Nintendo Switch 2: What We Know and What to Expect

After years of rumors, speculation, fake leaks, and hopeful Reddit threads, Nintendo has finally confirmed what fans have been dreaming about: the Nintendo Switch 2 is real and it’s coming on June 5, 2025. If you thought the original Switch was revolutionary, you might want to buckle up (or at least charge your Joy-Cons), because this next-gen hybrid console is shaping up to be Nintendo’s boldest bet yet.

Let’s break down what makes the Nintendo Switch 2 both exciting and just quirky enough to remind you that yes, it’s still very much a Nintendo console.

A Design That’s Familiar—But Sharper

At first glance, the Switch 2 looks like its older sibling went through a glow-up phase. It still has that beloved handheld-meets-dockable design, but with a larger 7.9-inch 1080p LCD display, smoother bezels, and a 120Hz refresh rate that’ll make Mario Kart look smoother than your excuses for missing work.

And yes, when docked, it supports 4K output at 60fps with HDR10 and Variable Refresh Rate. So now you can pretend to be a serious adult with a serious entertainment system... until you boot up Animal Crossing.

Joy-Con 2: Now With Magnets and Logic

The Joy-Con 2 controllers are magnetic (yes, really), which means attaching them to your console will feel slightly futuristic and oddly satisfying. They also come with improved motion sensors, more comfortable grips, and a mysterious new “C” button. Nintendo claims it’s for GameChat and GameShare, but let’s be honest—we’ll press it just to see what happens.

New Internals, Big Gains

Under the hood, the Switch 2 is running on a custom Nvidia chip that supports DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling). That’s a fancy way of saying: prettier games without the fan sounding like it's trying to take off. You also get 256GB of internal storage (finally), expandable via microSD Express for your ever-growing backlog of unfinished indie titles.

A Solid Launch Lineup (Yes, Really)

Nintendo's being unusually generous at launch with a handful of brand-new titles and enhanced classics:

Mario Kart World – An open-world twist on the franchise that supports up to 24 players online. It’s chaotic. It’s fun. It’s probably going to ruin friendships.
Donkey Kong Bonanza – He’s back, and this time he’s bringing bananas and boss battles.
The Duskbloods – A gritty, gothic RPG that looks like someone at Nintendo played Bloodborne and said, “We can do this with more mushrooms.”
Enhanced Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The game we’ve all played 900 hours of is getting a full visual and performance upgrade for the new hardware.

Also, yes — backward compatibility is supported, which means your existing library gets to come along for the ride. No gamer left behind.

GameChat, GameShare, and Finally... a Real Online Experience?

Nintendo’s introducing GameChat, a built-in voice and video feature. No more needing a separate phone app to talk to friends while gaming — a change so overdue it feels like a miracle. GameShare lets you temporarily share a digital game with a friend, sort of like a weekend sleepover for your game library.

These features might not sound revolutionary if you’ve touched a PlayStation in the last decade, but in Nintendo Land, this is practically time travel.

Price, Availability & The Tariff Tango

The Nintendo Switch 2 starts at:

$449.99 for the Standard Edition
$499.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle

There’s a small wrinkle: due to ongoing tariff complications, U.S. preorders were temporarily paused. Nintendo is reportedly dancing around this issue by rerouting shipments through alternative factories. (If anyone can turn a logistics nightmare into a fun side-scrolling adventure, it’s them.)

Should You Upgrade?

If you’re a casual gamer who only plays Smash on holidays—maybe not yet. But if you’re even slightly invested in Nintendo’s ecosystem, the Switch 2 is a no-brainer. It's a significant performance jump, the game library looks promising, and it finally offers features that match modern gaming expectations… without losing the quirky magic that makes Nintendo, well, Nintendo.

And if nothing else, you’ll want to be ready when Mario Kart World hits and your friends start racing without you.