It's officially (Mario) party time. After months of speculation and multiple unconfirmed leaks from third-party accessory manufacturers, Nintendo has finally pulled back the curtain on the gaming industry's best-kept secret and officially announced the Switch successor.
It's simply called Nintendo Switch 2. No price or release date has been confirmed yet, only that it will be available in 2025.
The news was announced via a video posted on the company's YouTube channel and X account, and provided the first look at the system, which once again features a hybrid design that can be played on the move as a handheld device or docked. Play on the station. to a home TV or monitor.
As expected, the video itself is very minimalistic, offering little information about the console's new features, but there are a few details that appear to line up with previous reports of alleged leaks. Aesthetically, the Switch 2 is very similar to its predecessor, although it ditches the colorful design for a sleeker matte black finish with just hints of blue and red on the analog sticks.
One obvious update comes from the Joy-Con controllers, which are still fully removable, but instead of sliding into place like before, they lock directly into ports on the side of the system. There's no word yet on the size or specs of the screen (like whether it's an LED or OLED display) or its increased internal horsepower - it was previously rumored to be as powerful as a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro device, albeit an older device The system will be a huge leap over the current Switch model.
new lens mario kart The video shows off the game, but no information is provided on whether it's a full sequel to the series or an updated version of its predecessor. There are no other new games mentioned in the video.
The video concludes by announcing a Nintendo Direct presentation scheduled for April 2, where full details of the Switch 2 will likely be released, including its final specs, features, and game lineup.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is also confirmed to be backwards compatible with previous Switch games, a feature that many hoped would be included, although the fine print states that some games may not be fully compatible.
While there's no firm release date yet, fans could get their hands on the Switch 2 as soon as April. In a second post on X, Nintendo announced a series of demo experiences taking place in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas that month. Users can register for tickets through a sweepstakes on the company's website.
This new console has been highly anticipated for years. The original Nintendo Switch launched eight years ago in 2017. While the modern console cycle has begun to converge as companies like Sony and Microsoft opt for mid-cycle refreshes of their hardware and focus on releasing cross-generational games, Nintendo has historically stuck to a strict five-year timeline for its home consoles before launching its successor. service life.
The Nintendo Switch is the company's best-selling home device to date, with more than 146 million units sold, making it the third-best-selling video game device of all time, behind Nintendo's own DS handheld console and Sony's PlayStation 2.
The original Nintendo Switch was a huge success after its launch The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild As its flagship game, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest games of all time and brought a major revival for the Japanese company after the failure of the previous generation console, the Wii U. Eight years after the earth-shattering release click like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition (2017), super mario odyssey (2017), and Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020), Nintendo’s cultural reserves are at an all-time high.
The digital titles also go against Nintendo's convention, which typically opts for more unique naming conventions for new hardware like the Super Nintendo, GameCube, and Wii. The well-known company has encountered marketing issues surrounding the Wii U, whose high-concept name (pronounced "we" and "you") led many consumers to believe the system was identical to the original Wii. Nintendo is now hoping to quell any confusion by following in Sony's footsteps and launching a simple yet effective numbered version of the PlayStation.
The news will likely spark months of speculation, but fans can expect more when the Nintendo Direct airs on April 2.