UPDATE 04/22/25: The preorder date was previously delayed in the U.S. and Canada via a public announcement from Nintendo but has now been reassigned to April 24th for those areas. The June 5, 2025 worldwide release date is still active.
The big day has finally arrived, and the Direct presentation for the Switch 2 console certainly did not disappoint. This hour-long Direct was packed to the brim and overflowing with goodies about the new console, how it works, what’s different from the previous Switch, and the games that will be available for the Switch 2. So let’s get down to the nitty gritty. There’s tons to unpack from this Direct! Here’s a brief recap of everything that was covered so you won’t miss a thing.
The first point that Nintendo showed off was of course the hardware, which included some quality of life enhancements from the original Switch. The Switch 2 now has 3D surround-like sound, a bigger 7.9 inch LCD screen that displays 1080 beautiful pixels and 256 GB of internal storage that can be expanded with MicroSD Express cards, but hold on to your hat, partner, that’s just the beginning. When docked, it can crank out games at speeds of up to 120 frames per second and up to 4k resolution. These things will be further explained in Nintendo’s tutorial “manual” game Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. That’s meaty stuff!
Next, Nintendo explained the controls, which include a new mouselike feature on the JoyCons for game applications that were demonstrated with Drag X Drive, a clever Switch 2 basketball game with major Snipperclips vibes. We finally learned what buzz over the mysterious “C” button was all about, which is a button on a joycon that activates a mode called GameChat for players to talk to their friends and share their screens via an internet connection. This was demonstrated with a new game called Mario Kart World, which can host up to 22 players at the same time. A Switch 2 Camera will be an available accessory in the near future, but players can stream with their own camera if it has a compatible USB-C connection. The Switch 2 console will be available for preorder on April 9 and will be released worldwide on June 5, 2025 for the price of $449.00 USD and $499.00 USD with a digital copy of Mario Kart World bundled into it.
An enhanced parental control app was touched upon as well as virtual game cards. A new feature called GameShare from the Direct last week was explained in more detail, which pointed out that some Switch 2 games will be exclusive to the Switch 2 which other Switch games can be carried over to the Switch 2 console with an purchasable upgrade. This is where a Nintendo Switch Online membership really pays off if you have the Expansion Pack version, as some upgrades can be downloaded for free if you already own the Switch version and are subscribed to NSO with the expansion.
Two examples of such savings are Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which Nintendo revealed will essentially become Switch 2 editions if you download the upgrades. This time around they will interact together with an exciting new mobile feature called Zelda Notes, which is like Google Maps for Hyrule but way more fun. You can read more about that here.
Perhaps the darling of the Zelda-related news at the Direct was an exciting new trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which is based on the ancient past in Tears of the Kingdom, much like Age of Calamity was based on the events of Breath of the Wild. Many familiar faces were seen from Tears of the Kingdom, with some of them sporting cool new weapons. We’re going to be talking a lot about this game in the near future. Here’s an article about Age of Imprisonment with our initial thoughts. It’s set to be released in Winter 2025, making it a likely kingpin in Nintendo’s holiday marketing strategy.
Last but certainly not least, Nintendo announced that Gamecube Nintendo Classics are coming to Nintendo Switch Online for the Switch 2 on launch day, which finally includes the original edition of The Wind Waker. The Nintendo GameCube edition of Soul Caliber II with Link in it will be available the same day in addition to an exclusive NSO GameCube controller in the My Nintendo Store for Nintendo Switch Online members.
Here are the rest of the games coming to the Switch 2 that were announced during this historic Direct:
Games Available on Switch 2 Launch Day
- Mario Kart World
- Street Fighter 6
- Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
- Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
- Hogwarts Legacy for the Switch 2 with Mouse Support
- HITMAN World of Assassination – Signature Edition
- Delta Rune Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4
- Survival Kids
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
- Fortnite for the Switch 2
- Arcade Archives 2 RIDGE RACER
- Fast Fusion
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
- Project 007
- Civilization VII
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
- Kunitsu Gami: Path of the Goddess
Switch 2 Games Coming Later in 2025
- Drag X Drive – Summer 2025
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 – Summer 2025
- RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army – June 19
- Tamagotchi Plaza Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – June 27
- Donkey Kong Bananza – July 17
- Shadow Labrynth (Again, the edgy Pac-Man) – July 18
- Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV – July 24
- Wild Hearts S – Available July 25
- No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – July 25
- Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – August 27
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World – August 28
- Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion – September 5
- Borderlands 4 – September 23
- Kirby Air Riders – ETA 2025
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – ETA 2025
- Hollow Knight: Silksong – ETA 2025
- Professor Layton and The New World of Steam – ETA 2025
- EA SPORTS Madden NFL and EA SPORTS FC – ETA 2025
- Star Wars Outlaws – ETA 2025
- Goodnight Universe – ETA 2025
- REANIMAL – ETA 2025
- Elden Ring Tarnished Edition – ETA 2025
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion – Holiday 2025
- Witchbrook – Holiday 2025
Switch 2 Games Coming in 2026 or Later
- Enter the Gungeon 2 – 2026
- Starseeker: Astroneer Expiditions – 2026
- The Duskbloods – 2026
- Hades II – TBD
- SPLIT FICTION – TBD
- W2K and NBA 2K – TBD
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade for the Switch 2 – TBD
- Human Fall Flat – TBD
- Human Fall Flat – TBD
Watch the Switch 2 Direct in full below:
