After over a year of heavy leaks and rumors, the successor to Nintendo’s smash hit handheld/ home console hybrid has been officially revealed, alongside what appears to be a brand new Mario Kart title. The Nintendo Switch 2 maintains the hybrid concept, while offering a larger tablet, magnetic Joy-Con, a stronger kickstand, and more. The new console will launch in 2025, and we’ll get more details during a Nintendo Direct on April 2nd.
The Goods
The reveal also confirms that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with both physical and digital Switch games, while certain titles will not be compatible. It’ll be interesting to see the distinction, but the trailer does confirm that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is at least compatible. It’s also safe to assume that games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A could launch on both Switch and Switch 2. Both titles are confirmed for the previous generation and have a 2025 launch window, and Nintendo will likely not want to miss the opportunity to capitalize on those who buy the new hardware.
The trailer gives no other mention of hardware upgrades or components under the hood, but the many leaks suggest that the Switch 2 will be around as powerful as the PlayStation 4 Pro and offer DLSS through a higher powered NVIDIA chip. Personally, I hope Nintendo solves Joy-Con drift by shipping the Switch 2 with Hall Effect sticks.
Nintendo Switch 2 Hands-On
Nintendo has also announced Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events, where fans can get a hands-on look. Keep in mind, you need to have a Nintendo Account to register. Here’s the schedule:
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, April 11-13, 2025
- Milan, April 25-27, 2025
- Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
- Madrid, May 9-11, 2025
- Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025
Oceania:
- Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025
Asia:
- Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
- Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025
- Hong Kong, To be announced
- Taipei, To be announced
Are you excited for the Nintendo Switch 2? Are you weary of its iterative nature? What games do you want to see when it launches? Let us know on our socials, and be sure to join our Discord community to discuss all things video games!
