The long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been announced via a short video on the company’s YouTube page.
Despite some rumours to the contrary, it is now confirmed that the console is simply named the Nintendo Switch 2, and even though the announcement video is short on concrete information, it does show off several key changes from the original Nintendo Switch.
For starters, the Switch 2 features an all-black colour scheme that’s accented by slight touches of blue and red on the new and improved Joy-Cons. Those controllers no longer slide into the Switch 2’s frame but rather connect through a proprietary docking system which, if the recent leaks are to be believed, relies on a magnetic pull.
There’s now a second USB-C port on the top of the console which should make it easier to play whilst it’s charging, and the kickstand has also been elongated to expand the width of the console, similar to what we saw with the Nintendo Switch OLED.
The screen itself is larger, although there’s no word yet on if it uses LED or OLED technology. In fact, details are pretty scarce altogether but Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct presentation scheduled for April 2 to shed more light on the console.
At the end of the video we do get a short glimpse at what seems to be a new Mario Kart title running on the Switch 2 – the first all-new console-based Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 8 debuted on the Wii U back in 2014.
An interesting tidbit at the end of the video notes that certain Nintendo Switch games will not be playable on the Switch 2, with more information to follow at a later date. Presumably this is in relation to games like Ring Fit Adventure which use accessories designed specifically around the smaller size of first-generation Joy-Cons, but we’ll see.
No specific release date for the console has been given, other than confirmation that it will be sometime in 2025. However, Nintendo has announced the Nintendo Switch 2 experience which will give fans a chance to test out the new console ahead of launch, with registration for the event dropping tomorrow, January 17th.
