Nintendo’s long-awaited successor to the Switch launches June 5 and starts at $449.
During an hour-long reveal event on April 2, Nintendo finally revealed a whole boatload of details about its new gaming console, including price, release date, tech specs, and some of the launch lineup. The Nintendo Switch 2 boasts enhanced visuals in handheld and TV mode, more storage for your games and save files, and dramatically expanded online and social features. And it’ll still play all your old Switch 1 games. Sadly, it’s more expensive than the old one, starting at $449. But you’ll finally be able to play Elden Ring and Madden on a Nintendo handheld. And it’s coming out sooner than you may have hoped, on June 5.
Here’s a rundown of some of the coolest stuff we learned about Nintendo’s newest console.
Nintendo Switch 2 price
If you just want the console, it’s $449. If you want the new Mario Kart too, it’s $499. Who doesn’t like Mario Kart?! Just get the second one. Pre-orders open on April 9.
Mario Kart World’s expansive map, full of tracks to explore.
New Mario Kart
We already knew Nintendo was planning to release a new iteration of its beloved racer, and now it has a name. Mario Kart World allows you to roam courses freely without getting scooped up and placed back on the track, which means there’ll be loads of secrets and shortcuts to uncover. The game also boasts new characters and tracks, changing weather and time of day on courses, a photo mode, and more robust online features for playing with friends near and far. It launches the same day as the console, June 5.
Using the Switch 2 camera with Mario Party Jamboree
Expanded online features
Ever since Nintendo offered a first glimpse of its new hardware a few months back, speculation has run rampant about the Switch 2’s C button. Now we know it stands for Chat. Nintendo’s new Game Chat system uses built-in microphones in the Joy-Con controllers and Switch 2 dock to allow you to chat while playing games with friends and family—no headset required. The Switch 2 camera—sold separately for $49—enhances the experience with video chat functionality. (If you already have a USB-C camera, it may be compatible, which is a nice option.)
Will it all be as boomer-friendly as Wii Sports? That remains to be seen. But as someone who tends to avoid online gaming due to the many obnoxious weirdos it attracts, this seems like an appealing and approachable way to connect with friends and family.
Hardware improvements
Nintendo Switch 2 looks an awful lot like the old Switch, save for a few rounded edges and a softened color palette here and there. But the screen is quite a bit bigger, now 7.9 inches from the original’s 6.2 inches. The handheld doesn’t have an OLED screen option (yet), but it will offer 4K resolution when plugged into the dock, a significant visual improvement from the previous hardware.
The notoriously trouble-prone Joy-Con controllers also get an upgrade, with magnetic connections, larger control sticks, and mouse controls for certain games. (Dare we dream of a new Mario Paint?) A new Pro Controller with Game Chat functionality and an audio jack will also launch on June 5.
One slightly annoying “improvement” to note: your old Micro SD card will not work on Switch 2. The new hardware is only compatible with Micro SD Express, though you can transfer your old game files and between consoles wirelessly. Switch 2 comes with more storage than the original (256 GB vs 32GB), so you can probably get away with waiting for a sale.
Enhanced editions of your fave games
Nintendo’s games age better than most, and the company’s made a longstanding habit of rereleasing gussied-up versions of its most beloved titles on its latest hardware. Switch 2 continues the tradition with content expansions and visual upgrades for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Mario Party Jamboree, and both Switch Zelda games: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
If you already own the Switch 1 version, you can purchase an upgrade pack rather than a whole new game. No word on pricing for those upgrades yet, but we’d expect anywhere between $10 and $20 depending on how much new content’s included.
Major franchises finally come to Nintendo
Even though the Switch is the most popular gaming console, some visually intensive games simply can’t run on its older hardware. That’s meant Nintendo players have missed out on some major franchises in recent years. But that’s changing with Switch 2, because a number of major blockbusters are heading to the new console later this year, including Elden Ring, Madden, NBA 2K, Cyberpunk 2077, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
New games
While Nintendo’s presentation mostly focused on the new hardware and enhancements to existing titles, there were a handful of exciting new game reveals in the mix. For all the Zelda-heads, there’s a hack-n’-slash Tears of the Kingdom spinoff called Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Industry darling FromSoftware announced a Switch 2-exclusive multiplayer game called The Duskbloods, helmed by Elden Ring and Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and out next year.
Rather unexpectedly, Nintendo also revealed a second racing game, Kirby Air Riders, directed by Smash Bros. visionary Masahiro Sakurai. It’s a revival of a 2003 GameCube game and due out sometime in 2025. Finally, Donkey Kong Bananza (get it?) capped off the show, a 3D platformer centered around everyone’s favorite business-casual gorilla. It features some seriously impressive destructive environments and looks like a heck of a good time. It’s out July 17.
