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Nintendo unveils Switch 2 ahead of June 5 launch

$449 buys easier multiplayer, mouse mode, and a chance to upgrade older titles.

Kyle Orland – Apr 2, 2025 1:04 PM | 168

Nice to meet you. Credit: Nintendo

In a highly anticipated Nintendo Direct presentation this morning, the company revealed new information about the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware and software ahead of a newly announced June 5, 2025, release date. The system will be available on its own or in a bundle with Mario Kart World, for $449 and $499, respectively.

*Mario Kart World* taking off. Credit: Nintendo

The presentation led off with an extended look at a new exclusive launch title, Mario Kart World, which features 24 racers at once on "various regions across the globe" where "you can drive off the race track and go virtually anywhere" in a new "free roam" mode. Characters were shown doing jumps off of walls and wearing multiple different costumes. A new level themed after the original Donkey Kong featured prominently, as did one reminiscent of the Hyrule Castle level of Super Smash Bros. You can also go on "scenic drives with friends" and take photos with them in a new photo mode.

Switch 2 Editions of classic games, purchased as "Upgrade Packs" for original owners. Credit: Nintendo

Certain original Switch games will be re-released in new "Switch 2" editions that add new features and improved visuals. In the Switch 2 edition of Mario Party Jamboree, for instance, players will be able to take part in mouse- and camera-controlled games. And Switch 2 Editions of the two Switch Zelda games will allow access to a new smartphone-powered note-taking feature.

Subscribers to Nintendo's Switch Online + Expansion Pack service will get free upgrade packs for The Legend of Zelda games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

*Metroid Prime 4*, with mouse controls. Credit: Nintendo

Metroid Prime 4 will be available on the original Switch but will support mouse controls on the Switch 2 Edition, as well as 4K 60 fps or 1080p 120 fps gameplay on the newer console.

Switch 2 Edition versions will be available as downloadable updates for players who own the original Switch version of those games.

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A new C button on the right Joy-Con of the Switch 2 will let you pull up a chat menu to manage a new "GameChat" feature that allows you to "communicate with friends and family while playing a game." A built-in microphone at the top of the system will "pick up your speaking voice clearly, even at a distance," Nintendo said, and even amid background noise. The button will also let you easily share your game screen with friends, and the feature was shown with four different player views along the bottom of the display, even when players were in different games.

A new Switch 2 Pro Controller will feature the brand new C button, as well as two rear triggers that can be programmed to mimic other buttons.

Switch 2 Joy-Con, used as a mouse. Credit: Nintendo

The Joy-Con can also be used as a mouse when the edge is slid along a table. This mode combines with the Joy-Con's internal gyroscope to let you angle shots with a putter while moving the mouse to control the position, for instance.

To demonstrate the Switch 2's mouse controls, Nintendo showed a new game called Drag x Drive, which is planned for summer 2025. This dual-mouse controlled game lets you control a player in a Rocket League-style 3-on-3 basketball game. Sliding one mouse is used to move your character, while waving the other can be used to shoot or wave to other players to call for the ball. Players were also shown rolling up half-pipes near the basket for massive dunks.

The Switch 2's camera, which can plug into the handy new top USB-C port. Credit: Nintendo

An optional Nintendo Switch 2 camera connected to the system dock will let you appear on-screen and in video chat over gameplay, or in a small circle next to your character. The GameChat feature will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership starting on March 31, 2026.

The Switch 2 will feature a 7.9-inch LCD display with "approximately double the pixels" of the original Switch, on a 1080p screen that supports up to 120 fps and "more vivid" HDR colors. When docked, the system will support resolutions up to 4K and includes a cooling fan to "help keep performance stable."

The Switch 2 requires microSD Express cards. Credit: Nintendo

The Switch 2 will include 256GB of internal storage. Players can add additional storage only through MicroSD Express cards, which will "make high-speed data transfers possible." Regular MicroSD cards that work on the Switch will not be compatible with the new console. Game Cards for the Switch 2 resemble the shape of those for the original Switch but will be in red and feature "much faster data reading speeds," Nintendo announced.

As seen previously, the Joy-Cons will be bigger than on the original Switch and will feature larger shoulder buttons on the inside edges. The system itself has a larger, "more sturdy" stand that can be adjusted to sit at multiple angles. A second USB-C outlet on the top of the system will allow for easier charging and connections.

Third-party publishers announced a number of ports for the Switch 2, including Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Hades II, Street Fighter VI, Split Fiction, EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, Hogwarts Legacy (with new Mouse Controls), Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, and Hitman: World of Assassination.

*The Duskbloods*, a Switch 2 exclusive from FromSoftware. Credit: FromSoftware/Nintendo

FromSoftware also offered an extended preview of a new vampire-themed, Bloodborne-inspired action RPG game called The Duskbloods. The Switch 2 exclusive, planned for 2026, showed off a wide range of metaphyiscal imagery and both melee and gun-based combat, including a character that flies around in a metal suit with a jetpack.

GameCube games available exclusively to Switch 2 owners with Nintendo Online subscriptions. Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Switch Online memberships will carry over to Switch 2. And Switch 2 owners who subscribe to the Expansion Pack will get access to a library of Nintendo GameCube games, including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur II, and F-Zero GX at launch, with more to be added in the future. These games will feature "sharper graphics and higher resolution" than the original releases, Nintendo said. A replica wireless GameCube controller will also be available for purchase by Nintendo Switch Online members.

Nintendo also showed a small preview of a new, open-world Kirby Air Riders game. The follow-up to GameCube's Kirby's Air Ride showed the pink puffball grabbing a jetpack-propelled star across verdant, grassy fields.

The big gorilla is punching down. Credit: Nintendo

The presentation concluded with a new 3D Donkey Kong game called Donkey Kong Bonanza, planned for July 17. The trailer showed a redesigned, cuter version of the big ape climbing cliffs, digging through highly destructible ground, and bashing enemies into one another with massive punches, alongside classic 2D and mine cart sections.

Nintendo will send out invitations for "priority" purchasing of the Switch 2, direct from the company, starting on May 8. Those who have purchased a Switch Online membership as of April 2, have had it for a minimum of 12 months, have opted to share gameplay data, and have logged at least 50 hours get priority. There will be a 72-hour window in which to use priority purchasing invitations.

This is a developing story and will be updated as new information comes in.

Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor

Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper.

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