Gamers around the world are excited for the successor to the Nintendo Switch, releasing on June 5 of this year, called the Nintendo Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch was released on raving reviews, selling over 150 million copies in its eight-year lifespan. The Nintendo Switch was special with it being the first hybrid console ever released. And finally, the Nintendo Switch 2 is right around the corner.
Kouichi Kawamoto, one of the developers of the Nintendo Switch 2 said the Nintendo Switch has been in the works for around five years, in an interview from Nintendo in Japan.
“The three of us started working together on the new hardware project around 2019,” he said, “but as far as the core development of Switch 2 goes, I recall that research and development had already started even before the project formally kicked off.”
The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct was released on April 2, 2025, revealing many new games and features on the console.
One of the new features is called Game Chat. Game Chat allows players on the Switch 2 to see each other and hear each other directly on the system. It works like a Zoom meeting except Game Chat is hosted straight from the console. A camera is going to be released for the game chat the same day
“The game chat really surprised me because a lot of other gaming consoles already have a game chat,” Jack Dalton, 13, on the Dream team said, “but I think it could be bad because it could be a source of bullying.”
Many parents have this fear of bullying in chats since most of the time it is public. But Nintendo has released a parental controls app for parents who have kids 15 and under, to control who you chat with and how much time you play on the Switch 2.
Doug Bowser, the President of Nintendo of America said they have taken safety measures at an interview at Nintendo in New York City with CBS news.
“So first of all, with Game Chat, when you choose Game Chat, you’re only choosing from a list of your friends,” He says. “So you’re not going online to a wide open space.”
The Nintendo Switch 2 is much faster at being able to load by a lot. The screen for it uses HDR technology which enhances the color, making them more vibrant. The screen can run up to 120 fps (frames per second) at 1080p, or, (if in docked mode) can run 60 fps at 4K. The audio is also better, with a way high sound quality than on the Switch 1.
“A CPU and GPU standpoint we’ve greatly improved the capability and capacity,” Mr Bowser says, “which is now allowing developers to really bring you know deeper and richer content to the platform.”
Another feature mentioned in the direct was the Joy-Cons 2’s ability to be used as mice, which seems to have a mixed reaction from fans.
“I think the mouse feature is a new interesting way to play video games,” Jack states, “but I also wonder what game can play with it.” The mouse has most likely been added to let Nintendo users be able to play PC games.
The Joy-Con 2’s new mouse feature can be dual-wielded and a new game called “Drag x Drive” shows this off perfectly, with the characters playing basketball in wheelchairs.
“It’s kinda stupid,” Sriman Thippana, 13, on the Dolphins team, says, “why wouldn’t you just put a mouse into the system instead of making it a part of the controller?”
Speaking of games, the Switch 2 will have tons, and tons of games.Including, but not limited to: Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour, Donkey Kong: Bananza, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart World, The DuskBloods, Drag and Drive, and more!
Mario Kart World has been getting many different reactions , like Jack’s.
“I am really looking forward to Mario Kart,” Jack said.
Nintendo is also adding a new type of game, called Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games. This type of game, will let old games that were released on the Nintendo Switch, have better graphics and even, new content.
“I am looking most forward to the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” Jack says, “because of all the new features Nintendo is adding to the game.”
The Nintendo Switch 2 will be released at a price of $450, which is $150 more than its predecessor. There is a Nintendo Switch 2 bundle of Mario Kart World for 500$. The cost for a copy of Mario Kart World is $80, and Donkey Kong Bananza costs $70.
“Honestly the price for the console is justified,” says Sriman, “but I think the price for the games is just too much and it makes me kinda mad.”
The price for a Nintendo Switch 2 pro controller is $85, a big difference from the $70
Nintendo switch pro controller. Accessories have gotten way more expensive because of the tariffs President Trump has put. The Camera for Game Chat used to cost $50, now it costs $55.
“We felt that that was going to be the right price point for our consumers,” Mr Bowser says, “and the right value proposition, if you will buy the Nintendo Switch 2 we’re creating.”
