For those who missed it yesterday, the Switch 2 details dropped, and it’s exactly what you’re expecting: It’s still both portable and functional as a home console, it’s backwards compatibile with at least Switch 1 physical cartridges, Nintendo’s digital libraries are largely carrying over, it has a $450 price tag, it boasts a new camera… normal things.
And yeah, of course Fortnite will be there, plus some Switch 2 remakes enhanced versions will be launch titles (including Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 edition despite the original not even being a year old when the new game launches this July). We’re also getting a Switch 2 version of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which can be upgraded from the Switch 1 version if need be. And then there’s the pricy Mario Kart World, which sounds kind of like Nintendo’s answer to Ubisoft’s The Crew.
Let’s start with gimmicks because you know that’s what Nintendo consoles are known for. The “C-button” on the controller you may have heard of is the Chat option. Think Twitch and Zoom combined. Not only will it be able to set up chats, including faces with the new Nintendo Switch 2 Camera while playing different games, but you can share screens. While it looks like the screen share/camera stuff could take up a lot of screen space, you can minimize it.
But that camera? It can put you over your game screen a la Twitch, but it can also work to let people in the same room see each other’s faces on-screen while playing. It can also function like the Xbox Kinect, where some games can put you into them. Of course, this will cost extra, but we don’t know the price point beyond a free trial until March 2026.
Admittedly, all the costs are adding up: The system is $450 without a game, the games themselves are $70-$80, standard controllers about $90, the pro controller about $80, a paid introduction game about your new console… it’s a lot. But the system will have GameShare, including for online games, though they will need to be supported titles. At least that can save some people some money.
4/4 Update: The preorders in America are being delayed due to tariffs. No word on when they’ll open up now. We’ll update this page as we learn more.
The system itself has a bigger screen while maintaining the same thickness, and a lot of the buttons are larger. For us PC fans, the joycons can actually be used like a computer mouse for certain titles. I won’t get into a lot of the visual specs because obviously it won’t be the same as a high-end PC, but it should be noted that the battery life is roughly 2.5 – 6.5 hours, the same as the launch Switch 1 but less time than some of the newer models.
Mario Kart World is going to be a Switch 2 launch title, coming June 5th, 2025, and there will be an April 17th Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct to push out even more details, so consider this all an appetizer. The most obvious new addition to the series is free roam mode. Free roam lets you do just that: drive anywhere. You can take pics with friends, search for shortcuts, or, you know, just enjoy the drive. I suspect there’ll be some hidden things out in the world, maybe even some missions (either via obvious quest givers or something intuitive, like moving an ice cream scoop at the top of a hill onto a cone at the bottom), but we’ll have to wait and see until the 17th to see if we’re right.
For gameplay, the world changes based on time of day and game weather, such as having rainy tracks. Of course, if you don’t want the above free-roaming and just want to race, there’s still the Grand Prix mode, but you gotta drive to the next race after you complete each one. I’m wondering if this means someone in last place can at least start the next race at the front!
There’s also another new mode too: Knock Out Tour, which is basically survival mode akin to F-Zero 99, where if you don’t place high enough at the checkpoints, you’re out of the race. I have to admit that the survival stuff Nintendo’s done lately has been pretty fun, so I imagine having good times with this. I also have to mention Nintendo said nothing about the game’s traditional Battle Mode where you pop balloons to “knock-out” your friends or compete in some kind of gimmick, like collecting the most coins or the Renegade Roundup we got in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Again, we’ll have to see if this gets mentioned on April 17th.
Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition is an enhanced version of the 2024 game for the Switch 2, but you can “upgrade” your Switch 1 version for an as yet undisclosed amount of money when the game launches July 24th, 2025. The new upgrades mostly have to do with the camera, such as voice recognition and whole-body detection to both put you into the game and react to your movement. At least a few minigames also take advantage of the whole “joycon-as-a-mouse” bit we mentioned earlier.
Obviously there are a bunch of other titles coming to the Switch 2 as well – we have our eye on Astroneer-spinoff Starseeker, for example – but these are the newest, meatiest ones taking the most advantage of both the new console and its new gimmicks.
Massively OP’s Andrew Ross is an admitted Pokemon geek and expert ARG-watcher. Nobody knows Niantic and Nintendo like he does! His Massively on the Go column covers Pokemon Go as well as other mobile MMOs and augmented reality titles!
