The day has finally come. After years of speculation, official Nintendo Switch 2 details have been released via today's Nintendo Direct live stream, and Nintendo Switch 2 preorders are open.
Over 1.3 million people tuned in to watch today's launch event live on Nintendo America YouTube channel and 2.2 million via Nintendo Japan. Announcements during the 60-minute stream included several new games, but the headline news was of course the new Nintendo console, and some fans were surprised at how big an update it's getting.
Here are the five biggest highlights from the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
01. Nintendo Switch 2 size
We already knew that the Switch 2 was going to be bigger than the original console. It's been confirmed that the screen will be 7.9in instead of 6.2in. But the size jump is one aspect that's causing debate.
Some fans are surprised by how big the new console looked in the hands of models during the launch broadcast. "It's way too big for me personally, one person wrote on Reddit. "I really hope they come out with a Lite sooner rather than later."
02. Nintendo Switch 2 display specs
While the size may be controversial, fans are generally impressed with a batch of upgraded display specs for more vivid gaming. The display will have around double the pixels in a 1080p screen capable of a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. It will also have support for HDR, while the 4K dock will upscale games for TVs. HDR will be possible at 2K on TVs.
Some existing games, including Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will get upgrades for smoother gameplay, higher resolution and HDR support.
"60 FPS Breath of the Wild/tears of the Kingdom finally!," one fan exclaimed on X. "120hz might be overkill but HDR is nice," another person added. However, some fans are questioning the decision to go with an LCD display rather than OLED considering that there's already an OLED version of the original console. We presume this means we'll get a Switch 2 OLED in a few years.
Other upgrades to specs include a 256GB internal SSD, providing 8 times the capacity of the original Switch console.
03. Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat
The Switch 2 sees the addition of a 'C' button on the right Joy Con 2 to pull up a menu for a new Game Chat feature. This makes use of a new in-built microphone on the system that allows players to talk to each other while playing, including if they're playing different games.
"Imagine having GameChat chat rooms only for certain friends you're playing with. You could strategize with your partner on Multi Battles in Pokemon or conspire against someone on Smash," one person enthused on X.
Fans were impressed by the apparent effectiveness of the microphone's ability to filter out background sounds even at a distance. "I can't imagine how good the mic is if it's reading your voice from your couch in the Switch," one person wrote.
The feature is generally being embraced by fans, although some are wondering what took Nintendo so long. "I'm a devout Switch fan, but only Nintendo could make in-game voice chat a 5 minute feature presentation in 2025," one person said.
"How are Nintendo so behind on this front? Making the screen smaller like I'm on a teams call?" was another comment on Reddit. But others have suggested that Nintendo's not only caught up with but surpassed game chat on other systems.
04. Nintendo Switch 2 Game Share
WOW that is a huge W. GameShare allows 1 switch to have the game and local play to other switches. pic.twitter.com/ihoDsCZdHlApril 2, 2025
Meanwhile, fans were delighted to learn that Nintendo Switch 2 will have Game Share, a feature that will allow sharing of compatible games with up to three other systems. It also supports online play.
"Gameshare's legit going to make collabs so much easier," one person wrote on X. "Welcome back Download Play from Nintendo DS," another person said. Nintendo stressed that Game Share will only be available with compatible games.
05. Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons work as mouse
Yes, the Switch 2 Joy-Cons can be used to provide mouse-like controls for more intuitive input in games including Metroid Prime 4. If they can indeed be used like a mouse on a PC, it could make the Switch much more interesting for shooters, but developers are saying they want to see how well they works in practice.
"As a studio that mostly makes FPS games, I'm obviously VERY interested to know about this Joy Con mouse stuff for the Switch 2, the developer John Newblood wrote on X.
"My guess is gimmicy enough to not be really usable," one person suggested. "The joy con mouse will probably suck, but having the switch have native mouse handling almost certainly means we can use 3rd party mice too," another person said.
Bonus: Mario Kart World
Finally, we had announcements of new games coming for Nintendo Switch 2, including the one that will feature in launch bundle offers. We're getting not Mario Kart 9.... Mario Kart WORLD.
Nintendo is going all out for the next installment in the popular racing franchise. The new open-world Mario Kart will have varied time and weather and more types of vehicles. "I love that you can drive virtually anywhere in this world, according to Nintendo," one person enthused on Reddit. "And there are now 24 drivers in each race, the most in history."
Nintendo Switch 2 will be released on 5 June, so there's still a while to wait. Prices weren't mentioned in the live stream, but the Nintendo Store is showing US pricing of $449 for the console console alone or $499 with Mario Kart World included. UK pricing is £395.99 for the console and £429.99 for the Mario Kart bundle
What do you think about the specs and features? Is Nintendo delivering everything you hoped for from its next console? Let us know if the comments below. You can also see our guide to best game consoles to check how it compares against existing console options.
