Nintendo has revealed that the long-awaited Switch 2 console, its successor to the phenomenally successful Nintendo Switch, will launch on June 5, 2025, for $450, with its key launch game being Mario Kart World, a new open-world entry in the beloved kart racing series.
While prices were not confirmed in the stream itself, the Switch 2 will retail for $450 in the US, or $499.99 with a download code for Mario Kart World included. In the UK it will go for £395 for the base console or £429 for the bundle, while Canadians can expect to pay $629.99 or $699.99 CAD, while Australians will be paying $699 or $769 AUD.
Like the original, the Switch 2 remains a hybrid device, capable of on-the-go gaming in handheld form and connecting to a big-screen TV at home. However, it’s bringing several key improvements over its predecessor.
After an initial reveal back in January, which itself followed months of leaks, we now know that the Switch 2 will boast a larger 7.9-inch screen in handheld mode. Disappointingly, it’s a return to an LCD display after the gorgeous OLED model for the original Switch, but it does see a bump in native resolution to 1080p and offers HDR for supported games. It’s also capable of a frame rate up to 120 fps, though this will again depend on the game.
Audio gets a boost too, with improved speakers and support for 3D audio (via headphones, although a system update is planned to offer support for this through the in-built speakers), and a microphone is built into the top of the console. Despite the bump in screen size and the addition of that mic, the handheld remains only 13.9-mm thick, though no mention was made of its weight.
The console boasts two USB-C ports, one on the top and one on the bottom. The latter will connect to the new dock—more on that in a second—while the top one can be used to either charge the console when used in handheld mode (a small but welcome improvement for anyone who’s struggled to balance holding the Switch with a charger coming out of the base) or to connect peripherals.
The controllers are similarly revised, with the newly dubbed Joy-Con 2 controllers connecting via “strong magnets,” with a release button to disconnect them. Confirming long-standing rumors, they’ll also be able to be used as mouse controllers, while the SL/SR shoulder buttons incorporated onto them are now larger and easier to press when used as a single controller. Thumbsticks are also larger than before.
The right Joy-Con 2 also sees the addition of a C button, which will be used to bring up audio controls, allowing users to access new GameChat features using the mic. GameChat will allow users to speak openly, with noise-canceling tech cutting out background noise, while a new Nintendo Switch 2 Camera peripheral will allow onscreen group playing. Screen sharing will also be possible, again accessed from the C button menu, and you’ll be able to shrink or enlarge other players’ screens, with an example shown of helping a lost player find their way to their friends elsewhere in a game world. It all speaks to an even greater social focus for the Switch 2. It’s worth noting that all those GameChat features will be require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
The C button will also make an appearance on a new Switch 2 Pro controller, a more “conventional” joypad akin to an Xbox or PS5 controller. Nintendo has long offered these types of pads—even the Wii had one—but the company looks to be going a step beyond for this generation. The Switch 2 Pro Controller will see the addition of new rear-mounted paddle buttons, dubbed GL/GR. Expect more info to follow, but we’d expect these to be mappable buttons like those found on some of the best game controllers. Nintendo will also introduce a dedicated, wireless GameCube controller for use with classic games from that console coming to Nintendo Switch Online—more on that shortly, too.
