After months of anticipation and years of speculation, Nintendo is finally spilling all the beans about the Switch 2.In a Nintendo Direct presentation, the company is filling in questions we've had about the console since it was first officially revealed in a short teaser this past January.Switch 2 launch date and pricingWe finally know when the console will be available: June 5, 2025.It'll cost $450 at launch, and pre-orders start on April 9.Switch 2 hardwareThe Switch 2 console has the same thickness but has a much larger display — 7.9 inches at a 1080p resolution, versus the 6.2-inch 720p screen on the old console.
And it runs at up to 120fps.It is an LCD display, rather than OLED, but it supports HDR at least.ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementAs expected, the new Joy-Con controllers attach magnetically and have much bigger SL and SR buttons for when you're playing on a single Joy-Con controller.The sticks are also bigger, and each Joy-Con can be used as a mouse on compatible games.The built-in stand looks much better than the ones on older Switch systems, and there are two USB-C ports on the console as well.
Nintendo also highlighted 3D audio when using compatible headphones, and the speakers on the console itself should be a lot better as well.The console has 256GB of storage, far surpassing the 32GB on the original model.The Switch 2 dock outputs at up to 4K with compatible games and the dock has a built-in fan to keep things cool when running at higher resolutions.Switch 2 is using similar game cards to the original Switch, but Nintendo notes that they're faster; you'll have to use microSD Express cards for extra storage this time though.
Standard microSD ones won't be compatible with the new hardware.A new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller will also be available with the C button to activate GameChat, and it also has GL and GR buttons on the back that you can assign to any specific actions.There's also a headphone jack, too.Voice and video chatThe first new feature Nintendo highlighted on its updated Joy-Con controllers was the C button.The C button lets you enter the new GameChat features.
You can voice chat while playing using a built-in microphone, even when the console is docked.It's the first time that a Nintendo system has had voice chat, and you can also share your game screen with friends as you play as well.For example, in Mario Kart this gives you more of a feel like you're all playing connected to a TV even though you're remote, because you can see everything that your friends are doing as well.ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementAnd the chat and screen-share features work even if you're all playing different games, so you can just get a group together to hang out while playing different titles.
There's also a Switch 2 camera that enables video chat that'll show you on screen while you're playing.These features will require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, but Nintendo will offer it for free to everyone until March 31, 2026.Mario Kart WorldAs expected, we're finally getting a new entry in the venerable Mario Kart series, It looks looks familiar while also showing off some wild new tricks, like skateboard-style grinds on rails and wall jumps.The courses also look much larger and wider than any we've ever seen before.
For the first time, it looks like there's an open world connecting all the various courses, and weather and time of day will change.Nintendo also says that you can go off-course and drive "virtually everywhere." And fitting those huge tracks, the Grand Prix will have 24 competitors in one race.Overall, it's a massive update which feels appropriate — the last Mario Kart game arrived way back in 2014 for the Wii U and was updated for the original Switch.It'll be out the same day as the Switch 2, June 5.Other games coming to Switch 2Nintendo ran down a handful of other games coming to the Switch 2, including , a new title called that uses the Switch 2 mouse controls in what looks like an extreme wheelchair sporting event, andADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementNintendo is also working on , which will be out this winter; it's being developed in with Koei Techmo games and will have the same combat-focused vibes as other Dynasty Warrior-style titles.From Software is also releasing a new game exclusively for the Switch 2 called in 2026.
It feels a like at first glance.Perhaps the biggest first-party game to be revealed today besides is a new 3D platformer starring Donkey Kong: It definitely has similar vibes to 3D Mario adventures, but in a totally new context.There's a laundry list of games that were mentioned today; Nintendo has helpfully pulled them together in this press release.Finally, Nintendo has announced that the Switch Online service will host another classic console, the GameCube.The initial game library includes and .For the first time on Nintendo's classic consoles through the Switch Online service, GameCube games will run at higher resolutions than the original titles.Nintendo Switch 2 edition gamesIn addition to games expressly designed for the Switch 2, Nintendo will also be releasing a "Switch 2 edition" for selected titles, like and Those titles will have improved resolutions and frame rates as well as new features that'll show up in a companion smartphone app.
Nintendo didn't say how much these upgrades would cost yet.is also getting a Switch 2 edition that adds an additional world to explore, while will have both a Switch and Switch 2 edition; the Switch 2 edition can run in 4K at 60fps or up to 120fps at a lower resolution.