Nintendo has revealed that the long-awaited Switch 2 console, its successor to the phenomenally successful Nintendo Switch, will launch on June 5 2025 for $450, with its key launch game being Mario Kart World, a new open-world entry in the beloved kart racing series.
Like the original, the Switch 2 remains a hybrid device, capable of on-the-go gaming in handheld form, and connecting to a big screen TV at home. However, it’s bringing several key improvements over its predecessor.
After an initial reveal back in January 2025, which itself followed months of leaks, we now know that the Switch 2 will boast a larger 7.9-inch screen in handheld mode. Disappointingly, it’s a return to an LCD display after the gorgeous OLED model for the original Switch, but it does see a bump in native resolution to 1080p and offers HDR for supported games. It’s also capable of a frame rate up to 120fps, though this will again depend on the game.
Audio gets a boost too, with improved speakers, support for 3D audio (via headphones, although a system update is planned to offer support for this through the in-built speakers), and a microphone is built into the top of the console. Despite the bump in screen size and the addition of that mic, the handheld remains only 13.9-mm thick, though no mention was made of its weight.
The console itself also boasts two USB-C ports, one on the top and one on the bottom. The latter will connect to the new dock—more on that in a second—while the top one can be used to either charge the console when used in handheld mode (a small but welcome improvement for anyone who’s struggled to balance holding the Switch with a charger coming out of the base) or to connect peripherals.
The controllers are similarly revised, with the newly-dubbed Joy-Con 2 controllers connecting via “strong magnets”, with a release button to disconnect them. Confirming long-standing rumors, they’ll also be able to be used as mouse controllers, while the SL/SR shoulder buttons incorporated onto them are now larger and easier to press when used as a single controller. Thumbsticks are also larger than before.
The right-hand Joy-Con 2 also sees the addition of a “C” button, which will be used to bring up audio controls, allowing users to access new GameChat features using the mic. GameChat will allow users to speak openly, with noise cancelling tech cutting out background noise, while a new camera peripheral will allow on-screen group playing.
The “C” button will also make an appearance on a new Switch 2 Pro controller, a more “conventional” joypad akin to an Xbox or PS5 controller. It’s worth noting that those GameChat features will be require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, though. Nintendo will also introduce a dedicated, wireless GameCube controller for use with classic games from that console coming to Nintendo Switch Online (but more on that in a moment).
The Switch 2 Dock isn’t a huge overhaul at a glance, but it does boost the Switch 2’s output when connecting to a television. Nintendo says it will allow for up to 4K output and retain HDR support, but doesn’t clarify if this is achieved via upscaling or if it has some added oomph built in. The dock now also includes a fan, for built-in cooling to improve system performance.
Nintendo was cagey on more specific specs though. While it confirmed on-board storage would leap to 256GB—eight times more than the base original Switch model—and that it would be “faster” for reading and writing data, no mention was made of the Switch 2’s processor, amount of RAM, or other hardware metrics. We’ll bring you more info on this as soon as we have it.
The only other key hardware spec was in relation to Switch 2 Game Carts—again, “faster” than those of Switch 1, and now in red to make them stand apart—and that the console will only support microSD Express format cards for storage expansion. That means that you won’t be able to swap other MicroSD card formats directly from your original Switch into the Switch 2—you’ll need to use the System Transfer tool.
New Games
Nintendo also made quite a splash with just what you’ll be playing on the Switch 2 come June 5. Mario Kart World is likely to make the biggest impression—its predecessor Mario Kart 8 has been a huge success on both the Wii U and Nintendo Switch, but the new game looks to be a significant evolution of the series. The gameplay footage shows hints of new tracks and power-ups, but it’s the move to an open-world, globe-trotting racing adventure that will most shake things up. As well as the dedicated, on-track races, players will be able to freely drive around the world for the first time. The game will also support up to 24 players in multiplayer races, the most in the series’ history.
Also particularly noteworthy was the reveal of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a playable how-to guide through all of the new console features. It looks to be as educational as it is entertaining—finally explaining how magnets work—and highlights the potential of the Joy-Con 2s being able to utilize a combination of mouse and gyroscopic controls. Oddly, it’s a paid download title though, rather than an included title akin to Sony’s built-in Astro Bot games that have introduced players to unique hardware features. Unless it’s extremely cheap, this may be little more than a curiosity.
One of the most interesting reveals was Drag X Drive, which looks like Rocket League meets wheelchair basketball. Set for release in summer 2025, it uses both Joy-Cons as mouse controllers at the same time. It’s also shaping up to be a great bit of representation of disability in gaming, with each team of three players racing around a court in hi-tech sporting chairs.
Other first party games include Kirby AirRiders, directed by Super Smash Bros. maestro Masahiro Sakurai. It’s a sequel to a 2005 GameCube release, and is set for launch later in 2025. Elsewhere, Donkey Kong Bananza (get it?) sees the return of Nintendo’s great ape, now in an open world adventure with at least the occasional 2D level, like Donkey Kong Country. Bananza emphasises DK’s strength, with him able to rip chunks out of the very world around him, and showcases his new character design, first spotted in Mario Kart World. It’s a July 17 release for this one.
Nintendo also has a huge amount of third-party dev support going into Switch 2. The reveal highlighted dozens of games coming to the console, with the likes of Split Fiction, Hitman: World of Assassination Signature Edition, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Deltarune, Square Enix’s classic JRPG Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, and Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition all launching alongside the console. Some third party launch games, like Civilization VII and Hogwarts Legacy will make use of the new Joy Con 2 features (mouse controls on Civ VII is fitting).
Other titles coming to Switch 2 later include Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Hades II, Street Fighter 6 (which will feature 26 fighters, amiibo support, and also use unique Switch 2 controls), a new Daemon x Machina, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade—along with a tease that the rest of the FF7 remake trilogy will be coming—and Hollow Knight Silksong. Sports fans will eat well too, with EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, WWE 2K, NBA 2K and Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 3+4 to look forward to, the latter set for release some time in the summer.
Perhaps the biggest third party tease was that of IO Interactive’s unnamed “Project 007“, a James Bond title. There’s no release date even hinted at for that one, nor confirmation it’s a Switch 2 exclusive, but given Nintendo’s long association with the British super-spy thanks to the iconic GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64, it’s fitting that whatever the game is will make an appearance on Nintendo’s new console.
Nintendo also revealed Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, developed with Koei Tecmo. Unlike the earlier Hyrule Warriors games, this one looks to have far more canonical importance to The Legend of Zelda series, with its events said to lead into Tears of the Kingdom. This crossover effort only gets a “winter” release window though.
The third-party carousel ended with the surprise announcement of The Duskbloods, a brand new game from Elden Ring developer From Software, directed by that game’s Hidetaka Miyazaki. A vampiric action game set in a steampunk city, it’s a visual departue for the studio, but looks fantastic. More interesting is that this is set to be a Switch 2 exclusive when it launches in 2026. The Duskbloods’ darker tone, and its placement as the big, final third-party game announcement of the stream, also hints at Nintendo being more comfortable in positioning the Switch 2 as a console that caters to older players as much as families.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
