We are less than 24 hours away from the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, a showcase that is expected to provide us with nearly an hour’s worth of new information on the console, including its release date, price, launch games, and much more.
To our surprise, nothing major has leaked yet, although some patents and insiders are already speculating the console could support an unorthodox second-screen experience as games like Metroid Prime 4, Mario Kart 9, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A are expected to act as early titles for the system. There’s a lot to dig into, so let’s get started.
Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date – When Is The New Console Coming Out?
Many people are surprised that the Nintendo Switch 2 didn’t arrive in our hands earlier in the year like its older sibling did, launching at the beginning of March 2017 alongside Breath of the Wild. It seems Nintendo is opting for a different strategy this time around and will be launching this console in the middle of the year, with recent reports claiming it could be arriving as early as June with a focus on first-party titles, while a second wave of exclusives will arrive in time for Christmas, when stock of the console is in greater supply.
Once again, this is not dissimilar to how Nintendo handled the original Switch, with titles like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Super Mario Odyssey launching towards the end of its first year. Personally, I can see it arriving in June considering it’s a relatively quiet time of year and will give Nintendo plenty of breathing room to spread the Switch 2 far and wide before the major hitters of Q3/Q4 begin to make themselves known. A Nintendo console is also one of the few things that could stand up to the titan that is GTA 6.
Nintendo Switch 2 Price – How Much Is It Going To Cost?
The launch price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is the question on everybody’s lips right now. In case you’ve forgotten, the original console retailed for $299/£279, and was pretty affordable for both casual and hardcore audiences alike. Nintendo knew it made big mistakes with the Wii U, and it needed this new hardware to make a big splash if it wanted to win back the goodwill of consumers. That meant making it affordable and easy to understand. It succeeded.
It’s reasonable to assume the Nintendo Switch 2 will follow in its footsteps. Nintendo clearly wants to keep its existing audience intact, judging by the backwards compatibility and game-sharing features already announced. But it also wants you to upgrade and presumably make exclusive games for the Switch 2.
It’s the best of both worlds’ situation, and the price is going to be a significant part of that. My guess is $349/£329. $399 at most, because that’ll be a hard pill to swallow that I’m not even sure Dr Mario can help it go down smoothly.
Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Games – What Can We Expect To Be Shown?
When it comes to launch titles, Nintendo isn’t the type of company to mess around. Over the past few months, it has already begun planting the seeds for Switch 2, although right now we only know of one officially confirmed title – Mario Kart 9, and even then we don’t officially know its name. There is also a chance this title may come to the original Switch as well, although I’m not sure if this would be the smartest choice.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was already featured at last week’s sudden Direct with three lush minutes of new gameplay footage, but there is definitely a chance it appears again tomorrow with a release date and new trailer designed to showcase how it looks and plays on the new console. While there is a chance it arrives later this year much like the original did, I think we will definitely see Super Mario Odyssey 2 or a completely new 3D entry in the series. It has been years, and you can’t have a new Nintendo console without a new Mario.
And while the Nintendo Switch 2 is backward-compatible, I wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo spent some of the Direct showcasing how the new console can make old games look and run better, and whether it will end up charging us for the privilege. Could we end up seeing a Switch 2 version of Tears of the Kingdom with enhanced visuals and performance? Maybe.
Elsewhere, we can expect the usual deluge of third-party support, which could include the rumoured ports of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cyberpunk 2077, and potentially even new titles like Doom: The Dark Ages. The lines of what games belong on what console have become increasingly blurred, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo wants to take advantage of that more than ever with this new console.
For funsies, here’s my personal wishlist of launch titles:
- Metroid Prime 4
- Super Mario Odyssey 2
- Nintendo Land 2
- Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem Remastered
- Xenoblade Chronicles 4
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Twilight Princess and Wind Waker HD
- Mario Kart 9
- Pikmin 5
See, I told you it was silly.
Nintendo Switch 2 Features – How Will The Console Be Shown Off?
Aside from its fantastic library of games, the Nintendo Switch is pretty boring. Its UI is incredibly uninspiring, and little has been done to improve on it in recent years aside from unlockable icons through Nintendo Switch Online. Its successor needs to be more exciting and charming to use outside games themselves, and Nintendo can prove that when it gives us a good look at its user interface and moment-to-moment menus tomorrow. At least, I hope that’s what happens.
Show us what it’s like to use this console, how its system level features stand out from what came before, and whether removing the Joy-Con and docking it reveals even more secrets. I still want to know what the mysterious ‘C-button’ does and how exactly the Joy-Con can end up being used as an impromptu computer mouse. We have lots of questions and very few answers right now, and this week’s Direct could shine a light on everything.
I would also love for the Nintendo Switch 2 to introduce a Trophy/Achievement system of some form. I know some people are against Nintendo embracing this sort of thing, but I’m all for it.
There’s also the question of forward compatibility and whether existing Switch accessories will work with the new console. Considering all the games are backward compatible, I’m gonna assume most of the controllers and similar methods will be too. This is the sort of query that new consoles always bring to light, and often we don’t have proper answers until they are already out in the wild. Thankfully, it’s only a matter of time until we find out more.
