After months of being the worst kept secret in the gaming industry, the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been revealed. Now we’ve had our first official look at the fresh console via a Nintendo trailer that confirms many of the leaks that have surfaced about the successor to the original Nintendo Switch.
Unfortunately, the fresh footage turned out to be temptingly brief and there’s still a lot we don’t know about Nintendo Switch 2. When is the exact release date? How much will it cost? Why isn’t it backwards compatible with every original Switch game? Let’s tackle the biggest questions about the fresh console while we wait for the next Nintendo Direct in April 2025.
What is the release date of Nintendo Switch 2?
There has been a lot of speculation about when Nintendo plans to release Switch 2 in 2025. The trailer doesn’t give us any fresh information about it, but only confirms what we already knew – the system will hit stores later this year. So when will the Switch 2 actually drop in 2025?
The original Switch launched on March 3, 2017, after being first unveiled in October 2016. Will Nintendo stick to a similar schedule this time? If so, then yes postpone the release of Switch 2 to May or June 2025which is consistent with recent rumors.
At this point, all we know for sure is that the system won’t be released before April 2025. Nintendo has scheduled a fresh live Direct broadcast for April 2, during which we will learn more details about the console and watch footage of the Switch 2 launch sports competitions. We also know that Nintendo will be hosting a series of hands-on announcement events for fans from April through early June. It would make sense to release the console after these events are over. But again, we probably won’t know a specific release date until Direct in April.
What is the price of Switch 2?
Price may be the biggest mystery surrounding Nintendo Switch 2 right now. How much will the fresh console cost? Will it be compatible with the original Switch, or should gamers prepare for a price enhance?
The original Switch launched in 2017 and cost $300. Currently, the price of the Switch OLED is $350. Since the Switch 2 is, ostensibly, an upgraded version of the Switch with superior hardware, it stands to reason that Nintendo will raise the price by $50 or $100. Indeed, current rumors suggest Switch 2 will be available for $400matching it to the entry-level OLED Steam Deck player. IGN spoke to a number of industry analysts who largely agree $400 is the perfect price for a fresh console.
Ultimately, it may depend on how advanced the hardware is in the fresh console. Rumors suggest that the Switch 2 is on par with the Xbox One X. In other words, it’s a substantial improvement over its predecessor, but it’s not necessarily cutting-edge portable technology. The power of the Switch 2 and questions like whether the system still uses an OLED screen (more on that later) will determine how much more pricey the Switch 2 will be compared to the original.
What fresh games will Switch 2 come with?
A fresh console is only as good as its library of launch games. One of the reasons the original Switch was so successful is that it launched with a truly killer lineup. It’s not often that a fresh Nintendo console launches with a brand fresh open-world Legend of Zelda game. Add to that the hugely popular Mario Kart 8 and the release of Super Mario Odyssey later that year, and it’s clear that the Switch came out in full force.
Will Switch 2 have an equally impressive arsenal? At this point we can only speculate. The trailer only announces one fresh game for Switch 2 footage of what we assume is Mario Kart 9. If Nintendo is planning to release a fresh Zelda or Mario game, they’re keeping it a secret until April.
We have quite an extensive list all the games rumored to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2. We expect third-party support to enhance this time around, now that there won’t be such a substantial gap in technical power between Nintendo consoles and Playstation 5 and Xbox.
What is the exact size of the Switch 2?
One of the biggest takeaways from the Switch 2 trailer is that the fresh console is not only more powerful than its predecessor, but also bigger. Both the console itself and the Joy-Cons are physically taller (though their width appears unchanged), and the screen is larger and takes up most of the front of the device. Everything indicates that this is more solid hardware than the original Switch.
But how substantial is the Switch 2? Based on the trailer, we estimate that the Switch 2 is approximately 15% larger than the original. Is this correct? How much does this matter to the overall experience? Will the fresh Switch be as comfortable to hold and manipulate? We will have to wait until April for more specific details.
What type of screen does it have?
The original Switch only saw one major hardware upgrade in its long lifecycle, but it was a major upgrade. The OLED switch is a clear improvement over the original. The OLED screen is brighter and more dynamic, and the OLED technology also allows for longer battery life (a substantial win in such a portable system).
Naturally, Nintendo fans wondered whether the Switch 2 would follow suit and operate an OLED display once again. We’d certainly like to see an OLED panel again, but it’s very possible that Nintendo will switch to an LED or even LCD panel to cut costs. The trailer doesn’t tell us what technology the Switch 2 uses, so this is another area where we’ll have to wait until the next Nintendo Direct to find out more.
Which games are not backwards compatible?
Nintendo eased concerns by confirming this Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with most original Switch games. These OG Switch games, whether physical cartridges or digital downloads, will work on the fresh system. This makes it much easier to get involved with your fresh console.
That being said, the trailer comes with the disclaimer that not all Switch games will be compatible with the fresh console. Which games won’t run on the fresh system? Are we talking about Switch games that require the original Joy-Con controller, like Ring Fit Adventure or Nintendo LABO? Or maybe there are other hardware limitations that we don’t know about that prevent certain games from being available on the fresh system?
Will the original Switch games be improved?
It’s worth knowing that most original Switch games will work on the fresh console. However, the question remains as to how exactly Switch games will run on Switch 2. Will the experience be identical, or will Nintendo operate the improved hardware to enhance frame rates and otherwise improve graphics?
Considering how graphically demanding games like Tears of the Kingdom are crying out for more power, we have to assume that Nintendo has some plan to offer enhanced versions of the original games on Switch. But will it be as straightforward as loading an ancient Switch cart onto the Switch 2, or will players have to pay for the enhanced, remastered version? And if the latter, will it be a paid download or will they have to buy a completely fresh version of the game? Basically, what kind of investment are we looking for if we want to play the Tears of the Kingdom remaster?
What fresh features does Joy-Con have?
Rumors suggested that the fresh Joy-Con controllers would receive several improvements on the Switch 2. These rumors were confirmed by the trailer, which confirms that the fresh Joy-Con has an additional button and will attach to the console magnetically, rather than via a rail. The trailer even seems to confirm this rumor The Joy-Con can be manipulated like a computer mouseopening up fresh gameplay possibilities.
How exactly will the Switch 2 take advantage of these fresh features? Will mouse-like functionality open fresh doors for first-person shooters or strategy games on the Switch 2? So what exactly does the fresh button do?
Once again, we expect the fresh Joy-Con to be the main focus of April’s Direct event, where we’ll see fresh games showcasing the possibilities offered by these additional features.
Will Joy-Con Drift be fixed?
Playing on the original Switch is not all sunshine and rainbows. Many owners have faced the dreaded Joy-Con drift problem, whereby the joysticks start recording movement on their own. While to its credit, Nintendo was aggressive in offering repair and replacement solutions, it was still a frustrating issue that persisted throughout the Switch’s lifecycle.
We can only hope that drift will be a problem that Nintendo has solved this time around. Are the fresh Joy-Cons drift-proof? Will the combination of fresh joystick sensors and magnetic mounts make this problem a thing of the past? We hope so, but we’ll see if Nintendo addresses the topic at its Direct event in April.
For more information on Nintendo Switch 2, check out 30 details we found in the trailer and see what you can expect from Nintendo in 2025.
Jesse is a soft-spoken writer for IGN. Let him borrow a machete from your intellectual thicket follow @jschedeen on BlueSky.
