Eight years after the original Nintendo Switch was released, Nintendo has unveiled official details about their Switch 2 console along with a few other surprises during their Nintendo Direct presentation.
One of the biggest surprises was the announcement of Mario Kart World, releasing on June 5. The ninth entry in the racing series is taking things off-road for the first time in the series history. In this version, 24 racers can select either karts, motorcycles, boats, trucks, snowmobiles, or planes through an open world full of various regions. The vehicles, items, and costumes for the racers featured the classic “Mario” crew and additional new members.
While the Switch 2 was officially announced in January with a teaser video, gamers got a closer look at the console’s magnetically detachable Joy-Con controllers and the ditching of their red and blue colors in favor of a mostly black palette, making for a slicker design. The controllers can also now be used as wireless mice for games.
Additionally, the Switch 2 has a bigger LCD screen that supports HDR and 4K, plus a built-in stand to prop up the console when playing it in tabletop mode. While same directional buttons are included on the left Joy-con controller, and the A, B, X and Y button are on the right, the new C button and built-in microphone allows gamers to chat while playing and view each other’s screens. A camera accessory (available to purchase separately) will allow them to video chat while playing and can be incorporated into some upcoming titles. There are 256 gigabytes of storage, which is eight times more than the Switch. Game cartridges are now red, instead of black, and support faster data reading.
With a bigger screen (7.9 inches vs. 6.2 on the Switch), improved resolution (1080p vs 720p) and more internal memory (256 GB vs 32 GB), it will support “compatible” Switch games as well.
The Switch 2 will cost $450, a 50% increase over the launch price of the original Switch. Mario Kart World will be the system’s biggest game at launch. Several Switch games will be offered with optional upgrades (for an additional cost), which bring in new gameplay features or improvements). A Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle has a retail price of $499.99. Pre-orders will start on April 9th.
The company also showed off several third-party titles, including Hades II, Borderlands 4, Civilization VII, and, coming this winter, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Meanwhile, on July 17, a Donkey Kong-focused platform game called Donkey Kong Bananza will launch for the Switch 2.
To learn more about the Nintendo Switch 2, check out the overview trailer in the video below and the Nintendo Direct in the video above.
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