Nintendo We have announced the release date for the latest gaming console, Switch 2, June 5th. This introduces interactive chat and screensharing functions to connect gamers.
In a 60-minute Nintendo direct presentation, the company revealed a more lively display, a larger screen and several games launched on the Switch 2.
At the heart of the updated system is a new “C” button on the Joy-Con controller, which launches a new “GameChat” feature that allows you to “communication with friends and family while playing the game” and allows you to share the game screen with other players. The built-in microphone also allows you to chat with other gamers. The “GameChat” feature requires a subscription to Nintendo’s Switch online service.
“When you think about some of the biggest titles of (Nintendo Switch), it’s like Mario Kart, Super Mario Jamboree, but it’s a very new title, but it cracked the top 10 of most of the gameplay games on the console. So you can see that something like headline features is primarily directed towards that kind of use.
Perhaps the most modern feature ever with Switch 2 is the ability to use a Joy-Con controller like a computer mouse. The developers have shown several ways to use new features in the game, such as club fishing in golf games.
The new portable console features a 7.9-inch LCD screen that appears in 1080p. Nintendo also revealed in the live stream that the system can support 4K resolutions for compatible games when docked.
Wednesday’s presentation began with an expansion of Mario Kart World, a console launch bundle game. This adds a bit of talent to the series with in-game characters who do tail whips, flips, rail grinds and other tricks.
The developers have also announced a new James Bond game called “Project 007.”
Nintendo has also announced two more Switch 2 exclusives featuring Marquee’s characters. “Donkey Kong Bananza” is a 3D adventure in which a large ape passes through a huge underground world, and arrives on July 17th. The series is scheduled for the second half of the year.
Third-party exclusive people may create buzz. This winter is the first part of a hack-and-slash to Koei-Tecmo’s “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Promsrisonment” and “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.” The Baroque multiplayer title from Software’s The Duskbloods is scheduled for 2026 by Elden Ring’s creator.
Do you miss GameCube? Nintendo said Switch Online subscribers have access to a limited selection of GameCube titles, such as “Zelda: Wind Waker” and “F-Zero GX.”
The new console is backwards compatible to play physical and digital switch games, but users will need to purchase a MicroSD Express memory card for Switch 2. The presentation revealed that regular SD cards are not compatible with the system. However, data from the original switch can be transferred to the new console using the transfer feature.
The original Switch, released in 2017, is “one of the most popular gaming consoles of all time,” CNET editor Scott Stein told CBS News Boston in January.
Some have become popular due to their unique design. Tablet-like devices have separable pieces on each side that can be used to control gameplay. Users can also continue to play the game on their TV screen when they docked to the charging station, the first feature of the time.
But the original is aging and has led to some of the excitement of the new version, Stein said.
“There are a lot of things that work, but there are a lot of people who want to do more to play games that can be played elsewhere,” he said.
How much does the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?
Nintendo will be selling the Switch 2 for $449.99 at launch. This is significantly higher than the original Switch’s $299 price tag. Another bundle, including the new “Mario Kart World” game, is also available for $499.99.
Gene Park, a Washington Post reporter covering video games and gaming culture, told CBS News that the console is “a little more expensive, but it’s a more powerful system.”
He said the “Mario Kart World” game itself costs $80.
“It’s a bit frowning. It’s really the first Nintendo game to brooch $80, and there’s a lot of talk about how video games are now at $100,” Park said.
Trump administration tariffs Joost Van Dreunen, author of “One Up: Creativity, Competition, and The Global Business of Video Games,” became a hit in the video game console industry at a fragile moment.
“At the beginning of the new hardware cycle, we’re suddenly seeing this price hike,” said gaming industry researcher Van Dronen. “I originally predicted that the Switch 2 would be $400. It’s now announced that it’s $450. The difference of $50 is the Trump tax.”
He said that tariffs will affect gaming hardware as console devices are manufactured and shipped from China and the entire region.
The early stages of the hardware lifecycle are already very low margins, or usually losses from hardware manufacturers, Vandronen said. These manufacturers usually eat margins to put their devices out of the store.
“But as tariffs increase, margins probably mean that historically worse. But their hands are kind of tied up. They can’t make progress. They can’t launch new hardware generation. So for the consumer base, people are going to pay more.”
The Consumer Technology Association also predicted that President Trump’s tariffs would do so Push up the price of video game consolesand retailers like Best Buy warn that prices may need to be increased due to customs duties.
Nintendo plans to host Switch 2 Experience events in several countries, allowing gamers to get hands-on experiences with the new system. These events are being planned starting this month in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris.
