After months of waiting and years of rumors, Nintendo formally unveiled all the details for the Nintendo Switch 2, announcing new features and so many new games that you won’t have time to get to them all. Catch the full direct and read our round-up with post-Direct information below: Mario Kart World Announcement Trailer What is hardware without software? The presentation started with the first exclusive game for Nintendo Switch 2— Mario Kart World —complete with new karts, characters and even costumes for each character! The biggest change up for Mario Kart so far with World going, as the name on the box says, open world. The new entry launches day one with the console. More details will be detailed in a Mario Kart World Direct on April 17. Nintendo Switch 2 Hardware The long-rumored C button was finally revealed, bringing a full chat function to Switch 2 under the name GameChat. It’ll let you share your screen with friends directly from the Switch 2 in any game and be able to talk with them through the onboard microphone. A separate camera will also be released on launch day and can be used on games along with the chat functions. GameChat will only be available through Nintendo Switch Online but will have a free period until March 31, 2026. What’s more, Gameshare is a new feature that brings back Nintendo DS Play with select games on Switch 2, including previous titles via software updates. Gameshare lets you share your games through local play and the Internet with people on your friends list. The Nintendo Switch 2 will feature a 7.9-inch screen with a full 1080p display that can handle up to 120 frames per second through its HDR LCD screen. The system has 256 GB of onboard storage with upgrades available through a Micro SD Express card. It’ll also have 3D Audio through headphones, for which an audio jack will now feature on the new Pro Controller, along with a mic and new mappable GL and GR buttons. The new dock allows for 4K gaming with HDR and features a fan to cool the system, as well as an Ethernet port that was previously only seen on the Pro model. The new carts for Switch 2 games come in red because they have faster read/write speeds than the original Switch carts. You’ll be able to transfer your Switch data to the Switch 2. The Joy-Con 2 features larger shoulder buttons, bigger joy sticks, the C button and the ability to function as a mouse for games that support it, such as the newly announced Drag x Drive , which uses both Joy-Cons' mouse functions to move around a wheelchair. The game launches this summer after the June 5 launch date for the console. On launch day , Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour introduces the new Nintendo Switch features in a game similar to Astro’s Playroom , but it will be a paid title much like 1-2 Switch . Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Games As part of the upgrade process to a new system, some older (and soon-to-be-released original Switch) games will get a paid Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. These upgrades come with new features for the new system, such as Mario Party Jamboree , which will get camera, microphone and mouse support in new game modes. The update will be available July 24. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom get Switch 2 Editions on launch day with upgraded resolutions, HDR and a smartphone application to help hunt down all the Koroks and get tips from Zelda herself. Kirby and the Forgotten Land also gets a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with upgrades and new content on August 28. RELATED: Nintendo Reveals New Tomodachi Life, Rhythm Heaven Games in Latest Direct The soon-to-be-released Metroid Prime 4 Beyond will also get a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with mouse support from the new Joy-Cons 2, Quality and Performance Modes, bumped-up frame rates and resolutions for the game, and HDR support. Pokémon Legends: Z-A will get upgraded resolutions and frame rates in its Nintendo Switch 2 Edition when the game releases later this year. All the games mentioned will have paid upgrades for those with Nintendo Switch carts or digital versions, but they will also be available physically with the original Switch carts and a download code for the upgrade. Nintendo Switch 2 Has Games A major part of the 60-minute Direct was focused on games from third parties, and they showed off many games coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. Here are some highlights along with when the games are released if applicable: ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition (2025) Hades II (2025) Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighter Edition (June 5 and comes with Amiibo support) SPLIT FICTION (June 5) EA SPORTS FC and EA SPORTS Madden NFL Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (Summer 2025) HITMAN World of Assassination – Signature Edition (June 5) Project 007 BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster (June 5) Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut (June 5 with new cutscenes and Red Light Raid online multiplayer mode) DELTARUNE 1, 2, 3 and 4 (June 5) Borderlands 4 (2025) Sid Meier's Civilization VII – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (June 5) NBA 2K and WWE 2K STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (June 5) FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE Hollow Knight: Silksong (2025) Nintendo Switch 2 Also Has New Games First up in new games is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment , a brand new game in the Zelda Musou series from Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. Much like the second Hyrule Warriors game, the story fills in the blanks of Tears of the Kingdom , follows Zelda in the Imprisoning War in the past and allows you to play as all the heroes from that time. The game is set to release this Winter. Exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 is the newest game from FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki, The Duskbloods . Details on the game outside of the above trailer are scarce, but it will be released in 2026. Kirby Air Ride sweeps back into the spotlight with the latest entry , Kirby Air Riders, directed by Masahiro Sakurai, which is scheduled for later this year. Donkey Kong also changes it up and drums his way through a new land in Donkey Kong Bananza on July 17 with a game that feels like it mixes Super Mario Odyssey , Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and Breath of the Wild . The long-awaited GameCube app for Nintendo Switch Online will also be available in time for Nintendo Switch 2 launch day with three games: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker , F-Zero GX and SOULCALIBUR II . F-Zero GX will also have online multiplayer and all three games come with the usual features of the classic game apps. Also teased in the Direct were the following games coming to the GameCube online service: Super Mario Strikers Pokémon Colosseum Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness Chibi-Robo Luigi’s Mansion Nintendo Switch 2 will become available on June 5 around the world starting at US$449.99—or 49,980 yen for the Japanese-only edition or 69,980 yen for the international edition (with English) inside Japan. Games have also increased in price to US$80 for digital games or US$90 for physical games. Other regions have similarly seen an increase in game costs. A bundle featuring a digital version of Mario Kart World will also be available on launch day in limited quantities for US$499.99. Sources: Nintendo Direct on YouTube , Press Release
