Switch 2 full reveal: your complete guide through what Nintendo showed off

Today’s Nintendo Direct had been in the diary since January, when we got the exciting first surprise showing of the Nintendo Switch 2 console. There’s no doubt this is a huge moment for gaming and will surely be one of 2025’s most coveted tech launches.

We’d already seen the (very Switch-like) design, and knew about new features like the magnetic, redesigned Joy-Cons and backwards compatibility with older Switch cartridges (as well as digital transfers of Nintendo eShop games you already own). Now we’ve found out the nitty gritty.

The Switch 2 Nintendo Direct showcase – streamed online on Nintendo’s YouTube and Twitch channels – was no quick reveal. It lasted around an hour, despite not being a deep dive around the specs, but went in-depth on game launches.

Nintendo Switch 2: everything you need to know

Nintendo Switch 2 launch date

The Switch 2 is going on sale on June 5th, 2025 and will cost $450/£396. There will be a single version, with 256GB of on-board storage. A bundle with Mario Kart Worlds is also due for $500/£430.

Pre-orders will open on April 9 at all the usual electronics retailers.

Nintendo Direct Switch 2 game reveals

Mario Kart World: A new Mario Kart game kicked off the stream, highlighting a bunch of features entirely new to the franchise. You’ll be able to leave the race track for the first time, driving to the next course as part of each classic grand prix series, or free roam the world with friends. There’ll be a photo mode, too. A knockout Tour swaps circuits for checkpoints, with players knocked out if they’re last to reach the next one. Characters can change costumes mid-race now, and there’ll be different weather conditions and times of day too. Mario Kart World will launch day and date with the Switch 2. Nintendo has a Direct showcase stream planned for April 17 to reveal more.

Kirby Air Riders: two decades on from the Gamecube original, this fan favourite is getting a sequel. Some might ask whether we needed two racing games so soon into the Switch 2’s life, but it looks fun enough from the brief teaser trailer.

Donkey Kong Bananza: An all-new 3D Donkey Kong adventure in the vein of DK64, this colourful romp sees the simian hero pummel rocks to uncover hidden gems on Ingot Isle. It’s releasing on July 17.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour: a typically Nintendo-esque tutorial that teaches you all the Switch 2’s new functions and features via minigames and hidden secrets. It’s a paid-for game that’ll be digital-only.

Duskbloods: easily the third-party exclusive that’ll turn the most heads, Duskbloods is an all-new FromSoftware adventure that looks like someone crossed the steampunk genre with Castlevania. It’s coming in 2026, so expect to hear plenty more about its gameplay between now and launch.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games: Nintendo will update a bunch of Switch games for the new console, adding extra features to take advantage of Switch 2’s additions like the camera and mouse controls. First up will be Super Mario Party Jamboree on July 24th. Owners of the Switch original will be able to buy a digital upgrade. Zeldas Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will see patches that bring higher resolutions and HDR support, as well as a new Zelda Notes mode in the Nintendo smartphone app.

Gamecube on Switch Online: Nintendo’s much-loved sixth-gen console will finally see some of its greatest hits land on the Switch Online service. Zelda: the Wind Waker, Soul Calibur II and F-Zero GX are promised to start with. There’ll also be a Switch 2-compatible wireless Gamecube controller, complete with C button.

Third-party support: Nintendo brought plenty of friends along to show off their new releases. Hades II, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 and Borderlands 4 will all launch on Switch 2, while big hitters like Elden Ring, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy and Hitman: World of Assassination will receive ports.

Nintendo Switch 2 features

Screen: The Switch 2 has a 7.9in, 1920×1080 LCD display, which might come as a disappointment to Switch OLED owners – but 120Hz refresh rate and HDR support could make up for it. Nintendo is promising louder, clearer speakers to go with it, as well as a sturdy flip-out stand with a lot more angle adjustment than before. A second USB-C port at the top, next to the 3.5mm headset port, makes it easier to charge in tabletop mode.

Dock: You’ll still dock your Switch 2 in order to play on the big screen, but the new one can output a 4K HDR image – that’s a huge leap from the 1080 SDR of the original Switch. Nintendo has added a built-in fan to cool the system while it’s pushing all those pixels.

Storage: The Switch 2 will have 256GB of on-board storage as standard. It’ll be a lot faster at reading and writing than the original Switch. External storage sticks around too, but the new console will only support MicroSD Express Cards; your OG Switch’s regular microSD cards won’t work.

Game Cards: Switch 2 games get new red game cartridges which have faster read speeds than Switch 1’s black carts.

Joy-cons: the new joy-con controllers connect magnetically to the console, with a release button on the back. The left and right analogue sticks are larger now, so should be more comfortable to use – and hopefully stick drift is a thing of the past. They can be used on their sides like a computer mouse in compatible games.

The long-rumoured C button will launch a new GameChat feature. That’s right, on-device voice chat rather than through a phone app! It uses the microphone built into the Switch 2, with far-field pickup to hear you from across the room and background noise reduction. This menu also supports screen sharing during gameplay.

Switch 2 Pro Controller: the Switch 2’s new C button will also appear on the new Pro Controller. This accessory has a 3.5mm audio port built-in for using with a headset, and new GL and GR buttons on the back.

Switch 2 Camera: An official accessory for adding video chat to games, the Switch 2 camera is a USB-C webcam that sits on a raised stand for placing next to your TV. It’ll remove backgrounds if you prefer to keep your room obscured. It’s launching the same day as Switch 2.

GameShare: You’ll be able to play locally on multiple Switch 2 and Switch systems with just one game. It’ll only with with compatible titles, though, not the entire Switch game catalogue.

A lot of these features need a Switch Online membership, but Nintendo is keeping it in Open Access until March 31st 2026.

Switch 2 specs

Nintendo didn’t focus on specific hardware in the presentation, but here’s what the most recent rumours suggest. Pricing is rumoured to be in the $400-500 range but this seems a little high to us – if we were betting we’d go for $399.

Key hardware

• Platform: Nvidia Tegra T239, using 8-core ARM Cortex-A78C CPU

• Graphics: Nvidia Ampere T239

• Performance: 1.72 TFLOPs as a handheld and 3.09 TFLOPs when docked

• RAM: 12 GB LPDDR5X (2 x 6 GB modules)

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, NFC with Amiibo figurine compatibility

Also read: Switch Virtual Game Cards are a good idea – but I want Nintendo to go further

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.