charged via a USB cable from the Switch 2 dock. The new Pro will have some decent upgrades, like enlarged buttons and triggers, GameCube-esque ergonomics, and programmable back paddles, but it will also cost $80, so if you don’t feel you need to upgrade, you won’t have to.

Other Nintendo controllers

Nintendo also clarified that all the wireless versions of the NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis controllers will work wirelessly with the Switch 2. However, it also said that not every game would be compatible, but we don’t know yet which games those would be. It’s probably safe to assume all games supporting those controllers (also compatible with the Switch 2) would work, but we’ll update this once we know more. 

Third-party controllers

This is the big question mark at the moment. We have not been able to confirm anything from either Nintendo or other controller manufacturers if third-party controllers will work with the Switch 2. I assume that since the original Pro Controller will work with the Switch 2, at the very least, officially licensed third-party controllers will work, but as of publish time, we have not had any confirmation about support for third-party controllers on the Switch 2. One vendor I spoke with confirmed it is currently in talks with Nintendo about compatibility but couldn’t share any details. 

MicroSD cards

One of the biggest (and most welcome) upgrades to the Switch 2 is an 8x increase in internal storage from 32GB to 256GB. That means a microSD is no longer an immediate must-have accessory. That’s also good because not every microSD card that worked with the original Switch will work with the Switch 2.

Nintendo specified that only microSD Express cards will work with Switch 2. You can still view screenshots and videos from your non-Express microSD cards, but you won’t be able to save or load games or save data to them. You can tell if your microSD card is Express because it will have a little EX printed on it. 

Bluetooth headphones

The original Nintendo Switch infamously did not have Bluetooth capabilities, so you had to plug in headphones or buy an adapter. Nintendo remedied this with updated Switch versions and kept that functionality for the Switch 2. That means all your favorite Bluetooth headphones should work just fine with your new Switch 2.

Docks

The Switch 2 dock is also getting a big upgrade. It’s larger with rounded corners and now supports 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, a welcome upgrade for a modern game console. That being said, for households with multiple Switch consoles and TVs, you may not want to buy extra Switch 2 docks to use around your home. 

However, Nintendo confirmed that the original Switch Dock is incompatible with the Switch 2, which also means it’s likely the original Switch will not work in the Switch 2 Dock. 

Third-party docks

Several docks not made by Nintendo work just fine with the first-generation Switch, so there’s no reason to expect they would not be compatible with the Switch 2 as long as they provide adequate power. However, once again, we’ve not had any confirmation, so we can’t say for sure. 

Chargers, cables and adapters

Chargers

The first-generation Switch was notoriously fickle with non-Nintendo chargers, particularly when docked, and the Switch 2 looks likely to continue that trend. The Switch 2 has a different power input from the original Switch so that the original Switch charger won’t work for TV mode with the Switch 2. You can still charge the Switch 2 with it by plugging it in directly, but that’s it. 

We also don’t know anything about third-party chargers for the Switch 2 yet. There were several that worked perfectly fine with the original Switch, but we don’t yet know the power draw of the Switch 2, so we can’t say for sure which chargers will work. Hopefully, we’ll find out more closer to launch, but for right now, the only charger that we know will work for TV mode with the Switch 2 is the charger that comes with it. 

Cables

The Switch 2 most likely supports HDMI 2.1, which means the HDMI cable that came with the original Switch won’t work. Nintendo has confirmed as much, though, as with most other accessories, it hasn’t given specifics as to whether third-party HDMI cables will work or not. We’ll have to wait to find out. The Switch 2 will have an HDMI cable, so at least there’s that. 

Adapters

Nintendo has confirmed that the only adapter that works with the Switch 2 is the GameCube Controller adapter. This lets you connect a wired GameCube controller to the Switch Dock, and Nintendo says it can be used in TV mode while connected to a Switch 2 Dock. We don’t know anything else about any other adapters at this time. 

Nintendo did give us quite a lot of information about the Switch 2 today, including the price, most of the key upgrades, and the launch date, but as you can see, there’s still a lot we don’t know. We’ll continue to update this list and our other coverage of the Nintendo Switch 2 as we learn more. 

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Technologies

Save Up to 20% on Your Phone Plan Thanks to Ultra Mobile’s Spring Sale

Need to lower your monthly phone bill? Switching to Ultra Mobile could be a wise decision. We’ll explain why.

If you’re looking for more ways to decrease your spending, switching to a cheaper phone plan could be just the ticket. Many cellphone providers lavish perks on new clients, so making the switch could be a smart financial decision. For those looking for a new cellphone plan, we’re glad to announce that Ultra Mobile is offering up to 20% off on select phone plans until May 18.

Ultra Mobile is also offering 10% off its three- and six-month contracts as a part of this deal. These discounts are available for deals providing 5GB, 10GB or 15GB of data per month. The carrier also has two Unlimited Plans you can choose from to nab this discount. Note: Ultra Mobile has a Talk & Text plan and a 3GB plan, but they aren’t currently eligible for any discounts.

The biggest savings right now are for 12-month plans. You can save 20% on Ultra Mobile 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, Ultra Unlimited and Unlimited Plus Plans. The Ultra Unlimited plan includes unlimited 5G, 4G and LTE data, international calls to more than 90 countries, unlimited national and global texts and a $5 credit for international calls and roaming per month. You’ll also get 10GB of hotspot data per month.

The Unlimited Plus Plan includes 20GB of hotspot data, as well as all the aforementioned features. You’ll also get a $10 credit for international calls and a $10 credit for roaming per month. Keep in mind that your device and SIM must be compatible with Ultra Mobile, so make sure to confirm that before making the switch. Finally, these are prepaid plans, which means up-front payment is required.

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Looking for a new phone plan but aren’t sure if this deal is for you? We have the best cheap phone plans and the best family phone plans lists so you can find what works for you.

Why this deal matters

Your phone bill can strain your monthly budget, but prepaid plans like these are a great way to save. Ultra Mobile’s plans are already relatively inexpensive, but these deals can shave 10% to 20% off per month. Though three- and six-month plans are available, its biggest savings are on 12-month plans.

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