Nintendo has revealed that the long-awaited Switch 2 console, its successor to the phenomenally successful Nintendo Switch, will launch on June 5, 2025, with its key launch game being Mario Kart World, a new open-world entry in the beloved kart racing series.
The Switch 2 is currently expected to go on sale for $450 in the US, or $500 with a download code for Mario Kart World. In the UK it will be priced at £395 for the base console or £429 for the bundle, while Canadians can expect to pay $630 or $700 CAD. It’ll be AU$699 or AU$769 in Australia.
Pre-orders begin worldwide on April 9, but these are currently delayed in the US while Nintendo “assess the potential impact” of Trump’s newly announced tariffs, and the “evolving market conditions.” The company has reassured buyers that the launch date won’t change, but whether we’ll see a price increase as a result—on top of a price that’s already considered to be a pretty hefty uplift on its predecessor—remains to be seen.
Improvements Incoming
Like the original, the Switch 2 remains a hybrid device, capable of on-the-go gaming in handheld form and connecting to a big-screen TV at home. However, it’s bringing several key improvements over its predecessor.
After an initial reveal back in January, which itself followed months of leaks, we now know that the Switch 2 will boast a larger 7.9-inch screen in handheld mode. Disappointingly, it’s a return to an LCD display after the gorgeous OLED model for the original Switch, but it does see a bump in native resolution to 1080p and offers HDR for supported games. It’s also capable of a frame rate up to 120 fps, though this will again depend on the game.
Audio gets a boost too, with improved speakers and support for 3D audio (via headphones, although a system update is planned to offer support for this through the in-built speakers), and a microphone is built into the top of the console. Despite the bump in screen size and the addition of that mic, the handheld remains only 13.9-mm thick, though no mention was made of its weight.
The console boasts two USB-C ports, one on the top and one on the bottom. The latter will connect to the new dock—more on that in a second—while the top one can be used to either charge the console when used in handheld mode (a small but welcome improvement for anyone who’s struggled to balance holding the Switch with a charger coming out of the base) or to connect peripherals.
The controllers are similarly revised, with the newly dubbed Joy-Con 2 controllers connecting via “strong magnets,” with a release button to disconnect them. Confirming long-standing rumors, they’ll also be able to be used as mouse controllers, while the SL/SR shoulder buttons incorporated onto them are now larger and easier to press when used as a single controller. Thumbsticks are also larger than before.
The right-hand Joy-Con 2 also sees the addition of a new C button, which will be used to bring up audio controls, allowing users to access new GameChat features using the mic. GameChat will allow users to speak openly, with noise-canceling tech cutting out background noise, while a new Nintendo Switch 2 Camera peripheral will allow onscreen group playing.
Screen sharing will also be possible, again accessed from the C button menu, and you’ll be able to shrink or enlarge other players’ screens, with an example shown of helping a lost player find their friends elsewhere in a game world. It all speaks to an even greater social focus for the Switch 2 (though it’s worth noting that all those GameChat features will be require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription).
