Everything from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
So, we finally made it. After many months of leaks and rumours, we finally got the full reveal of Nintendo Switch 2. With so many details already out there for what the Switch 2 is capable of, for many this Direct had just become a question of what the price of the console is going to be. But, there are still so many unanswered Switch 2 questions which need to be addressed.
Will it be 4K natively? How is mouse con going to be implemented and what on earth is that mystery ‘C’ button supposed to do? Nintendo has been pretty quiet about their next generation console, but we now finally have all the answers to the questions we’ve been asking.
Mario Kart World
After seeing an initial tease of what appeared to be a new Mario Kart in the first Switch 2 reveal with a couple of small upgrades like 24 players being seen on the starting line up, Nintendo kicked off the Direct with showing us more about their new Mario Kart title, Mario Kart World.
There were a lot of surprising new upgrades which I noticed during the Direct which really piqued my interest. They only showed new tracks - no more Mario Kart Tour tracks which makes for a very happy community! We also saw new karts and bikes on show along with new power ups which give you loads of coins and make you wear different costumes relevant to the track you are playing. There was also the new addition of grinding on bars and sliding along walls which is welcome to see in a new game.
What I am incredibly excited for within this new version of Mario Kart is that it is (finally) an open world game! Nintendo made it clear in the trailer that along with the normal race, you can actually go off the track and drive anywhere you want. To make this even better for Mario Kart players, the weather and time of the day will also affect the look and feel of the tracks which is sure to create a truly unique Mario Kart experience that we have never seen before!
Along with all of that, new modes were introduced including Knockout Tour which is a drive around the world competing in a continuous race and if you fall below a certain position in the race then you are removed from the race which is an incredible move along for the franchise given we have tended to just go around and around in circles!
Credit: Nintendo
I also spotted a couple of new characters which is amazing, but also makes me have a few question marks. There was a cow from Moo Moo Meadows in the announcement and what looks like a Nabbit from Super Smash Bros U. So, it looks like there will be more customisation in Mario Kart than we’ve ever had before, but why Nintendo wanted a cow from Moo Moo Meadows in their Mario Kart line up, I will never know.
We also had the confirmation that I kind of expected which is that Mario Kart World is going to be a launch title for the Switch 2 and that there will be more details revealed in its own separate update on 17th April 2025. If this is just the beginning of those new updates, I am definitely excited to hear more about this and see more about how they have changed the mechanics for the Switch 2.
The mysterious ‘C’ button
We then saw some of the hardware and specs of the Switch 2 which was a lot to go through, but the big one that was confirmed was the existence of the ‘C’ button and this has a function that was long suspected and finally confirmed - activating voice chat, which Nintendo is calling GameChat.
Finally, we are no longer reliant on the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app to talk to our friends in game, voice chat is finally native to a Nintendo Switch console!
The sound is picked up by a microphone which has now been confirmed to be at the top of the Nintendo Switch 2 console. It can pick up sound from a distance so you don’t have to be sat next to the Switch 2 in order to use it and it does have a background noise filter in it to help reduce the amount of noise leaking through your call. What I did notice during the trailer was there the sound seemed quite tinny and there wasn’t any mention on whether or not you could connect a headset to try and improve the quality of the voice chat, but hopefully we will hear more about this in the future.
We then saw that screen sharing is also a part of GameChat with you able to share your games with those who are in the call and that you don’t all have to play the same game. So, if your friends are all playing one game and you want to mop up some side quests in another game, you are able to do that and share your screen whilst you are doing that.
What is worth saying is that I noticed it very clearly in the showcase of GameChat that screenshare was really laggy with four people in the call. We don’t know yet if this would be more stable with fewer people on the call or if only one person is sharing their screen, but seeing lag in a reveal trailer doesn’t give me a huge amount of confidence in how this is going to work.
Credit: Nintendo
Only a limited number of games will be available to screen share to begin with but more will be added in time. If your favourite game isn’t there at launch, I would keep an eye out as that may come with time.
We also saw a camera function being used in GameChat as well via a new accessory called Nintendo Switch 2 Camera which also doubles up to involve you in the games as well. One of the examples that was shown off was in Super Mario Party Jamboree where there are these player dots next to the characters so your face appears alongside the character to know who is who.
This is a really nice feature and adds a bit more personalisation into the game, but what I’m curious of is how this will work in practice, particularly for content creators who play games with their audience. Will you have the ability to stop others from sharing their screens or cameras in a GameChat and can you stop random people from just hopping in or is it a case of you appear online and anyone can just hop into a call you are in?
There wasn’t too much shared about that, but we do need to hear more about the protection side of things before the Switch 2 launches. What Nintendo did confirm though, which I am glad about is that there will be new parental controls available for using GameChat so if you don’t want your children using GameChat, hopefully there will be an option for you to turn it off on their devices.
GameChat was confirmed to only be available on Switch 2 and you also need to have a Nintendo Switch Online membership in order for this to work. There is going to be a limited time welcome offer for GameChat functionality which will be available until March 2026 so if you want to get involved in GameChat, there will be that option too which is good to see as this is a new feature we haven’t had on a Switch console before.
All the specs
From there we then got a good look at the Nintendo console and what the specifications were of it after many months of rumours on what this console was going to be like and we got way more details than I was expecting which was really great to see! So, now we can get more of an idea of what games may be capable of achieving on a new and more powerful console.
We first saw size of the screen, which we already knew was going to be larger than the Switch. Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9 inch screen, which is up from 6.2 inch screen of Nintendo Switch and the 7 inch screen you have on the Nintendo Switch OLED. So you are going to see a lot more of your games on your screen which is amazing. Nintendo Switch 2 also has an LCD HDR screens so we are seeing a slight step down from the OLED model, but having HDR is a really nice touch to make your games stand out more.
Credit: Nintendo
What also helps is that in handheld the screen will run at 1080p and will support up to 120fps (frames per second) in supported titles, and when the console is docked, the Switch 2 will run at 4K with 60fps so your games are going to look clean and sharp and have way more details than you would have previously seen on Nintendo Switch. We did see an example of Metroid Prime 4 Beyond running at those speeds in the Direct so you can see all of the details at those higher resolutions and that’s going to be amazing for the hardcore gamers who are looking for more graphical fidelity in their games.
We do have one exciting new development which is that you will have way more storage space on the Switch 2! The internal storage is increasing from 32gb to 256gb. This is a massive upgrade and, given the number of large games which are coming to Nintendo Switch 2, it is going to be needed!
However, it is worth noting that MicroSD cards are no longer going to be supported on Nintendo Switch 2. Instead, if you want to increase your internal storage, you will need to purchase MicroSD express cards as only these will be compatible with Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo has not yet confirmed what the maximum storage option will be, but you can find 256gb MicroSD express cards listed on their website right now.
New Switch dock
But it’s not just the Switch console which is also getting upgrades. Oh, no! The dock is also getting a makeover. Featuring a new rounded design to match the new Nintendo Switch, it looks truly stunning in the trailers, but what is hiding within it is more interesting.
Credit: Nintendo
There is a minor upgrade in here which is going to make many gamers incredibly happy in the form of an ethernet port. So there should finally be no more manual workarounds to get your console connected through a wired internet connection!
The dock also has a fan inside which is going to be used to keep the console cool. This is amazing as the current Nintendo Switch dock is really just a plastic shell which doesn’t do much, and I don’t know about anyone else, but my Nintendo Switch sounds like it’s about to take off after a couple of minutes of game time so having the option of a new fan to help it stay cool is a welcome upgrade!
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Then we got taken into another game demo, but I wouldn’t really call it a game demo. We were briefly shown the mouse controls as part of the specs, but then Nintendo surprised us by showing us a new game which showcases the mouse controls and explains how the new Joy-Con 2 work in more detail with Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.
Credit: Nintendo
Originally when I saw this, I thought, “great, a bundled in game which is a tech demo just like Astro’s Playroom on PlayStation.” But, sadly, this is not a bundled title. Instead, this is a digital title which is available at launch which you will have to pay for. No details have been shared on the price of it, but the game itself is just a series of minigames you can play as tech demos of what the new Joy-Con 2 can do. Hopefully when we get more information about the Switch before launch we will know more about this one though.
Upgrades are available for some Switch games
We then got to see and hear more about the backwards compatibility of Nintendo Switch games with Nintendo Switch 2. It was confirmed in the Direct that the cartridges for Nintendo Switch 2 are going to be the same size and shape as Nintendo Switch cards, but the new cards are designed to be read faster than the previous cards. So, if you have physical Nintendo Switch games, the likelihood is these will work in your Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo did point out that not every game will be backwards compatible which is not unexpected, but we don’t know yet which ones will not work right now. My guess is that much like what happened with the PlayStation 5 launch, we will get a really short list of games which will not be compatible at launch and it will be up to the developers to put in fixes to make them work if they wish to. Suffice to say though, if you are playing first party Nintendo games, the chances are they will work on the next generation console.
We also got to hear more about how Nintendo Switch games will be receiving updates to take advantage of the upgrades in the Switch 2 hardware. These are going to be done via additional purchasable versions called Switch 2 Editions.
Not every game will have a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, but both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have Nintendo Switch 2 Editions which will improve the performance of the game and give you additional clarity in your games which is great to see. But, it’s not just the graphics and performance which will improve.
Some Nintendo Switch 2 Editions will give you additional content which is exclusive for Nintendo Switch 2. Super Mario Party Jamboree was shown off here with a new upgrade called Jamboree TV. This takes advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera and built in microphone by introducing new minigames and modes where you seem to be playing in a virtual game show with Bowser presenting. It looks a lot of fun and is definitely going to be a fun upgrade to what was already an amazing addition into the Mario Party franchise. Jamboree TV launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on 27th July 2025, so there’s plenty of time to purchase Mario Party Jamboree ahead of that launching.
Credit: Nintendo
We also got to see that both Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Z-A were also getting Nintendo Switch 2 editions but not many details were shared outside of that. So, if you are planning on buying a Switch 2 and you were thinking about getting either of those games, it may be worth holding out a bit longer and buying the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions.
It was also confirmed that if you purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, it will not be compatible with your Nintendo Switch so make sure you are happy with the console you are going to be playing your games on before you purchase the Switch 2 edition!
I’m honestly not too surprised that Nintendo went down this route with the Switch 2 editions of games and using this as a way to make additional money from their games. They didn’t confirm the price of purchasing an upgrade, but hopefully it’s not going to be too expensive as I can imagine how upsetting it would be to find out the games you had purchased on Switch whilst they will play on Switch 2, if you want to see them in better quality you are going to pay the same as buying the game brand new on Nintendo Switch 2.
Lots of games, but nothing too exciting
We then went into a section where Nintendo threw a load of games at us from their 3rd party developers and, I’ll be honest, there wasn’t anything too exciting in here that we didn’t really know about already and none of them were particularly cosy.
We did get to see Elden Ring confirmed, that’s coming with the Tarnished Collection in 2025. Hades II got shown off, that was just a teaser with more to be confirmed later this year, and then there were a load of games confirmed as launch titles for the Switch 2 including: Street Fighter 6, Split Fiction, Hogwarts Legacy and Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster.
Credit: Square Enix
There were a couple of Nintendo games that were shown off as well during this part of the presentation including a new IP called DragXDrive which is a wheelchair basketball game that takes advantage of the mouse controls to move the wheelchair. I played wheelchair basketball at school so this is one I am interested in seeing more of. DragXDrive launches in the Summer. We also saw Hyrule Warriors Age of Impriisonment which is a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom which is launching this Winter.
Honestly, there were so many games which were added in that I could talk about all day about them, but I will do a completely separate post covering my thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 games which were shown off in the event.
Gamecube is coming to Nintendo Switch Online
We then had a brief pause in games to see a new addition coming to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers who have the Expansion Pass upgrade, you will be able to play Gamecube games exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 which will be available at launch for Nintendo Switch 2.
The games included here are The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soul Calibur II, F-Zero GX and Super Mario Sunshine, but sadly for Animal Crossing fans, there was no mention of this one being added and I honestly don’t think we will ever see it. So, if you aren’t too keen on any of the third party titles at launch, and you are a subscriber for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass, you may want to try out some of these games instead.
More interesting first party games
Finally we were shown two first party games which are launching this year from Nintendo which were more appealing to me as a cosy gamer.
The first was a brief look at a Kirby racing game called Kirby Air Riders which is a brand new game after Air Ride launched on Gamecube. I adore a Kirby game so this was lovely to see and that is launching at some point this year so I guess we will get more information on this one soon.
Credit: Nintendo
Then we got hit with a brand new game which I hadn’t heard any rumblings about being in the works. We got a first look at the brand new Donkey Kong game called Donkey Kong Bananza. This is a 3D platformer and is desperately needed after all of the remakes which have plagued that series on Nintenod Switch. Donkey Kong Bananza launches on Nitnendo Switch 2 on 17th July 2025.
When is Nintendo Switch 2 launching and how much is it?
After all of the games and specs were mentioned, it was then time to talk about all of the key details which matter to gamers: when is it out? When can you pre-order it and how much is it going to be?
Nintendo was fairly tight lipped over a lot of these details aside from one thing, Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on 5th June. But any mention of the price and preorders didn’t come until later.
Credit: Nintendo
What Nintendo did confirm in the Direct is that there are going to be two versions of the Nintendo Switch 2 available at launch, just the console on its own and a bundle pack with Mario Kart World included as a digital download.
The price was pretty difficult to get hold of as you needed to go onto Nintendo’s website to see it, but the cost of the console breaks down as this. If you buy the Nintendo Switch 2 console on its own it will set you back $449 USD/£395.99/€469.99, and if you buy the console with bundled with Mario Kart World it will cost you $499 USD/£429/€509.99.
The Switch 2 pre-orders will go live on 8th April 2025 so if you want to purchase one, you will need to be prepared to potentially wait in a long queue in just under a week’s time.
The games themselves have limited information and at the time of writing only two games have had confirmed prices and those vary depending on whether you buy the physical copy or the digital copy and which one you buy.
The two games with confirmed pricing were Donkey Kong Bananza (Digital: £58.99/€69.99, Physical: $69.99 USD/£66.99/€79.99) and Mario Kart World (Digital: $79.99 USD/£66.99/€79.99, Physical: $89.99 USD/£74.99/€89.99). The prices are a lot and the fact they vary depending on the game and whether you buy a physical or digital release is insane, but if you want to see and hear more of my thoughts on the pricing of the Switch 2 and the games themselves, I have another blog post detailing those.
