The Nintendo Switch 2 has officially been announced and fans everywhere are excited to see what it can do. Because the system has been consistently leaked, this trailer didn’t have too many surprises in terms of hardware appearance. Luckily, a new Nintendo Direct dedicated to the system has been announced for April, which should show off some new games.
Various leaks aside, actual details on this new Nintendo console are vague. Specs that might have been true a few months ago might be slightly different come the system’s release date. At the time of writing, all the public knows about this system is that it’s real and will officially be called the Switch 2.
For now, here’s everything we know about the Switch 2 and what surprises this system might have.
Release Date
The system’s trailer revealed a release window for 2025, though no actual date was revealed. Based on the company’s system history, we wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up coming out around Winter time. It could always come out earlier, but the company knows that fans will want this for the holidays.
Only Nintendo knows if the system will break the company’s tradition of releasing early in the year or during the holiday season. After all, the first Switch was released in March 2017 and it’s clear that the successor won’t have a similar release date. Hopefully, the upcoming Nintendo Direct gives fans more firm details.
Nintendo Direct
A Switch 2-themed Direct was confirmed at the end of the trailer, coming out on April 2, 2025. We can expect to see more details about the console in this presentation, alongside some new games. Expect some company jargon about how they will still support the first Switch, which should last for around one or two more years.
Even with the vague details, it’s good to see a Direct immediately announced for this new console. Because Nintendo doesn’t always act like other gaming companies, most of us were expecting the Direct to be announced a week before it launches. In fact, based on the company’s recent use of stealth drops, we wouldn’t have been surprised if it was announced a day before it’s release.
Specs
Although the trailer didn’t reveal any specs for this system, the rumored magnetized joy-cons appear to be legitimate. Based on what the video showed off, it’s clear that these are magnets for the controllers, so fans shouldn’t lose them. Hopefully, this also means the rumored hall-effect analogs are true, but that wasn’t shown off in the video.
Backwards-Compatibility
The best news about Nintendo Switch 2 is that it will be backwards-compatible with most of the first Switch’s games. In the last part of the system’s trailer, a handy graph is shown, revealing that this new console can play physical and digital Switch games. Admittedly, Nintendo did announce this last year, but confirming digital and physical titles is still a huge win for the consumer.
For now, that’s everything we know about the Switch 2. Keep your eyes on this guide as we update it with more available info. Until then, read up what we know about Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and how Nintendo trolled fans with the game’s NSO icons.