Wednesday, Nintendo aired its highly anticipated reveal presentation for the Nintendo Switch 2. From exclusive games to console features, there was a ton of information to glean from the 62-minute Direct.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch June 5 with a retail price of $449.99. Though some fans wonder if Trump’s 24% tariff on Japanese imports may bump the $450 price tag even higher.
The console features a larger 7.9 inch, 1080p display with a variable refresh rate of up to 120 hertz. The new Switch will not only look better, but run better as well.
Although the technical capabilities of Switch 2 were revealed, it was not the star of the show as new exclusive titles are what make the console exciting.
Announcements of games like “Mario Kart World,” “Kirby Air Riders” and “Donkey Kong Bananza” are going to be system-selling, first-party titles looking to reinvent the respective franchises.
YouTuber and Nintendo game veteran, Nathaniel Bandy, was thrilled after watching the presentation.
“So that was like, I don’t know, one of the best Directs I’ve ever seen in my life,” Bandy said. “The amount of stuff in this Direct was absolutely bonkers.”
The new Donkey Kong game looks to take advantage of the new hardware. Its trailer shows off these huge environments the player can tear through and destroy, almost reminiscent of “Minecraft.”
It has been over 25 years since the last 3D Donkey Kong game, so it was a real treat for longtime fans seeing the game announced at the end of the presentation. “Donkey Kong Bananza” is set to release July 17.
As crazy as it is, gamers have been playing “Mario Kart 8” since 2014. It is refreshing to see the new entry, “Mario Kart World,” have new features like 24-player matches, open-world exploration, completely revamped character designs and massive tracks with scale the series has never seen.
“Mario Kart World” is coming out on launch day, and Nintendo is even bundling it with certain consoles. The game is definitely going for an inventive approach, and more details will be revealed in a game-specific Direct April 17.
The announcement of “The Dusklands” came out of nowhere. It is a new intellectual property by FromSoftware coming exclusively to Switch 2 in 2026. YouTuber and FromSoftware game veteran, Sean McLoughlin aka Jackcepticeye, was shocked seeing this announcement.
“This feels like ‘Bloodborne,’ ‘Elden Ring’ and ‘Castlevania’ all in one game,” McLoughlin said.
FromSoftware games are dark and known for its difficulty, so it will be interesting to see how this game stands out from the rest of FromSoftware’s library as a Switch 2 exclusive.
Cutting edge titles, which have defined gaming for the past few years, such as “Elden Ring,” “Cyberpunk 2077,” “Yakuza 0,” “Hitman: World of Assassination” “Madden” and more recent titles such as “Split Fiction” and “Street Fighter 6” are all coming to the console as well.
Seeing these games come to Switch 2 looks promising, as the original Switch often struggled to handle beefier games. Hopefully the Switch 2 will truly wow players with uncompromised home-console experiences.
Not only were the heavily rumored mouse controls finally shown off, but a strange camera accessory was revealed that displays the user on screen during certain games. The camera mostly seems like a gimmick, but more than anything it is Nintendo at its weirdest trying to differentiate itself in the growing handheld market.
The Switch 2 also comes with a built-in microphone so players can talk with their friends during gameplay without having to use the Nintendo Switch Online phone app like they did before.
“GameShare” is something that flew under the radar, but looks to be a cool way of playing games online with your friends who don’t own a copy of the game you’re currently playing.
Upgraded versions of original Switch games were revealed as well. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom” were shown off and look to boost fidelity and performance on Switch 2. Unfortunately, the version will be paid upgrades for those who own the original games.
Gamecube will also be added to “Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack” for Switch 2 users starting at launch.
If there is one major pitfall of being a Nintendo fan, it is the price of the games. Nintendo has had some of the cheapest consoles on the market with the original Switch lite model costing $200 compared to $500 for a PlayStation 5.
The company made up for this by keeping games at $60, even years after release. Games for the Switch 2 look to be around $70 to $80, which may be difficult to stomach for some fans.
The past week has been an exciting time to be a Nintendo fan. From news about games on the original Switch to boundary pushing titles exclusive to Switch 2, it seems the future is bright for this hybrid console line.
