Nintendo unveiled new details on Wednesday about its hugely anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console, which will be the company’s first new console since the Nintendo Switch was introduced in 2017.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will be released on June 5 and cost $450.
At launch, the console will arrive both on its own and as part of a bundle with Mario Kart World, a new game for the Switch 2.
What will the Nintendo Switch 2 look like?
As its name suggests, the Switch 2 is an upgrade on the Nintendo Switch. It builds upon the existing design of the Switch, which can be played both on the go and at home on a TV screen.
The Switch 2 will be a larger console with a bigger screen (though there is still a bezel on the edges) and heftier Joy-Con controllers, which will also attach magnetically to the sides of the screen. The device has a 1080p LCD screen that supports up to 120fps, as well as HDR — that could be a disappointment for users who got accustomed to their upgraded OLED Nintendo Switches. The dock will support 4K, however.
Nintendo Switch 2 will have 256 GB of storage, which is 8x more storage than the previous model, where even casual gamers usually had to buy a microSD card to get more storage. It will also only support microSD express cards for additional storage, however, which are a new kind of microSD card.
The back of the device has a sturdier stand for positioning the device upright. The body has USB-C charging ports on the top and bottom of the device. (The top seems intended for the Nintendo Switch Camera, but it’s also a better-located charging port.)
The classic colorway for the Nintendo Switch 2 is matte black with light red and blue accents on each respective Joy-Con, nodding to its previous design but in a sleeker format. But we’re willing to wager that Nintendo will let you buy as many Joy-Cons as you want in every color you can imagine — and hopefully, this time around, there’s not a drift issue.
The Joy-Cons will also function like a computer mouse for compatible games. With the gyroscope features, players can have more control over motion controls.
To get users acquainted with the new Nintendo Switch 2 functions, there will be a Welcome Tour game that explains the device, and it’ll cost money, which is probably better spent on Mario Kart World.
To sweeten the deal, Nintendo Online will now allow players to revisit GameCube games, in addition to its existing ports of Nintendo 64 and Game Boy games, including Fire Emblem Path of Radiance, Super Mario Strikers, Luigi’s Mansion, Pokémon XD, and others. Some titles will be available the day the Switch 2 comes out, along with a remade GameCube controller — which, don’t worry, comes with a C button.
What is the C button on the Nintendo Switch 2?
Many fans theorized about a C button that appears on the Joy-Cons, which Nintendo confirmed today to be GameChat, a feature that allows you to communicate with friends while playing the game.
Your voice is recognized by a microphone in the system, supposedly making it possible to hear people if they’re in a loud room. Users can also share their game screens within the console, even if they are playing different games. (Watch out, Discord.) However, in the demo, the footage of another player’s game screen appeared a bit choppy.
The right Joy-Con has another C button that can be used for other chat functions, including muting your microphone if you need to do something else.
GameChat will be available for all users until March 31, 2026, but after that, you will need to have a paid online membership to use it. Nintendo briefly mentioned that parental controls will be accessible on GameChat, but didn’t provide further details.
What hardware launches with the Nintendo Switch 2?
Nintendo announced the Nintendo Switch Camera, which can attach to the console and transpose your face on top of your game, perfect for GameChat.
Nintendo showed an example of the camera in which people play Mario Party together, and players’ faces appear in speech bubbles next to their characters, showing their reactions to the games. These new features will be backward-compatible with certain games, including Mario Party Jamboree.
Of course, there will also be a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, which includes the new C button.
Which games will be available for Nintendo Switch 2?
At the outset, Nintendo already confirmed that a new, exclusive Mario Kart game will launch on the same day as the Switch 2, called Mario Kart World.
Mario Kart World seems like it’s Nintendo’s interpretation of an open-world Mario game. There’s a large map of various regions and courses, but in a free drive mode, you can drive around wherever you may please — in single or multi-player — without the threat of a red shell lurking around every corner.
The Switch 2 will support games from other developers — some in development and others already released. These include Hades II, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Street Fighter, EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4, Yakuza 0, Borderlands 4, Enter the Gungeon 2, Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition, a Final Fantasy VII remake, Silksong, and others. Deltarune’s new chapters 3 and 4 will be available the day the Switch 2 is released.
There will also be a new game in the Zelda universe called Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which is a prequel to Tears of the Kingdom. It’s expected to come out this winter.
Kirby fans will rejoice at the news of a Kirby AirRiders, expected in 2025, which is a revamp of the original Kirby Air Ride GameCube game from 20 years ago. Donkey Kong Bananza, a new Switch 2 game, will launch on July 17, 2025.
FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods is in development for Nintendo Switch 2, where it will be released exclusively in 2026.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will allow players to purchase upgrades to existing games they have for the Switch, as well as games that have a special Switch 2 version, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends Z-A, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Mario Party Jamboree. However, these upgrades will be paid.
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