It’s no longer theory everyone – the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out THIS YEAR!
On Wednesday Nintendo in an hour long direct announced the details of the Switch 2, games and how they’re switching it up for this console.
The Nintendo Switch 2 releases on June 5th 2025. The US preorder date and prices have been with drawn and put on pause while changes to tariffs are put into place in the US. A bundle of the Switch 2 console and Mario Kart World is priced at £429.99 in the UK. Putting the Switch 2 at around the same price point as a PS5 but $200 less than a PS5 Pro.
More expensive than the original switch but still less than your other consoles. But what does it have that makes it worth almost $500 USD. The basics: in handheld mode the screen is 1080p at up to 120fps, which is insane considering the original switch struggled trying to do half of that. It’s HDR and when docked can play in up to 4K. The rumours we all called silly were true, Switch 2 is going to be 4K compatible. I’m shocked too. While we don’t know if it’ll manage those numbers in homes but that’s what the hardware is built to be able to do and handle. Games that have been announced to be playable and coming to Switch 2 give credit to this, with Elden Ring on Switch 2 confirmed during the Direct, Nintendo is joining the hardware competition that they’ve never been too bothered about until now.
Brace yourself for another shock. The sneaky C button on the right joy con that we weren’t sure about, it’s a voice chat function. Called GameChat, you can share your screen and use voice chat. With the addition of the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera (catchy name) you can video chat, streaming both game-play and your reaction to friends. The camera does cost extra, but voice chat and the microphone is built into the base system, these features are reliant on you having the Nintendo Switch Online subscription. For a limited time upon launch the online chat features will be open to everyone with the NSO requirement coming later in the console’s first year.
I am convinced we are getting DS games coming to Switch as ports or on the NSO soon. This has only be reaffirmed with Switch 2’s GameShare. This feature might sound familiar to the DS-era-diehards, GameShare allows you and another switch to play coop with only one copy of the game. There are updates coming soon to games like 51 World Wide Games, that will allow you to play in couch co-op together on separate systems with only one copy of the game.
Let’s talk joycons, finally! Nintendo was not simply teasing us in that original hardware trailer, the joycon controllers have mouse functionality. This functionality has been backed by PC game developers such Firaxis Games (Civilisation VI) and FromSoft with their Switch 2 exclusive Duskblood backing the Switch 2’s launch with their games. The tech has clearly been tested and approved of by devs that know how to use mouse controls, need to use them and makes the most of those functionalities. So there is the optimism to go with any caution you may have ideas about Nintendo and their hardware being outdated or behind competitors. Game developers for the Switch 2 are backing the tech.
Those are the main takeaways about the Switch 2 hardware announced in the Switch 2 Direct – Preorders open April 8th for non-US buyers on the Nintendo Store and across retailers. It will be on shelves and in homes on June 5th.
