After months of speculation, Nintendo announced the Switch 2 console on Jan. 16 — and that was about it. With close-ups of the new unit and a few shots of a (theoretical) new Mario Kart, Nintendo went the Nintendo route of meeting extreme demand by doing whatever the hell it wanted on whatever timetable it felt like. The reveal came with a promise: more news on April 2, 2025.
The day has come. In what’s promised to be an hour-long direct, Nintendo unveiled much, much, much more about its plans for Switch 2. To quote Mario: WAHOO! Here’s what went down.
Mario Kart 9 was teased during the Switch 2’s initial reveal, but now it’s official: Mario Kart World is arriving for the console’s launch.
This version’s twist: the weather changes, off-roading is highly encouraged, and you keep on driving to the next course? Packing in 24 racers in each race makes this the most open-world of any Mario Kart, and there’s the promise of tons of social multiplayer modes.
Get ready for a revolutionary pitch: You can now communicate with friends and family while playing a game! The Switch 2 has a microphone built into the console itself, versus the controller, but Nintendo promises that even if your bro is blending a muscle shake in the same room, noise control tech makes it no problem to keep talking without a headset. Nintendo emphasized the use of parental controls in order to contrast itself to the Wild West of Discord.
The big reveal? Turns out Switch 2’s mysterious C button launches GameChat.
Nintendo is reinventing Zoom. While you can play your games and talk to your buds using GameChat, the new camera accessory — arriving at launch — can give your multiplayer a video-call-esque twist.
While the Switch allowed for local play on one console using two Joy-Cons, the Switch 2’s GameShare function will allow pals to to play each other in a local setting using a single shared game — even if the friend doesn’t own a copy.
All the new technology packed into the Switch 2 excited the team at Nintendo so much, they decided to make an entire game that allows player to learn about and experiment with the various features. In Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which feels like the Nintendo equivalent of Astro’s Playroom on Playstation 5, puts players in charge of a lil’ guy who goes around exploring a giant version of the console, as well as playing mini games that take advantage of the Joy-Con’s motion controls and mouse capabilities.
There are three types of games playable on Switch 2: Switch 2 exclusives, Switch 1 backward compatible games, and Switch 2 “edition” games, which upgrade classic titles with console-specific enhancements. Super Mario Party Jamboree, for instance, will be re-released (but free to current owners) with new games like “Bowser Live,” which sees the king koopa doing karaoke? And the player sings? Lots of wacky stuff — but it’s all possible with the Switch 2’s more interactive capabilities.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will also receive enhanced editions, boasting upgraded graphics and a GPS-like Nintendo app integration that can direct you to hidden kooks. A Tears-specific add-on let’s friends share Zonai device builds using QR codes on the Nintendo app.
Optimized for the Joy-Con motion control, this new game drops players into a wheelchair basketball match. Yes, Nintendo did a Murderball. The trailer shows of the unique moves needed to score and outpace your opponents.
Elden Ring, Split Fiction, Hogwarts Legacy, Hades II, Street Fighter 6, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4, and Hitman: World of Assassination were among the many titles the Switch 2 will be up to the snuff to now support.
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