After seven years on the market, 146 million systems, and over 1 billion games sold, Nintendo has finally announced the Nintendo Switch. Rumors have been heating up since January, culminating in Nintendo officially announcing the console with a debut trailer on January 16th. A system-exclusive Nintendo Direct event is scheduled to take place on April 2nd. Additionally, fans will be able to experience it for themselves in April. Show off your system first-hand at pre-launch “Experience” events taking place around the world.
This post covers what we know about the system’s form factor, rumors about the Switch 2 release date, pricing, game releases, backwards compatibility, and more.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the Switch 2, but for now, here’s all the essential information we have.
switch 2 trailer
Switch 2’s debut trailer was released on January 16th. The video showcased a hybrid home and portable gaming console that is expected to have more powerful specs and a few other improvements over its predecessor. The trailer shows off the new magnetic Joy-Con controllers, which are held in place by the magic of magnets. The trailer showed off the console’s generally more ergonomic design and larger display size. Check out the trailer for yourself below:
Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
The Nintendo Direct broadcast dedicated to the Switch 2 will take place on April 2, when Nintendo is expected to reveal more key details about the new console. Nintendo will hold its next earnings call on February 4, 2025, and it’s possible the news will come out before then, as investors and analysts will no doubt be asking Nintendo executives about the console.
Switch 2 rumored release date
We don’t know for sure. However, the most recent report suggests that Switch 2 could release in May or June 2025. Industry experts have cited Switch 2 as having the potential to help the video game industry rebound in 2025, so it’s no surprise that expectations are high. Level executives say they hope Nintendo will take its time and release the console at the right moment.
Amazon Games president Christoph Hartmann recently told IGN that his company “definitely” plans to develop games for the Switch 2 and that he “can’t wait for it to come out.” But he’s also okay with Nintendo taking its time and doing the right thing.
“Honestly, it’s better to wait a year and perfect it than to rush it to market and have us all complain that it doesn’t work. The Switch was a fantastic product. I can wait another year, if I have to.” said. “And when you look at the development stage, I don’t think most non-Nintendo developers develop titles exclusively for the Switch. They’re always part of the portfolio mix of the platform mix. Just wait.”
size comparison
Part of the Switch 2 announcement video discussing backward compatibility showed the original Switch and Switch 2 side by side. As you can see, Switch 2 is slightly larger. However, Nintendo has yet to reveal the full specifications of the Switch 2, so its exact size and weight are unknown.
How to Play Switch 2 Early
Nintendo says fans will be able to try out the new system ahead of launch through “experimental events” starting in April in various regions around the world.
The event kicks off on April 4 in New York and Paris and expands to Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto, London, Milan, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Taipei.
Fans must have a Nintendo Account to participate. Ticket registration opens January 17th at 12PM PT/3PM EST. Nintendo is expecting a lot of demand, as it will be distributing tickets through a free drawing where participants will be selected at random.
Experience the Nintendo Switch 2 host cities and schedules. All dates are local.
North America:
- New York, April 4-6, 2025
- Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025
- Dallas, April 25-27, 2025
- Toronto, April 25-27, 2025
europe:
- Paris, April 4-6, 2025
- London, 11-13 April 2025
- Milan, April 25-27, 2025
- Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
- Madrid, 9-11 May 2025
- Amsterdam, 9-11 May 2025
Oceania:
- Melbourne, 10-11 May 2025
Asia:
- Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
- Seoul, May 31 – June 1, 2025
- Hong Kong, to be announced
- Taipei, to be announced
Switch 2 Potential Specifications
One of the biggest unknowns about the next offering of Nintendo hardware is what exactly it will be. The former Nintendo employee predicted that the product would have a similar form factor to the Switch and could be used as a portable device as well as docked to a TV like the existing model. Nintendo hasn’t said anything about what to expect from the next system other than that the goal is to “surprise and delight” fans, so for now we can only make predictions and guesses.
Digital Foundry reports that the Switch 2 could use Nvidia’s new custom variant of the T239 processor. The site compiled a PC based on the Switch 2’s specs and found that it could run Death Stranding at 1080p, averaging 35fps.
Nintendo consoles have historically underperformed newer PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and many believe that will be the case with the next systems as well. But no one knows for sure. It is not known whether the Switch 2 can be a 4K-capable device or whether it will be able to offer cutting-edge graphics and performance.
Vandal (via VGC) recently reported that the Switch 2 will once again use Joy-Con controllers, but this time they will attach magnetically to the system. It’s unknown whether existing Joy-Cons you already own will work with the system. The report also mentioned how the current Switch Pro controller will be compatible with the Switch 2.
Recently on the Broken Silicon podcast (via IGN), Moore’s Law Is Dead and The Phawx had a conversation in which Moore’s Law is Dead suggested that the Switch 2 will be “clocking faster than we expect” in docked mode. In undocked mode, it will apparently have “very low clocks”. Obviously, the goal is to help the Switch 2 extend its battery life for on-the-go playing compared to the original Switch.
While Switch sales were booming in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global semiconductor shortage presented new challenges for Nintendo as it struggled to meet demand. As for the Switch 2, Nintendo doesn’t “expect” this to be an issue before the Switch 2 launches. At the same time, Nintendo’s fiscal year sales forecast does not currently include Switch 2 sales. It may change over time.
Some kind of AI?
Artificial intelligence, and more specifically generative artificial intelligence, continues to be a major topic in the world of video games and technology in general. But will Nintendo be implementing genAI for Switch 2 and its games? It remains to be seen, but Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently said that Nintendo would carefully consider using genAI.
In a recent Q&A with investors translated by TweakTown, Furukawa said AI has already been used in video game development for a long time for tasks such as controlling enemy characters. But genAI is a different story.
He said, “Generative AI, which has become a hot topic recently, can be more creative, but we also recognize that there are problems with intellectual property rights.” “We have decades of know-how in providing optimal gaming experiences for our customers, and we want to be flexible in responding to technological developments while continuing to provide unique value that cannot be achieved through technology alone.”
Halo on Switch 2 and backwards compatibility
It’s widely expected that Nintendo will release a new Mario Kart game for its next home console, and the Switch 2 announcement video actually showed footage of what many believe could be a new Mario Kart game. Interestingly, the video showed a race lineup of 24 racers, which would be the largest in Mario Kart history. There are also rumors of a new 3D Mario game being made for the Switch 2.
As for other games, multiple reports suggest that Microsoft is preparing several games for release on Switch 2, including Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Another report later said that Switch 2 could welcome titles like several Assassin’s Creed games. Metal Gear Solid Delta, etc.
As for backwards compatibility, Nintendo confirmed backwards compatibility for the Switch 2 on November 6th. Additionally, Nintendo Switch Online will work on Switch 1 and Switch 2. Nintendo has revealed that the Switch 2 will play Switch 2 exclusive games as well as Nintendo Switch. This is a game for both physical and digital gaming. However, Nintendo said that “certain” original Switch games “may not be supported or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” Nintendo said it would share more information later.
switch 2 price
Switch 2 hasn’t been announced yet, so it’s all just speculation at this stage. However, one analyst recently predicted that the Switch 2 would cost $400, with top games selling for $70. The original Switch launched for $300, and there’s no doubt that the relatively low price helped the system perform exceptionally well in the market. It remains to be seen whether the next Nintendo console will launch in just one SKU or multiple editions at various price points.
That’s not surprising, given predictions that the cost of the game will rise to $70. After all, Nintendo was already charging $70 for Tears of the Kingdom, and sales were huge at that price point. Nintendo said that while this is a one-off on Switch game prices, charging $70 for Switch 2 games would bring Nintendo in line with what companies like Microsoft and Sony, as well as various third-party publishers, are charging for their major titles.
switch 2 news
Nintendo’s previous consoles had their own account systems, requiring players to create new accounts for subsequent hardware releases. But a new significant Nintendo account is changing that, and it could help ease the transition to the next Nintendo console.
“If we’re transitioning to a new platform, we can communicate with our players to ease that process or transition,” said Nintendo’s Doug Bowser.
“Our goal is to minimize the decline typically seen in the final year of one cycle and the beginning of another,” he added. “While we can’t speak to the possible features of the new platform, Nintendo Account is a strong foundation for that communication as we transition.”
Nintendo CEO Suntaro Furukawa has said that the next Nintendo console in 2023 will use the same Nintendo Account system as the Switch, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to hear Bowser suggest something similar.
Macquarie Group Ltd.’s Yijia Zhai said in an interview with Bloomberg that the next Nintendo console will not be able to match the Switch’s success.
“We don’t think the new console will be as successful as the Switch and we don’t expect any potential revenue generation following the announcement,” Zhai said, adding that Macquarie downgraded its analysis of Nintendo’s stock to “neutral.”
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs analyst Minami Munakata said the next generation of Nintendo hardware is unlikely to expand Nintendo’s overall market. However, the company disagrees with that idea and said its predictions could change if the system “turns out to be a new concept of hardware rather than a successor along the same lines as the Nintendo Switch.”
If a console isn’t as successful as the last one, that might not tell the whole story, and it might not necessarily be bad news for Nintendo. Of course, the Switch has done very well in terms of hardware and software sales. And that success became even more evident following the Wii U’s dismal performance.
In September 2024, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said the next-generation Nintendo console could “disrupt” the video game industry.
“Several things are really going to affect things in that Nintendo’s next hardware device, which is expected to be released next year, could significantly disrupt the market,” he told GI.biz. “Of course, not much is known about this device beyond rumors. But a new Nintendo device that is a huge success could put downward price pressure across other devices. But we’ll have to wait and see.”
