Nintendo Switch 2
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| Nintendo Switch 2 | |
|---|---|
 Promotional image for the Nintendo Switch 2 | |
| Generation | Ninth generation |
| Release date |  June 5, 2025[1][2][3] |
| Predecessor | Nintendo Switch |
- “Altogether, Anytime, Anywhere.”
- —Tagline[4]
The Nintendo Switch 2, or simply the Switch 2, is a hybrid video game console and the successor to the Nintendo Switch, set to be released on June 5, 2025.[1] It is Nintendo's first console to use a standardized numbering system to differentiate it from its predecessor (in the vein of Sony's PlayStation family of home consoles). Like its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch 2 uses a pair of detachable Joy-Con as its controllers and can be played on the TV by placing it in the dock or in handheld mode by taking it out. The Nintendo Switch 2 is slightly larger than the original Nintendo Switch, and includes a higher-resolution display and new features such as mouse controls for the Joy-Con and a voice and video call function known as GameChat activated via a new C button. It is backwards compatible with most physical and digital Nintendo Switch games, and uses an all-black color scheme, which also applies to the Joy-Con, with neon blue and neon red accents underneath the left and right sticks and for the left and right connectors, respectively.[2]
A successor to the Nintendo Switch was first confirmed by Shuntaro Furukawa in May 2024,[5] and it was first officially revealed and named in a trailer released on January 16, 2025, alongside gameplay of the then untitled Mario Kart World. It is the first new console to release during Furukawa's time as president of Nintendo, and is the first console to be developed without the involvement of Satoru Iwata. A Nintendo Direct focused on the Nintendo Switch 2 was broadcast on April 2, 2025, at 6:00 a.m. PT / 9:00 a.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. BST.[6] On April 3 and 4, two dedicated Nintendo Treehouse: Live presentations focusing on the games shown in the direct took place online.[7] A series of hands-on events for customers called the "Nintendo Switch 2 Experience" is also planned for locations around the world from April to June.[2][3]
Features
The Nintendo Switch 2 supports the same three playing styles as the original Nintendo Switch: TV mode (with the console placed in the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock), tabletop mode (with the console placed on a flat surface via the kickstand and the Joy-Con detached), and handheld mode (with the console held in the player's hands and the Joy-Con attached). The console consists of a 7.9-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1080p, supporting up to 120 frames per second and HDR. When playing in TV mode, the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock allows up to 4K resolution for compatible games. The speakers have enhanced audio, allowing for 3D audio in games that utilize it. The console also features a built-in microphone, which is able to cancel out background noise and only detect the player's voice, even at a distance;[8] and an extra USB-C port at the top, which can be used for charging or to attach a USB-C camera. The kickstand now extends across almost the full width of the console; the angle at which it is reclined can be adjusted. A storage capacity of 256 GB is available on the Nintendo Switch 2, eight times more than its predecessor's 8 GB. Only microSD Express cards are compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2.[4]
GameChat
GameChat is an online communication feature that allows players to conduct voice and video calls with other players around the world while playing games, accessed by pressing the C button. Players speak through the Nintendo Switch 2's built-in microphone, and, using a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, can also appear on-screen during a call session. Through GameChat, players can also share their screen to other participants.[8]
GameShare allows one Nintendo Switch 2 to locally and wirelessly share compatible games with other Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 systems, in a similar manner to Download Play on the Nintendo DS. Through GameChat, one Nintendo Switch 2 can share a game with other Nintendo Switch 2 systems online.[9]
Peripherals
Joy-Con 2
The Nintendo Switch 2's Joy-Con, referred to as the Joy-Con 2,[1] are connected directly to the sides of the console via magnetic, gendered plugs rather than vertical slide locks. Additionally, the Joy-Con 2, when disconnected from the console, can be turned on their sides and moved around on a flat surface, akin to a computer mouse. The right Joy-Con includes the C button under the HOME Menu button, the marking for which was not officially revealed until the final Nintendo Switch 2 Direct countdown clip on Nintendo Today![10] The right Joy-Con also lacks the visible IR sensor from its predecessor. Both Joy-Con 2's SL and SR buttons are larger than the original Joy-Con's.[4]
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller[1] is a more traditional controller for the system, with it being similar to the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Various new features have been added that were not present on the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, such as the C button, GL and GR buttons that can be used to assign existing button controls, and an audio jack.[1] The Nintendo Switch logo has also been replaced by the Nintendo Switch 2 logo, and the top of the controller is gray instead of black.[1]
Nintendo Switch 2 Camera
The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is a USB-C peripheral used to capture only the player's face and body for video calls through GameChat or games that make use of the camera such as Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.[8]
An officially licensed, Piranha Plant-themed camera manufactured by HORI was made available on the My Nintendo Store in the UK.[11]
Software
2025
Backwards-compatible games
All Nintendo Switch Super Mario games have been confirmed to be backwards compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. WarioWare: Move It! is noted as requiring the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con (R) to play microgames that utilize the IR Motion Camera.[12] Additionally, some games, such as Super Mario Odyssey, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, will receive free updates that take advantage of the system's superior hardware.[13]
Applications to play classic games such as Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online will also be available on the Nintendo Switch 2, albeit with "Nintendo Switch Online" in their titles renamed to "Nintendo Classics."[14]
Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of a Nintendo Switch game features enhanced content and/or visuals, such as frame rate improvements and new gameplay content that makes use of Nintendo Switch 2 features. Super Mario Party Jamboree is the only Nintendo Switch Super Mario game that has been confirmed to receive a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, titled Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.[1] For players who already own a Nintendo Switch game that has a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, an upgrade pack that includes the new content can be purchased on the Nintendo eShop, on the My Nintendo Store, or at retailers.[15]
Gallery
System
A promotional photo of the Nintendo Switch 2
A promotional photo of the Nintendo Switch 2, without the C button marking
A promotional photo of the Nintendo Switch 2, without the C button marking
A promotional banner of the Nintendo Switch 2, without the C button marking
The Nintendo Switch 2 docked
The Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode, with the logo in front
The Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode playing Mario Kart World
The Nintendo Switch 2 in TV mode playing Mario Kart World
The Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2 playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder in handheld mode, showcasing the Nintendo Switch 2's backwards compatibility with Nintendo Switch games
HOME Menu
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Accessories
Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip
A comparison of the cartridges of the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2
A Super Mario-themed 256 GB microSD Express Card
Games
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ニンテンドースイッチ2[16] Nintendō Suitchi Tsū |
Nintendo Switch 2 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Nintendo of America (April 2, 2025). Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025. YouTube. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c Nintendo of America (January 16, 2025). Nintendo Switch 2 – First-look trailer. YouTube (English). Retrieved January 16, 2025. (Archived January 16, 2025, 17:56:20 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ a b Nintendo Switch 2 - Nintendo - Official Site. Nintendo (official US website) (English). Retrieved January 16, 2025. (Archived January 16, 2025, 14:27:23 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ a b c Nintendo of America (April 2, 2025). All Together, Anytime, Anywhere. The #NintendoSwitch2 system launches on June 5, 2025! Learn more: https://ninten.do/6006qqcEq. YouTube. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ @NintendoCoLtd (May 7, 2024). "This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo. We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015. We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation.". X (English). Retrieved January 17, 2025. (Archived November 14, 2024, 03:01:41 UTC via archive.today.)
- ^ Nintendo of America (February 5, 2025). Join us on April 2nd at 6am PT for #NintendoDirect: Nintendo Switch 2 — 4.2.2025, where we will share a closer look at #Nintendo Switch 2. YouTube. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ @NintendoAmerica (April 1, 2025). Join us on April 3rd and April 4th at 7 a.m. PT each day for a Nintendo Treehouse: Live | Nintendo Switch 2 presentation featuring hands-on gameplay of #NintendoSwitch2 games!. X. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c Nintendo of America (April 3, 2025). GameChat – Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2. YouTube. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo Switch 2 GameShare: How It Works - Nintendo US. Nintendo. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ @NE_Brian (April 1, 2025). Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 timing confirmed. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ https://store.nintendo.co.uk/en/piranha-plant-camera-for-nintendo-switch-2-000000000010016155. My Nintendo Store UK. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo Switch games compatibility. Nintendo. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo Switch Free Updates. Nintendo. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo of America (April 2, 2025). Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025. YouTube. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ Games Enhanced for Nintendo Switch 2 - Nintendo US. Nintendo. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ January 16, 2025. 【Switch2】ニンテンドースイッチ2正式発表。発売日は2025年。世界各都市で体験会も開催. Famitsu (Japanese). Retrieved January 17, 2025. (Archived January 17, 2025, 08:07:38 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
External links
| Nintendo Switch 2 games | |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives | |
| Super Mario franchise | Mario Kart World (2025) |
| Donkey Kong franchise | Donkey Kong Bananza (2025) |
| Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games | |
| Super Mario franchise | Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV (2025) |
