Alongside finally revealing the Switch 2, Nintendo has given a date for a new Nintendo Direct, due on April 2 this year, which will presumably provide a far more detailed breakdown of the new console, and perhaps reveal a bunch of release titles that’ll accompany the machine.
Obviously all is wild speculation at this point, given just how unpredictable Nintendo is proving to be regarding their new console. After a waterfall of leaks, it was expected that the Japanese company would make an announcement for the official reveal this week, and then went and threw everyone by just surprise announcing it at 8 a.m. ET without warning. Within that announcement was a screen showing a date for a new Nintendo Direct.
This will be the first Nintendo Direct since July 2024, the Mario makers having entirely skipped their usual September edition, only fuelling confusion over what was happening with the Switch 2. It’s described as being for the “Nintendo Switch 2,” but doesn’t make clear if this will be purely detailing the console itself (which many had hoped would already be available by April), or games that will be available for it too.
Mario Kart 9, already widely expected to be a release title (given it’s been an extraordinary 11 years since 8 first came out), is pretty certain to be among them, but fans are obviously hoping to see a new tentpole Super Mario title, given it’s been well over seven years since Odyssey shifted the original Switch.
We know that Switch 1 (as we’ll have to get used to calling it now) games will mostly work on the new system, both physical and digital editions, but obviously there’s going to be great clamor for brand new titles that’ll take advantage of the new system specs, that’ll also hopefully be fully revealed before or during the Direct.
Best guess: the Direct will be pre-empted with a lot of leaks from stores about dummy boxes and stock expectations for the Switch 2 itself, with an imminent release date revealed in the as-live broadcast.
Until then, more speculating, rumor and thumb-twiddling.
.