Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Recap: all the announcements and reveals –

The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct wrapped up and boy was it a big one. The show lasted nearly an hour and offered a deeper look at the console itself and the collection of games it will support at its debut. Since a lot was unpacked, you may be looking for a shorter summary of what happened and what was presented. If so, look no further.

We have gathered all the announcements and disclosures in one place in this article, summarizing the relevant information for each and reducing it to a more condensed form. So sit back and take a look at everything that happened during today’s mega-showcase.

Nintendo Switch 2 launch date and price

The most important thing to note is that the console will launch on June 5. It also has a varying recommended retail price that depends on whether you just pick up the console or grab the bundle with the new Mario Kart -game. Those prices are as follows:

• Console: £395.99 / €469.99 / $449.99
• Console with Mario Kart: £429.99 / €509.99 / $499.99

For additional pricing on bundles and accessories, go here to read more.

What’s in the box?

What do you get in your Nintendo Switch 2 console package? Everything listed below.

• Nintendo Switch 2 system
• Joy-Con 2 controllers (L+R)
• Joy-Con 2 Grip
• Joy-Con 2 straps
• Nintendo Switch 2 holder
• Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable
• Nintendo Switch 2 AC adapter
• USB-C charging cable

Nintendo Switch 2 specifications

There is a lot to go through in this regard, so if you are interested in a deeper analysis, you can read our special text on the subject. Otherwise, the summary is as follows:

• 7.9-inch LCD display at 1080p and 120Hz with HDR support
• Magnetically attached Joy-Cons
• USB-C ports on the bottom and top of the device
• New and more stable standard
• More powerful CPU and GPU
• 3D audio support in handheld and tabletop
• 256 GB internal storage and compatibility with MicroSD Express cards for more storage space
• Nintendo Switch 1 backwards compatibility
• 4K resolution and 120 FPS frame rate when connected to a dock

GameChat and GameShare

This handy feature is the meaning of the “C” button on the right Joy-Con. GameChat is the name and it is essentially a party system that allows users to communicate with each other in groups of up to four. It has video features made accessible via a new peripheral Camera, screen sharing elements and also parental controls for those who need them. Learn more about GameChat here.

According to GameShare, this is a way for console users to play games locally without having to share a single pair of Joy-Cons. Essentially, you can now play games locally on different Switch 2 consoles by sharing access to them. In a way, it’s a continuation of the local play that DS users had access to. Find more here.

Nintendo Switch Online

Yes, the online service will be available to Switch 2 console users and should have access to many of the new social elements. Those who want to test GameChat through this service will have access to a limited trial period that runs until March 31, 2026. After that, the feature behind the service will be locked down.

Otherwise, Switch Online users will soon have access to a library of GameCube classics as the console is introduced to the service. The games it will debut with are the following:

• F-Zero GX
• The legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
• Soul Calibur II

As part of this, a special GameCube controller will also be launched.

Switch 1 upgraded games

Before we get to the new games, let’s talk about existing games. For current Switch 1 -users, you’ll be happy to know that many of the existing games are being translated to the upcoming platform and will include improvements on many fronts.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are both getting the treatment, including better performance and graphics, as well as a new experience in some places. This will be available at the console launch on June 5.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land sees an addition called Star-Crossed World, which introduces a new story to experience and a new Mouthful Modes to master. Better achievements are also on the table when it arrives on Aug. 28.

Super Mario Party Jamboree will be enhanced with better performance and even additional activities and mini-games that take advantage of Switch 2’s new features. This includes mouse controls, the built-in microphone and even the camera for anyone who owns it. This version will launch on July 24.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is also getting a Switch 2 edition that offers graphics modes. Quality offers 4K/60FPS action and Performance instead delivers 1080p/120FPS, both with HDR support. This will be available when the game debuts sometime this year.

Finally, Pokémon Legends: Z-A will offer improved performance and frame rates when it also debuts on console.

Third-party ports

There are also many third-party games planned for the Switch 2 at launch or shortly thereafter. To save some time, here is a list of all these games below and all available release dates.

• Hades II – 2025
• EA Sports Madden NFL
• EA Sports FC
• NBA 2K
• WWE 2K
• Split Fiction – June 5
• Cyberpunk 2077 – June 5
• Final Fantasy VII: Remake – Intergrade
• Street Fighter 6 – June 5
• Civilization VII – June 5
• Hogwarts Legacy – June 5
• Dapper Standard Flying Fairy HD Remaster – June 5
• Borderlands 4 – 2025
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+ 4 – Summer 2025
• Elden Ring – Tainted Edition – 2025
• Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut – June 5
• Fortnite – June 5
• Enter the Gungeon 2 – 2026
• Hitman: World of Assassination – June 5
• Assignment 007
• Starseeker: Astronomer Chronicles
• Daemon X Machina: Titanic scion
• Deltarune
• Survival kids
• Star Wars bandits
• Hollow Knight: Silk Song

Brand new third-party announcements

Most of the third-party news concerned ports to the Switch 2 console, but there were also a few brand new announcements. Perhaps the most notable of the bunch was FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, a game that our dear Alberto foamingly thought was originally Bloodborne 2…. This is being directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and we will find out more about it on April 4.

Otherwise, we also met Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a new chapter in the musuo series. This explores the story just before Tears of the Kingdom and is being developed by Koei-Tecmo Games with plans to launch this winter.

Some tech demo-like games will also be added, including Drag x Drive, which will launch in the summer and serve as a way to demonstrate the mouse functions of the new Joy-Cons. This game will be a purely 3v3 online title.

Finally, we have Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which uses mini-games, tech demos and additional interactions to familiarize fans with the new console. Essentially, you can expect something along the lines of what Astro’s Playroom did for PlayStation 5.

New first-party game: Mario Kart World

The big launch title alongside Switch 2. Known as Mario Kart World and not Mario Kart 9, this installment will offer new tracks, improved graphics, numerous driver options, promising new cups, a variety of game modes and more. We’re told that this game will offer up to 24 racers per race, have location-themed levels that change depending on the weather and time of day, free-riding levels accessible via Free Roam mode, a full Photo Mode, gravel tracks and wall-riding for traversal, all in line with the Switch 2’s debut on June 5. Read more about Mario Kart World here.

Oh and there will be a Direct dedicated to the game on April 17 at 14:00 BST / 15:00 CEST, so keep an eye on us.

New first-party game: Kirby Air Riders

Coming from the legendary Masahiro Sakurai, director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Kirby Air Riders is a continuation of the Air Ride -series made in collaboration between HAL Laboratory and Sora. It is a racing action title set to launch on Switch 2 sometime in 2025, and beyond that we don’t know much else about the game….

New first-party game: Donkey Kong Bananza

Perhaps the most exciting new reveal from Direct’s big 3D platformer, EAD Tokyo, was not a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey, but rather a new Donkey Kong adventure. Known as Donkey Kong Bananza, this will launch on July 17, and we’ll leave it to the official description to add some extra color.

“Crash, bash and climb through almost everything in DK’s path and tear up stretches of terrain to swing around and make groundbreaking explorations. The more demolished with powerful punches, the more areas open up to be discovered.”

Go here for more information about the game.