The Nintendo Switch 2 Is Finally Here and It’ll Cost You $450

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Nintendo’s full showcase of the Switch 2 has finally arrived. The Switch 2 is bold in black and spunky with its colorful joystick accents, but its real capabilities are more than skin deep. Nintendo is back and is once again declaring itself as the king of fun gaming devices, even if that means you may not be playing your games with the greatest graphical fidelity. It launches on June 5 in the U.S. with pre-orders beginning on April 9th.

There will be a bundle with Switch 2 and the upcoming game Mario Kart World, that will be on sale for $500. If you just want the console it’ll be going for $450.

The newly added “C” button enables GameChat, which combines with the Switch 2’s built-in mic to talk to friends while playing games online. The system will show the streams from your friends’ screens, even if they’re playing different games than you. You can also expand your friends’ game screens to see more of what they’re playing.

You need to have a Switch Online subscription for GameChat, but new buyers will get a one-month subscription to try out those features. The Switch 2 also supports a separate camera accessory that centers the image on players’ heads, although we don’t know how big the camera sensor is, considering the blurry images shown off in the Direct stream. Nintendo showed how player’s backgrounds are automatically blocked out, but we’ll see if Nintendo offers players control over background blur.

Nintendo gave us a tiny peak of its Switch 2 back in January, but on Wednesday the legacy Japanese game maker finally pulled the curtain back on its sequel to 2017’s Nintendo Switch. The Switch 2 is an iteration on the company’s dockable handheld design from 2017, though with more top vents and a few extra buttons on top. It houses a 7.9-inch, 1080p IPS LCD display, not OLED like on the $350 Switch OLED from 2021. The new JoyCons don’t slide onto the controller, but slot into the main body and are held together through magnets. There are two switches on the rear side of the JoyCons that allow you to unlatch each individual stick. They’re both compatible with their own straps and new charging grip.

Nintendo said the screen supports HDR for better visual contrast, and the system also includes a better speaker and in-built microphone. The console now includes two USB-C ports, with one on top and one on the bottom. The system will also support 3D audio through supported headphones.

Though the JoyCons sport a more rounded design than the original, the real difference between the last gen and this version lies in its capabilities. The right-side JoyCon includes a large “C” switch under the Home button which makes a chime when you press it. For those wondering, if those rumored mouse controls were real, they are! Both left and right JoyCons support it and Nintendo showed off several games that use the feature.

The latest Switch now includes 256 GB of storage, twice as much as the original Switch. The beefy Switch 2 dock supports 4K resolution for compatible games and HDR is supported in TV mode. The dock includes its own fan system for cooling.

There are a few things the new handheld won’t support from the original Switch. Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, older, non-express cards are out. There’s a new, exclusive Switch 2 Pro controller as well. At least, Nintendo Switch Online will remain consistent between platforms. The big news is that the Expansion Pack will now support GameCube games, including Legend of Zelda: Windwaker and F-Zero GX. These games will support both local and online multiplayer for up to four players. There’s a new version of the GameCube controller also coming to Switch 2, though it will be exclusive for Switch Online subscribers.

As for games, Nintendo said there are three types of games compatible with the Switch 2. The first is Switch 2-exclusive games. Other games will get an “upgrade” for Switch 2, such as improved visuals and compatibility with features like mouse controls. Super Mario Party Jamboree, for example, now supports the camera modes and JoyCon mouse. Unfortunately, you have to purchase an upgrade pack for these games if you already own them.

There will be Switch 2 editions for both Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There’s a special connection for the Switch 2 versions of these games with the Nintendo Today! app that helps you navigate the game or share screenshots with friends. Maybe it will finally help you collect all those Koroks you’re still missing. As expected, there will be a Switch and Switch 2 version of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Pokémon Legends Z-A.

There were a few other games shown off in Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal, but none as big as Elden Ring which will finally come to Switch systems in a “Tarnished Edition” arriving sometime this year. Hades II and Street Fighter 6 will arrive on Switch 2, as well. Hogwarts Legacy and Civilization VII—which will support mouse controls—are coming to the platform later this year. Finally, the most surprising ports may be Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth running on a Switch 2. If it can run on Steam Deck perfectly fine, we’re sure the wizards at CD Projekt Red can bring it to Nintendo’s slimmer handheld.

Nintendo started its stream by showing off Mario Kart World, a Switch 2 exclusive. It’s features a redesigned Donkey Kong, new power-ups, and a few hints at new tracks. Each track will have different day/night settings as well as weather effects. The big update is an open-world type “free-roam” environment to discover new routes or just take a few selfies with friends. It launches the same day as Nintendo Switch 2 and will have its own Direct on April 17.

As for exclusives, Switch 2 will have its fair share. For one, FromSoftware is debuting a new game called DuskBloods with a visual style that feels much more like Bloodborne than its other recent titles. That game will arrive in 2026. Finally, for those who still appreciate the Dynasty Warriors formula, the Zelda-themed Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will launch in 2025.

If you need to get excited about more exclusives with Nitendo’s most beloved characters, Donkey Kong is finally getting a new platformer with morphable terrain in Donkey Kong Bonanza. That title should be arriving on July 17 this year. Also, Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Super Smash Bros., is back with a new Kirby Air Ride, which should be available sometime in 2026.

Some of what Nintendo showed at its latest direct are details you’re already well aware of if you’ve been following the ultra-hyped handheld these last few months. The company’s previous Nintendo Direct debuted Virtual Game Cards as the new way the Nintendo Switch can store your digitally-purchased games. The Virtual Game Cards also double as a way of lending games to friends and for moving titles between two Switch consoles you own.

Nintendo has been preparing for this moment for the past two years, though we’re hoping the stock situation is better than it was with the original Switch. Nobody wants to stand in line for hours just to get their hands on a console, as much as they might love Nintendo.

This is a breaking story, and we will be updating this post as we learn more.

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