One of the most anticipated days of the year is April 2. No, it’s not Donald Trump’s supposed “liberation day”. It’s Nintendo’s deep dive into its next console, the Switch 2 Direct event.
Nintendo announced the Switch 2 officially in January with a “first-look” teaser video but other than what it looks like we don’t know a huge amount about the console.
That’s going to change on April 2. You can expect to hear about pre-order plans, the console’s release date, its pricing, hopefully a bit more on the Switch 2’s tech and the first waves of games coming to the console.
Here’s what you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct event.
When is the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct?
The Switch 2 Direct event takes place on April 2 at 2pm UK time. There’s no need to necessarily watch it at that time, as the pre-recorded event will be available to stream afterwards.
Where to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
The best place to watch the Switch 2 Direct is on the Nintendo YouTube channel.
A video page for the event has not been set up at the time of writing. But there is a dedicated page on the Nintendo website.
What to expect at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
Nintendo was so circumspect in its initial Switch 2 reveal that most details on the console are yet to be revealed. Here’s a summary of what we are likely to hear about, along with currently rumoured info.
- Pre-order date (expected April 2)
- Release date (expected in June)
- Game line-up (see below)
- Pricing (expected to be £350-£450)
- An explanation of what the “C” button does
- How powerful is the console? (the event itself is unlikely to be too techy but more details may be revealed at the same time)
- Switch 2 Pro controller design
Rumoured Switch 2 games
Nintendo has only teased a new Mario Kart game so far. And from the brief glimmers we’ve seen, it doesn’t look all that different from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
However, there is no shortage of games rumoured to be planned for the console. Here is a list of some of the main titles.
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Bestiario
- Civilization VII
- Elden Ring
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Final Fantasy IX Remake
- Fur Squadron Phoenix
- Halo Collection
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Enhanced
- The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
- Mario Kart 9
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- My Time at Evershine
- Pokemon Legends Z-A
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Super Mario Odyssey 2
- Yooka Replaylee
Most of these have not been confirmed but they are solid possibilities.
Will the Switch 2 be worth it?
The Switch 2 appears to be a fairly conservative console intended to continue the success of the original Switch. But how aggressively Nintendo will push users to upgrade from the original to the new console remains to be seen. Will you feel the need to upgrade if your original Switch is able to continue playing most new games for some time?
Regardless, analysts predict the Switch 2 may be the biggest console launch to date, Nintendo’s leisurely release cycle having potentially let Nintendo build up to eight million consoles ready for its release.
Nintendo’s plan to attack console scalpers includes producing enough stock to make it relatively easy for folks to get hold of the hardware. And that’s a bonus for all of us – assuming you don’t moonlight as a console scalper.
