It finally happened.
The long-awaited full Switch 2 reveal has finally come to pass. And it’s everything you’ve been dreaming of… and a couple of things you probably weren’t dreaming of, but we’ll save that for where it’s appropriate. Regardless, they pulled no punches. Also, Randy showed up and got grease all over the stream.
Mario Kart World
They are letting you go anywhere. Literally anywhere. Go off the track; they don’t care. Also, they’re just dumping anyone in a kart now. Mario 64 Penguin? Sure, why not. Mario Kart 64 cows? You better believe it! You have to drive to the next race, too. It’s open world Mario Kart, and it sounds damn interesting.
The Purpose of the C button
We’ve all been wondering what that little C button does on the right Joy Con. Well, now we know: it controls voice/video chat. Even the pro controller has it. Honestly, having voice chat controls right at your fingertips is pretty beneficial.
Switch 2
The big deal itself. Comes with a 1080p LCD screen capable of running up to 120 fps with HDR, magnetic Joy Cons with larger SL/SR buttons and bigger control sticks, mouse controls for both Joy Cons, improved speaker and audio, built-in mic with noise cancelling, a new sturdy stand, dual USB-C ports (one on top, one on bottom), and 256 GB of internal storage. The new dock supports up to 4k resolutions, and features fan ventilation to help keep the console cooler while docked. Also, the Switch 2 features backwards compatibility with the Switch 1, for both physical and digital games.
Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV
Introduces the concept of OG Switch games getting enhanced editions for the Switch 2. Adds mouse controls for some minigames, sound recognition, enhanced rumble, and modes that make use of the Switch 2 camera accessory. More importantly, if you already own Mario Party Jamboree, you can purchase an upgrade pack to enhance the game to the Switch 2 version.
It’s worth noting that many games announced during the previous Direct for the Switch (including the likes of Metroid Prime 4) will either get their own Nintendo Switch 2 Editions or are also coming to the Switch 2 to begin with.
Drag x Drive
Remember how back in the 90’s they’d have the wheelchair kid play basketball just as well as the other kids because they’re not handicapped, they’re handicapable? That’s sort of this game in a nutshell. This is a game that highlights the mouse control functions of the Joy Con 2’s, as it uses both of them in mouse mode to control your paraplegic. Also, unlike those 90’s kids who couldn’t dunk because their legs don’t work, you can by hopping a sick 180 off the lip of the bowl the court is set in.
Partner Spotlight Part 1
- ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition
- Hades II
- Street Fighter 6
- Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
- SPLIT FICTION
- EA SPORTS FC
- EA SPORTS MADDEN NFL
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
- HITMAN World of Assassination – Signature Edition & Project 007
- BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster
- Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut
Oh yeah, no punches pulled in all of these spotlights. I will take the opportunity to note that the Daemon X Machina sequel seems to have way more meat on the bones than its predecessor. Elden Ring, Street Fighter 6, HITMAN? These are, roughly speaking, current gen games running on Nintendo’s new hybrid console.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
A new Hyrule Warriors game set during the “flashback” era from Tears of the Kingdom. And I get the distinct impression that, unlike its predecessor, it’ll run at more that 20 fps thanks to the beefier Switch 2 hardware.
Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics
For the Nintendo Online Expansion Pack members, you can now play a selection of GameCube games on the Switch 2. Shown off as starters are The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soul Calibur 2, and F-Zero GX. All games through the service will be upscaled and even have fully remappable buttons (something N64 sorely needed). They also promise more games to be added in the future, including (but not limited to):
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
- Super Mario Strikers
- Chibi-Robo!
- Luigi’s Mansion
- Pokémon Coliseum
Also, much like the other systems, they’ll launch a wireless GameCube controller which features the extra Switch 2-related buttons along the top of the controller, including the C button to allow you to control your voice/video chat.
Partner Spotlight Part 2
- DELTARUNE
- Borderlands 4
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
- WWE 2K
- NBA 2K
- Survival Kids
- Enter the Gungeon 2
- STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
- FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
There’s definitely a flex in having the two newest chapters of DELTARUNE premiere on Switch 2, though not surprising given Toby Fox’s working relationship with Nintendo. Civilization VII is a game from this year running on Switch 2 hardware. Randy showed up to grease things up with Borderlands 4, which I firmly believe caused the stream to crash during the Survival Kids segment, which I’m using as a cover image because I’m a dick and I think it’s really funny.
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE is, despite my dislike of the FF7 “remake” games, a big draw. And Cyberpunk 2077 running on Switch 2 is a massive dunk. Remember: no punches pulled.
Partner Sizzle Reel
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar
- Goodnight Universe
- Two Point Museum
- WILD HEARTS
- Witchbrook
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
- Star Wars Outlaws
- NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: Awakening Complete Edition
- Fast Fusion
- Shadow Labyrinth
- RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
- No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES
- REANIMAL
- Fortnite
- Arcade Archives 2 RIDGE RACER
- Professor Layton and The New World of Steam
- Tamagotchi Plaza
- Human Fall Flat 2
I think the most foul thing here is 5 seconds of Hollow Knight: Silksong footage with a 2025 release date after years of nothing. Just, “here, it’s happening, shut up”.
The Duskbloods
Nintendo really went to FromSoft and said:
“Gee, sure is a shame Sony doesn’t want to do anything with that whole Bloodborne game you made a decade ago. Hey, here’s an idea; why don’t you make Not!Bloodborne 2, and make it a Switch 2 exclusive?”
Kirby Air Riders
Sakurai does it again. The original was such a simple yet stylish racing game that it made a serious impression on its mostly young playerbase. While there’s little info, the vibes are enough for those now-adults to coast on.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong is back, baby! For the first time in over a decade, the ape has a new game. And in this one, you’re really allowed to go ape; the environment seems to be, for the most part, fully destructible. As a matter of fact, mining seems to be a theme here, so you’re expected to dig deep. Launches on July 17th.
The Legend of Zelda games – Nintendo Switch 2 Editions & ZELDA NOTES
So, the Switch 2 Editions all have certain enhancements to them. Both of the Switch Zelda games, in this case, have a nice little bonus: ZELDA NOTES. It’s a feature through the soon-to-rebrand Nintendo Switch app on smart devices that will allow you to really dig into the land of Hyrule. Missing some Korok seeds? It’ll help you find them. You can hear stories from in-game characters that you’ve never heard before, and even share autobuild blueprints online for TotK.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World
As for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, it’s getting an extra campaign in Star-Crossed World. A new adventure for anyone that didn’t get enough Kirby the first time around.
The bits they mostly didn’t highlight
So, while they did give a release date for the Switch 2 (June 5th 2025), they did not include the price in the presentation. In the US, it’s going to run you $449.99. A steep price, and significantly more than the previously hoped for $300-$350 butter zone. The bundle with Mario Kart World will run you $499.99, which actually is a deal, because, and you’re going to want to sit down for this, the price of Switch 2 games.
$80 a pop.
It’s also worth noting the cost of that first wave of peripherals:
Also, one other thing they snuck down the side over on their support site is Game-Key cards. And in case you couldn’t guess from the name, they’re everything people that collect physical games hate.
Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don’t contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your “key” to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.
After it’s downloaded, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your system and starting it up like a standard physical game card.
…
How it works
Step 1: Insert the game-key card into the system.
Step 2: Download the game.
The game itself isn’t included on the game-key card, so you’ll have to download it before you can play.
When you insert the game-key card, further instructions will be displayed on the HOME Menu. Please follow the instructions to download the game.
Please note: to download the game, you must have enough free space in your Nintendo Switch 2 system memory or microSD Express card. The amount of free space required is indicated on the game-key card packaging.
Step 3: Play the game.
Once the game is downloaded, you’re ready to play!
An internet connection is only required when you launch the game for the first time. After this, the game can be started even without an internet connection. However, like regular physical software, the game-key card must be inserted into the system in order to play the game.
Aside from that, while the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, not every game will work flawlessly at launch. Some run on Switch 2 with some in-game compatibility issues (nothing specifically mentioned), while others have some startup issues on Switch 2.
Aside from all that, though? Satisfying Direct.
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