After many months, if not years, of leaks and speculation, it’s finally official: Nintendo has announced and fully revealed its next console. It’s called Nintendo Switch 2, and as the name implies, it’s a very similar design to the Switch — a hybrid handheld console with detachable controllers that can be connected to a TV via a dock.
While it may seem an obvious move, the iterative system is an unusual strategy for Nintendo, which has often chosen to innovate with its new hardware, finding new control systems and new forms of play. But, with 150 million units sold after eight years on the market, the Switch is Nintendo’s second most successful gaming system ever (after the Nintendo DS), and the third-best-selling console of all time. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the company decided, for once, that its previous console design wasn’t broken and didn’t need fixing. Switch 2 also launches into a changed market, where players have come to expect that they will be able to carry their game libraries forward from one machine to another, which precluded a radical change.
Whether the Switch-owning masses will move over to Switch 2 is now less clear. Nintendo’s announced price for Switch 2, which starts at $449.99 ($150 more than the original Switch), and marquee games like Mario Kart World, which costs $79.99, means that upgrading could be prohibitively expensive for Nintendo fans (and parents of Nintendo fans).
Here’s everything we know — and everything we think we know — about Nintendo’s next console.
What is the latest Switch 2 news?
Nintendo announced key details like pricing, a release date, and a lineup of Switch 2-exclusive games in April during a Nintendo Direct showcase dedicated to its new console. The company also revealed a new Zoom-like video communication feature, GameChat, which is accessed by a new C button on the Joy Con 2 controllers and powered by a video camera and the Switch 2’s built-in microphone.
Those controllers also function like computer mice. Mouse controls be used in certain games like Drag x Drive, a wheelchair rugby sports game; Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, a first-person shooter-adventure; and strategy game Sid Meier’s Civilization 7.
Nintendo also announced a handful of new Switch 2 exclusive games, like 3D adventure Donkey Kong Bananza; Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a hack-and-slash prequel to Tears of the Kingdom; the virtual exhibition Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour; and something new from Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, The Duskbloods.
The company also confirmed enhanced versions of original Switch games for Switch 2. These Switch 2 Edition games offer improved visuals and, in some cases, new game content. Some Switch games will also just run better on Switch 2 by dint of the successor’s more powerful hardware.
Finally, Nintendo Switch Online is getting classic GameCube games, but only for subscribers of the premium Expansion Pack tier and only on Switch 2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2, and F-Zero GX have been confirmed for the classic game subscription service.
What is Switch 2’s release date?
Nintendo will release Switch 2 on June 5, 2025, the company announced in April.
What is Switch 2’s price?
Nintendo Switch 2 starts at $449.99. That price includes the system, a pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers, the Nintendo Switch 2 dock, an ultra high-speed HDMI cable, an AC adapter, and controller accessories. Nintendo is also selling a Nintendo Switch 2 bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World for $499.99.
International pricing for the base Switch 2 SKU is set at €469.99 for Europe, £395.99 in the U.K., and 49,980 yen in Japan.
At $449.99, that makes Switch 2 the most expensive Nintendo console at launch, not accounting for inflation. The Switch launched at $299 in 2017, and its official sticker price hasn’t dropped since. This is in line with the changing trends in pricing for many consumer electronics. Due to chip shortages, inflation, and the slowing pace of advances in tech, this generation of consoles has not come down in price the way previous generations did — so don’t expect big price drops for Switch 2, either.
With the Switch 2’s higher price, Nintendo will face uncomfortable comparisons to the new wave of PC handhelds (a Steam Deck OLED is $549; an Asus ROG Ally is $499) and risk pricing itself out of its traditional family market.
There is also the question of whether the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on many countries could impact the price of the Switch 2. The same day that Nintendo announced the Switch 2’s price and release date, the Trump administration announced sweeping tariffs on a number of countries, including Vietnam. Nintendo began manufacturing the Switch in Vietnam in 2019, during the last Trump administration’s trade feud with China, and has plans to ramp up production at a new factory there. Based on the brief, hourslong window between Nintendo’s announcement and the U.S. president’s massive new tariffs, Nintendo hasn’t had much time to respond to the proposed tariffs.
What games will Switch 2 have?
Nintendo announced a handful of first-party games and showcased an even longer list of Switch 2 games from third-party partners during a Nintendo Direct showcase in April.
- Mario Kart World is Nintendo’s flagship launch game for Switch 2. The follow-up to the bestselling Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will feature a huge roster of racers, up to 24 competitors per race, and a more open-world design, letting (and encouraging) racers to go off-track.
- Donkey Kong Bananza, coming to Switch 2 in July, stars Donkey Kong in a new 3D action-adventure game that’s all about digging and destruction.
- Kirby Air Riders is a sequel to GameCube game Kirby Air Ride and is, once again, directed by Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai.
- Drag x Drive is a sports game based on wheelchair rugby (aka murderball) that shows off the mouse- and motion-control capabilities of the Joy-Con 2 controllers.
- Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a virtual tour of the Switch 2 hardware, presented like a teeny tiny museum.
- The Duskbloods is a new multiplayer action game from developer FromSoftware, and exclusive to Switch 2. It has strong Bloodborne vibes.
Nintendo also announced upgraded Switch 2 Edition versions of Switch games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Pokémon Legends Z-A, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Metroid Prime 4 will also get a native release on Switch and Switch 2.
Third parties will bring a long list of games, both new and old, to Switch 2. Big names coming to Switch 2 include Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Fortnite, Street Fighter 6, Star Wars Outlaws, Madden NFL, and NBA 2K.
Will Switch 2 be backward-compatible?
Yes, the Switch 2 will be backward-compatible! Before it even officially announced the Switch 2, Nintendo confirmed that Switch software “will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch.” It added that Nintendo Switch Online — the online multiplayer service that also includes a large catalog of retro games — will be available on the Switch 2, too. With many users hoping — or outright expecting — to carry forward their game libraries to Nintendo’s next console, as has become the norm with the latest generations of Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the news comes as a big relief.
That said, Nintendo did warn that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” Nintendo’s compatibility list shows that more than 180 Switch games may not play properly on Switch 2. The company also says that “free updates to improve playability on the Nintendo Switch 2 system will be released for select Nintendo Switch games,” so things could change before launch.
Nintendo Accounts will carry over to the new console, and Switch 2 owners should have access to original Switch software they currently own. Following Nintendo’s announcement of the new Virtual Game Card system, it now appears that the Switch 2 will support swapping Switch games with original Switch using this system.
Regarding hardware backward compatibility, Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with some Switch accessories, including the Pro Controller and Joy-Cons.
What new features does Switch 2 have?
As previously reported and now confirmed by Nintendo’s video, the Switch 2 features detachable Joy-Con controllers like the Switch. The Joy-Con 2 controllers attach magnetically, as opposed to sliding into rails on the Switch 2 body. It has been reported that the Joy-Con 2s also have more reliable Hall-effect sticks, something Nintendo has yet to confirmed. There’s a new square button on the right Joy-Con 2, the C button. The Joy-Con 2s also feature a small optical sensor on their inner edge that allows for mouse-like controls.
The console features a second USB-C port on its top, like the one on its lower edge for charging and connecting to its dock. This will allow it to be charged while it’s being used in tabletop mode, propped up on its new, U-shaped stand. But it could potentially be used to connect new accessories, like a camera or even a second screen.
How powerful will Switch 2 be? What are its tech specs?
Nintendo Switch 2 is powered by a “custom processor made by Nvidia,” Nintendo says. According to leaked details gleaned from the console’s motherboard, it’s supposedly utilizing a custom Tegra T239 processor — which should put the system on par, power-wise, with consoles like Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One.
Switch 2’s new screen is 7.9 inches, bigger than both the original Switch (6.2 inches) and the Switch OLED (7 inches). The new display also got a bump in resolution to 1080p (from 720p) and supports a variable refresh rate (VRR) up to 120 Hz. The system supports HDR10 support. When docked, Switch 2 can output resolutions up to 1440p at 120 Hz, and 4K at 60Hz.
Switch 2 has 256 GB of flash storage, considerably more than the original Switch’s 32 GB. Storage can be expanded with an SD card; Switch 2 supports up to 2 TB microSD Express cards, which offer much faster read speeds.
Switch 2’s battery will last around 2 to 6.5 hours depending on the games you play. That’s actually a tiny bit less than the launch Switch 1 models, which can run from 2.6 to 6.5 hours, and considerably less than the updated models that last 4.5 to 9 hours.
Can you pre-order Switch 2?
You will be able to pre-order Nintendo Switch 2 starting April 9.
When will Nintendo reveal more about Switch 2?
Nintendo will hold another Nintendo Direct presentation on April 17, an event dedicated to Switch 2 launch game Mario Kart World.
While it hasn’t announced one yet, Nintendo also typically holds a Nintendo Direct in mid-to-late June. If it follows tradition, there could be more Switch 2 games revealed this summer.
Nintendo will also hold Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events around the world throughout April, where members of the public will be able to go hands-on with the machine. These events will take place cities around North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Polygon will continue to update this story as new details develop.
