Nintendo Switch 2: Exciting reveal, but why is it more expensive here?

2 April 2025, 15:45 | Updated: 2 April 2025, 15:49

By Will Guyatt, technology correspondent

@willguyatt

Nintendo held its longest-ever Direct on 2nd April - imagine a quirker version of Apple’s lavish pre-recorded ‘reveals’ that proceed every major launch from the business - but partly in Japanese, which went on for around an hour.

The first Nintendo Switch console launched in March 2017 and has been a huge success for the company, with more than 155m Switch consoles sold - with the games machine now closing in on the sales record of Sony’s PlayStation 2 - the bestselling console of all time.   The Switch first caught people’s attention with its unique hybrid nature - enabling you to play at home on the TV, and then pause the action and continue your game on the move.   Over the eight years since launch, the Nintendo Switch cemented its reputation with an incredible catalogue of games which focused on using the console’s innovative features, which it had in spades over its more powerful rivals from Sony and Microsoft.

Firstly - we know the console will launch worldwide on June 5th and will launch in the UK at £395.99 for the console, or £429.99 with a downloadable version of Mario Kart World.   In the USA, the console with Mario Kart World costs $499 - when converted, around a £45 saving on the UK price.

The show kicked off with Mario Kart World  - a launch day sequel to the console’s most popular game.  It was the perfect title to showcase the apparent bump in power the Switch 2 possesses.  More before, Mario’s world was like a cartoon in HD.  With 24 drivers in a race, and races that interlink the actual races, it looks like another confident release in one of the world’s biggest gaming series, which first launched over 30 years ago.

Surely it’s just the same? 

Nintendo then moved on the console - which wasn’t a complete surprise, as it was revealed earlier this year, and looks pretty similar to the original Switch. Overall, it’s slightly larger in size - but the 7.9inch screen and the Joy-con controllers are once again detachable - this time thanks to magnets.    Nintendo revealed that it’s new Joycon controllers can be used like a traditional computer mouse which paves the way for many computer strategy games to be made available on the Switch 2 - as shown by the brief reveal of CIV7 -  a popular PC game coming to the console.

Another feature showcased was the ‘C’ button - which triggered Game Chat - a new Switch 2 offering.  It looks pretty much like an in game version of Zoom - allowing you to game while chatting with friends and family.  For the last 20 years or so, games developers have been pushing us to play online - but it looks like they now want to make it feel like you’re all gaming in the same room.

What am I going to play on it?

We saw an incredibly confident catalogue of releases, and unlike other console launches  - a load of these will launch simultaneously with the machine on June 5th.

Alongside Mario Kart World - we saw some big releases from other ‘current-gen’ consoles, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Split Fiction, Star Wars: Outlaw and Street Fighter 6. EA Sports underlined its commitment to the console with the release of EA Sports FC (formerly known as FIFA) and Madden NFL coming this year.  Fans will love the launch of an enhanced version of Hogwarts Legacy, where as an announcement James Bond 007 will return to Nintendo consoles will also have been like catnip.

Essentially - Nintendo showed that the new console has significant power - with big future releases, including Borderlands 4 set to come to the console,  Indie games - the lower budget releases will also make an appearance on the Switch 2 with Hadies 2 and Enter the Gungeon 2 already set for release online.

And What about my old games?

And if you’re someone with a big collection of original Switch games, Nintendo confirmed it would work with ‘supported’ titles - which probably means games developed by Nintendo itself and other popular releases.  Nintendo will also upgrade a small number of Switch games to take advantage of Switch 2 power and features, like Zelda: Breath of the Wild.  And finally, if you relied on external storage to download more games, you’[ll need a Micro SD Express card on the Switch 2 - this is the new high speed standard - older (cheaper) ones simply won’t work.

An exciting reveal

Perhaps the most consistent message throughout the Direct was that Switch 2 is a more powerful device that does more of what you love, but refreshes the literally prehistoric guts of the existing Switch - a console that many thought was simply too out of date to complete with its then rivals when it launched more than EIGHT years ago.

Bafflingly, but perhaps linked to President Trump’s “Liberation Day” of tariffs - Nintendo has yet to reveal pricing, other than to say two versions of the Switch 2 will launch on June 5th - a standalone console, and a versjon with a digital download of Mario Kart World.  I’m totally sold - even if the UK once again gets gouged on pricing.