Switch 2 release date, price and everything else we expect from Nintendo Direct
On Wednesday, April 2, Nintendo is going to blow the doors off the Nintendo Switch 2 console. But what does that mean, exactly?
Back in January, Nintendo already gave us a brief glimpse at the device and an even more brief glimpse at a new Mario Kart game running on it, but that was all we got. Well, that and a promise that we'd hear more on April 2 at 9 a.m. ET. After three agonizing months, that date is almost upon us. Let's talk about what to expect from the upcoming Nintendo Direct livestream.
What to expect from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct livestream
You can watch the Nintendo Direct stream on Nintendo's YouTube channel when the time comes. Here's what we think will be included.
Switch 2 price and release date
The only thing that's a virtual certainty to be in this stream, aside from one game we'll get to a minute, is information about the Switch 2's launch. Nintendo will most definitely tell us when the console is coming out and how much it will cost.
It's hard to be more specific than that until we hear it from the horse's mouth, but we do have some information to work with right now. Insider Gaming reported this week that Nintendo is planning to launch the console in June with a smattering of first-party games right away, with more third-party titles to come in the months to follow.
As for price, a recent Bloomberg report indicated that the console will cost at least $400. This is one of the harder aspects of the Switch 2 to nail down prior to the Direct because of the shifting economic realities of the Trump administration's tariff policies. My bet, personally, is that the console is exactly $399.99, that's just an educated guess.
Switch 2 controllers, new console features
Right now, the main things we know about the Switch 2 hardware that distinguish it from the original Switch are that it's bigger and has more horsepower inside. The widespread expectation is that it will be roughly as powerful as a PlayStation 4 Pro or maybe even a Steam Deck, possibly with the ability to upscale games to 4K using DLSS technology.
Of course, there will probably be more to it than that. The January teaser video teased the ability to use a Joy-Con controller like you'd use a computer mouse, and recently filed patents from Nintendo back this up. It's not really clear what this will be used for yet, but that's what the Direct is for. I would also expect to see a look at the console-level operating system and maybe some glimpses of additional online features, if there are any. There's also a still-unexplained "C" button on the new Joy-Con controller, and it's anyone's guess what the heck that is used for.
Switch 2 launch games
If you've never seen a Nintendo Direct before, they tend to be ruthlessly efficient. When there isn't new hardware to show, they're usually just a series of game trailers with the occasional interstitial bit where a stately looking man in a suit talks to you for a minute or two. Given that this one is dedicated to new hardware, there will almost certainly be a little more "men in suits talking" than the average Direct, but I would still expect this stream to heavily focus on new games for the Switch 2.
Unfortunately, there's only one game we know for certain will be at this event, and that's an unnamed new Mario Kart title. This game was briefly shown during the Switch 2 teaser video in January, and the only thing you can really get from the few seconds of footage in that video is that there are now 24 racers in a race instead of 12. Anything beyond that is speculation. I would expect this to be a launch title for the system.
That's about all we have to work with right now, sadly. All I can do is guess as to what else will be shown during this Direct. There probably won't be a new The Legend of Zelda game because Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom just came out over the past two years, though I wouldn't rule out an enhanced port of an older Zelda title. Metroid Prime 4 is a distinct possibility, perhaps even as a launch title, given its long development history and the fact that we haven't seen it since Nintendo re-revealed it last summer.
Xenoblade series developer Monolith Soft could potentially give us a brief glimpse of its next project for Switch 2, as well. I would also expect to see the next proper 3D Mario game at some point in this Direct, and it wouldn't surprise me if that were a launch title, too. If not, it could still be out in time for this holiday season.
Other than those things, it's really hard to guess what Nintendo will show. There's always the possibility (however slight) that a dormant series like Star Fox or F-Zero gets revived, and it's possible we may hear about the next Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing games, but none of those are guaranteed to be in this Direct.
I wish I could just sleep until Wednesday morning.