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Nintendo Switch 2 release date window, price estimate & specs rumors

Everything we know about the new console following its reveal, plus leaks and speculation regarding what we don't
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Nintendo Switch 2 release date window, price estimate & specs rumors
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Following the reveal of the first look trailer, we now have official confirmation that the Nintendo Switch 2 release date will be landing… at some point in 2025 – not exactly earth-shattering news but we do have some other information revealed by the company that we think will help narrow this down a bit. Besides this we do now have confirmation from the trailer regarding some of the specs and features of the new console, plus there are at least three new games that we know will be coming to the Switch 2, likely on launch (including the latest Mario Kart title).

More information will be confirmed at the Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 event on the 2nd of April, 2025, but until then, read below for everything we know so far, plus the best estimates about what we don’t.

✓ Nintendo Switch 2: At a glance
  • Estimated release date window: A 2025 release has been confirmed, our prediction is that it will be in June
  • Predicted Price: $400 MSRP
  • What is it? The next handheld gaming console from Nintendo following the 2021 Nintendo Switch OLED
  • Features: larger size, bigger screen, magnetic joycons with wireless mouse mode, 2x USB-C ports, back compatibility with most Nintendo Switch games (including cartridges)
  • Latest updates: Nintendo release a first-look trailer, more information to come at the Nintendo Direct event on April 2nd

Nintendo Switch 2 release date window (confirmed info & estimates)

Nintendo has officially announced that the Nintendo Switch 2 release date will definitely land at some point in 2025 – not exactly a narrow window of time, but there’s more information that can help us narrow this down a bit.


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Respected leaker Nate the Hate accurately predicted that Nintendo would reveal the new handheld on January 16th by way of a video trailer, and since this did indeed come to pass, this give his predictions for a ‘May or June 2025’ release date some credence. Gaming website VGC aka Videogames Chronicle have also said this lines up with their own (anonymous) sources have separately claimed.

Finally, Nintendo have themselves confirmed ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events, where consumers can go hands-on with Nintendo Switch 2, in cities around the world’ which run from April 4th – June 1st (or possibly slightly later in Hong Kong and Taipei). Now it seems unlikely to us that the company would run these events if people were already freely able to buy the product, though admittedly it’s not impossible. Still, we think the month of June seems a lot more likely given this is the case.

Taking all the above into account, and given that every other Nintendo Switch console (the original, Lite, and OLED variants) has released on a Friday, so our bet is that the Nintendo Switch 2 release date will land somewhere between June 6th – June 27th, 2025. There’s a good chance we’ll find out more at the Nintendo Direct event on April 2nd.

Nintendo Switch 2 specs (confirmed & rumored)

From the above trailer we know that the Switch 2 will be larger than its predecessor with a significantly bigger screen, though we don’t yet know the size of this display. The new Joy-Con controllers will also be larger, with bigger shoulder buttons, and now have magnetic snapping onto the main console (as well as the physical connection). As Eddie Tsai of Genki pointed out at an earlier date, it does indeed look like they can be used to function like a sort of vertical computer mouse, which is exciting to see. There will be a total of two USB-C ports on the new console – one at the top, one at the bottom, plus a larger kickstand that runs most of the length of the console. The new dock looks similar to the old one except with rounder edges and more of the Switch 2 sticking out the top.

image source: Nintendo

The console will be back-compatible with games from the original Nintendo Switch, including physical cartridges, however they do point out in the trailer that ‘certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2’ – so this does not extend to every title.

image source: Nintendo

Based on what we know from earlier leaks, it would appear that Nintendo are sticking with Nvidia to produce the chipset for the Switch 2 rather than going over to AMD as people thought they might. Following on from the Tegra X1 in the current Switch model, the Switch 2 will come with a custom version of Nvidia's T234 mobile processor called the T239, according to Digital Foundry. This has a GPU based on the same Ampere architecture as the Nvidia, plus an octo-core ARM A78C for the CPU. The hope is that this might make the new console capable of more power than a PlayStation 4, with at least the capability of some DLSS upscaling up to 1440p resolution.

An apparently genuine leak by a Gamestop employee (u/Opposite-Chemistry96 on Reddit) also shows that we should expect the console to support newer SD cards with storage and transfer speeds comparable to SSDs, including 256GB and 512GB MicroSDs, however it’s possible the retailer is just mocking these up ‘just in case’ without actually knowing what specs the console has.

Nintendo Switch 2 price estimates

As reported by IGN, there seems to be a pretty strong consensus among various commentators and industry professionals as to the likely Nintendo Switch 2 price on release. $400 was the agreed likely number from the likes of Dr. Serkan Toto of Kantan Games Inc., Mat Piscatella (Circana), Piers Harding-Rolls, and Rhys Elliot of MIDiA. This is a price increase over the $350 charged for the Nintendo Switch OLED when it came out four years ago (an asking price which it maintains today), but is a relatively manageable one. It’s possible that the price could go as high as $500, but in the opinion of Dr. Serkan Toto he ‘cannot see a lot from the trailer that would justify them charging $450’ even. Time will tell.

What games will be launched with the Nintendo Switch 2?

One of the most excited bits of the launch trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2 was the tease of a new Mario Kart game, which we’ll just give the working title of Mario Kart 9 for the sake of argument. As reported by Gaming bible, On February 4th during their Q3 earnings call, Nintendo also confirmed the release of Pokémon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, both coming in 2025 and you’d strongly expect launching alongside (or soon after) the Switch 2. These would seem like three pretty strong titles to start off with – we’ll have to see if more are to follow!

  • Mario Kart 9
  • Pokémon Legends Z-A
  • Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Other info & Rumors

In terms of the less substantiated rumors that appear to have less credence, there was speculation about a possible co-processor chip situated within the dock of the Switch 2; this additional chip could serve to enhance the console's power and video output when docked and connected to a 4K TV. Furthermore, it's hoped that the lack of ray tracing, a feature now found on many handhelds will finally be addressed, with the ray tracing effects possibly provided using AI via Nvidia's DLSS 3.5 if the device maintains an Nvidia processor.

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