The Nintendo Switch 2 Is Available Today! Here’s Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy One

The dawn of a new day is finally here! The Nintendo Switch 2 is available now; you can play it today! After over eight years of dominating the video game market, the Nintendo Switch has set up its predecessor for what some analysts believe may be one of the biggest console launches in history.

That doesn’t mean you need to buy into the hype though. It’s important to make an informed decision over whether this is the right console for you and when is the right time to get it. So, here’s everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2 before you buy one.

 

Tech Specs & Hardware Features

 

Bigger, Better, Stronger

Almost everything we know about the Switch 2 comes from an April 2025 Direct, which was the first official showing of the new console in all of its glory. This presentation had a heavy focus on the Switch 2’s hardware and how it is a technical upgrade to the Switch in nearly every way. As Nintendo put it, “The next evolution of the Nintendo Switch system is here!”

Like the Nintendo Switch, the Switch 2 is a hybrid console that supports play in both handheld mode and on the television. It supports 4K resolution for compatible games in docked mode. The console’s LCD screen supports 1080p output. This is a big step up from the Switch’s 1080p docked resolution and 720p handheld, which amounts to roughly double the pixel count for the Switch 2. These improved resolutions also come with the promise of up to 120 frames per second with the disclaimer that 4K output is capped at 60 frames per second. 

The Switch 2’s screen size has also been improved over its predecessor, boasting a 7.9″ screen, roughly 1.6 times larger than that of the base model Switch at 6.2″. The new high-definition LCD screen supports high dynamic range (HDR) in docked mode which allows for a wider range of brightness and higher contrast displays. 

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, eight times the capacity of the Nintendo Switch. Storage may be expanded with compatible microSD Express cards. Express cards, not standard micro SD cards, are required for faster access speeds and to ensure games will run smoothly.

To keep up with increased demand from the console, the Switch 2 dock has a built-in fan ventilation for “powerful cooling.” This promises to help keep performance stable, even for more demanding games with high graphical output.

This focus on hardware capabilities is a rare step for Nintendo, who traditionally have taken a backseat in the hardware race in order to pour more resources into unique hardware features (or gimmicks) and creative gameplay. While hardware capabilities may not have been an issue for Nintendo’s first-party titles, it was certainly a detractor for third-party publishers, who often resorted to special editions of games for Nintendo consoles to accommodate the weaker hardware, or cloud-based games which players could stream from a host server. Therefore, improved hardware specifications should make the Switch 2 more viable for larger third-party titles that weren’t capable of running on the Switch, as evidenced by Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, both of which are coming to the new console.

 

GameChat Offers New Ways to Play with Friends

Of the console’s new features, two stand out as potentially console-defining: GameChat and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. GameChat is the Switch 2’s built-in communication software that allows players to chat with friends and share screens in real time. This feature not only offers a social side to gaming but could also prove useful for co-op games like The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords on Nintendo Switch Online. As showcased in the Nintendo Treehouse: Live Presentation, solving puzzles cooperatively with friends in Four Swords has never been easier than on the Switch 2.

Additionally, an optional USB-C camera will allow players to cast themselves onto their screen, enhancing GameChat’s social qualities. Games like Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ＋ Jamboree TV and others with CameraPlay support will also use the USB-C camera to place players into the game for interactive game modes, similar to the Xbox’s Kinect or Playstation’s EyeToy.

It should be noted that Nintendo recently updated its privacy policy to say that the company “may also monitor and record your video and audio interactions with other users.” The Switch 2 terms to which users consent warn that chat content is “recorded and stored temporarily” on both your console and the consoles of those you chat with. In order “to protect GameChat users, especially minors” and “to support our ability to uphold our Community Guidelines,” these recordings will be shared with Nintendo if a user reports a violation to the company’s Community Guidelines. You can read Nintendo’s updated privacy policy right here.

 

Mouse Controls Unlock New Potential for Console Gaming

The other significant feature, mouse controls, allows players to use their Joy-Con 2 controller like a mouse by holding it on its side and using the shoulder buttons as clickers. Nintendo showcased an inventive utilization of mouse controls in the April Direct with the upcoming Drag x Drive. This game will have players holding a Joy-Con 2 in each hand to play fast-paced, online three-on-three wheelchair basketball. 

Mouse control support has also been announced for Super Mario Party Jamboree‘s Jamboree TV add-on and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Mouse controls are seeing some third-party support from games like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Hogwarts Legacy, and Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, the latter of which would likely benefit greatly from competent mouse controls. If other games that have traditionally felt more at home on PC get mouse support, like Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic or Return to Monkey Island, then the Switch 2 very well may see a migration of classic PC games that haven’t made the jump to console yet. Only time will tell.

 

Switch 2 Games Are Front and Center

The Switch 2’s launch titles, which are available to play today, include Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Street Fighter 6, Split Fiction, and more. However, the real star of the show is Mario Kart World. As the ninth installment in the wildly popular Mario Kart series, World flips the script on the traditional Mario Kart formula by giving players an open world to explore (similar to classic games like Midnight Club, Burnout Paradise, and LEGO Racers 2). Players will race on new and old tracks alike, but the Grand Prix will have them racing on the open roads between race tracks as well. New modes like Knockout Tour and Free Roam give players even more ways to experience the newest entry in the Mario Kart series.

With a massive roster of characters, up to 24 racers at at time, and interconnected race tracks, this is a Mario Kart game like none other. So burn rubber across a sprawling Mushroom Kingdom in Mario Kart World, available as a standalone game or in a bundle with a Nintendo Switch 2 console!

 

Upcoming Releases

Thankfully, the Switch 2 isn’t content with being a console that is front-loaded with the best games on launch day, followed by a long lull of nothing. The next first-party game to hit the Switch 2’s library is Donkey Kong Bananza, releasing July 17th, 2025. Bananza is only the second 3D platformer in the Donkey Kong series, the last being 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. An exciting return of a beloved Nintendo series, Bananza will have players exploring a vast underground world with everyone’s favorite tie-wearing ape as he crashes and smashes his way to recover his stolen bananas. 

Other first-party titles releasing in 2025 include Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Drag X Drive, Kirby Air Riders, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon Legends was recently given a release date of October 16th, 2025.

Another Switch 2 exclusive coming this year is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Age of Imprisonment will be the third game in the Hyrule Warriors series and promises a canonical recounting of the events of the Imprisoning War — the events that transpired when Princess Zelda traveled to the past in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Although it doesn’t have a definitive release date yet, it is slated for a Winter 2025 release. 

Looking ahead to 2026, FromSoftware (Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Elden Ring) will be releasing their Switch 2 exclusive game, The Duskbloods.

 

Nintendo Switch Online Expands Classics Library to Include GameCube Games

Along with the new games shown in the April Direct, it was also announced that Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics library would be expanding to include GameCube games. Available today are The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soul Calibur II, and F-Zero GX. The Wind Waker has been a fan favorite for years, ranking sixth in Zelda Dungeon’s 2024 Best Zelda Ever. Soul Calibur II is also a noteworthy addition to the lineup as it features a rare cameo from Zelda‘s very own Link as one of the playable fighters. While later entries in the Soul Calibur series would go on to feature cameos from Darth Vader, Yoda, and even Kratos from God of War, Link did it first, and he did it on the GameCube. 

Other games announced for later release on the service include Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Chibi-Robo!, Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Luigi’s Mansion, and Super Mario Strikers. If you know anything about retro game collecting and the GameCube market right now, then you know that adding up the current values of these games alone adds up to… well, a whole lot of money. So, the Nintendo Classics library on the Switch 2 will probably be the most affordable way to play all of these games for the foreseeable future.

 

The Switch 2 Is Backwards Compatible with Most Switch Games and Accessories

While the Switch 2 has a lofty launch lineup, you won’t be stuck to playing just Switch 2 games. Nintendo Switch games will also be playable whether they’ve received a Switch 2 Edition upgrade or not. As shown on Nintendo’s compatibility information page, an overwhelming majority of Switch games will be playable on the Switch 2, and the ones that aren’t mostly have hardware incompatibilities (like the Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit not fitting the Switch 2’s screen). Other games with hardware restrictions like Ring Fit Adventure, Nintendo Switch Sports, and WarioWare: Move It! are playable on the Switch 2 but are incompatible with Joy-Con 2 controllers; thus they will require a classic Joy-Con controller to play. 

In addition to games, many Switch accessories are compatible with the Switch 2, including but not limited to Joy-Con controllers, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, specialty controllers released for Nintendo Classics titles on Nintendo Switch Online, and the GameCube controller adapter. Just note that if you are using Joy-Con controllers on the Switch 2, they will need to be charged using a compatible Joy-Con charging stand or other device as they cannot attach to the Switch 2’s screen.

 

Some Switch Games Will Be Getting “Switch 2 Edition” Upgrades, And Other Games Should Run Better Too

Another new category of games to look out for are “Nintendo Switch 2 Editions.” These are Nintendo Switch games with enhancements or additional content which take advantage of Switch 2 hardware. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, for example, were both re-released today under the Switch 2 Edition branding with improved graphical fidelity and compatibility with the new “Zelda Notes” app. It seems for now that Switch 2 Edition games are more or less enhanced ports of their base game from the Nintendo Switch.

Every Switch 2 Edition game released or announced thus far will be available both as a physical unit and via upgrade packs. Upgrade packs are a downloadable upgrade for players who already own a game on the Switch but would like to play the Switch 2 enhanced version without buying the entire game again. Upgrade packs for the aforementioned Zelda games, for example, can be purchased for $9.99 USD each, but will also be included for free as part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

However, Switch developers mentioned in a recent interview that due to improved processing power and new features on the Switch 2, there is added value for Switch games that players may already have in their library. Even games that don’t receive enhanced Switch 2 Editions will benefit. Switch 2 Director Takuhiro Dohta explained, “When we tried running Switch games on Switch 2, there were some where loading times became faster, or game performance became more stable, so we realized that the overall gameplay experience could improve.” He added, “GameChat will also be available for Switch games that are played on Switch 2. Even for previously released games, there are opportunities to add value in the sense that it can enhance and change the gameplay experience.”

 

How Much Will It Cost?

 

The Nintendo Switch 2 costs $449.99 USD. The Mario Kart World bundle is $499.99 USD, which will have limited production through Autumn 2025. Packaged with each console is a pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers, Joy-Con 2 straps, a Joy-Con 2 grip, a Nintendo Switch 2 dock, and the necessary cables to hook it up. 

An additional pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers cost $94.99 USD. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is $84.99 USD. The official USB-C camera which can be used with GameChat and CameraPlay is $54.99 USD, though you can use any compatible USB-C camera, like this fun one from Hori that looks like a Piranha Plant.

 

Game Prices Will Vary

Something that initially caused quite a stir among internet gaming communities is the price of games. Although it was widely reported that Switch 2 games would cost $90 for physical copies, Zelda Dungeon and others have thoroughly debunked that claim. The two first-party titles available at or near launch, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong: Bananza, are listed at $79.99 USD and $69.99 USD respectively. This is what Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser calls variable pricing. He explained:

“What you see right there is variable pricing. We’ll look at each game, really look at the development that’s gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences.

“Those are all factors, and there’s many more that go into consideration of what is the right price point for the game. So I think you can anticipate that there will be variable pricing, and we haven’t set a benchmark.”

In an April 18th press release, Nintendo indicated that the price for Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will be the same for both physical and digital releases in the United States.

 

---

With that, you should be informed enough to know if the Switch 2 is a console for you. Maybe it’s worth holding out until more games are released, or maybe fear of missing out or potential changes in supply have motivated you to buy in at launch. Either way, it’s important that you make the decision that’s right for you and that the information that informs your decision is both accurate and sincere. 

Did you pick up a Switch 2 today? If so, how have you been liking it so far? If not, what would motivate you to buy one? Are there any games, announced or not, that you’re holding out for? Let us know in the comments below.