After years of waiting, tomorrow finally begins a new chapter in Nintendo’s storied history. Wednesday, April 2 will bring us a Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, which is set to fully lift the lid on Nintendo’s next console. It’s set to be a major stream filled with hardware news, a deep look at the Joy-cons’ new mouse functionality, and a host of freshly announced games. It’s likely going to be the biggest video game live stream of the year, so it’s the kind of thing you don’t want to miss (and you won’t miss our guide on how to watch the Switch 2 Direct).
Today, we’ve got one final day left to speculate on the mysterious console. What can we expect from tomorrow’s stream? What games will be announced? What won’t we learn? To help keep your expectations in check, here’s what you should and shouldn’t have on your bingo cards tomorrow.
Expect: A June release date
The biggest tidbit of news we’re going to get tomorrow is the Switch 2’s release date. Will Nintendo wait to release it this holiday or will it come way sooner than expected? You should be prepared for the latter. Several rumors currently indicate that that Switch 2 will launch in June. Those could just be pure speculation, but one could arrive at that same guess with logic. In 2017, the Nintendo Switch Direct happened about two months before the console’s revealed release date. Nintendo will likely follow the same playbook here, which would put the Switch 2 in a June release window. Be prepared to start budgeting if you want to pre-order one as fast as possible.
Expect: A higher price tag than you’re used to
There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the Switch 2, but price is the biggest question mark. Usually, Nintendo tries to keep its consoles affordable to target more casual audiences. I imagine that will still be the case here, but you should prepare yourself for a higher price tag than you’re used to seeing in Nintendo consoles. The Switch 2 is a much hotter product than the Switch was coming off the Wii U’s failure, so Nintendo has more room to ratchet the price up to sell a more powerful devices. And don’t forget the real variable here: tariffs. We still don’t know how, or if, President Donald Trump’s recent wave of tariffs could impact the price of video game consoles, but we may get our first dose of reality tomorrow. I’m locking in my final price prediction at $400, putting it well above the current Switch.
Expect: Mario is the star of the show
We’re going to see a whole lot of games reveals tomorrow, likely from some of Nintendo’s biggest franchises. But while we may see the likes of Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing, expect Mario to be the centerpiece. We already know that Mario Kart 9 is going to be the stream’s big game, but it’s also very likely we see a new 3D Mario game too. 2017’s Switch reveal was more Zelda focused, as Breath of the Wild was the system’s big launch game. Expect Mario to reclaim his launch day hero this time around.
Expect: Greater emphasis on community
The one major question I still have about the Switch 2 is its new button. Look on the newly redesigned Joy-cons and you’ll catch a brand new C button that Nintendo has yet to explain. Rumors have long indicated that it opens up some sort of community tab. While that’s unconfirmed, there’s very good reason to think that Nintendo will lean into that fairly hard this generation. We’ve already gotten a glimpse of that with its new Nintendo Today app, which seeks to deliver news directly to fans. Considering that social media is a bit of a mess these days, it would make sense for Nintendo to double down on creating a more internal social ecosystem that calls back to the Wii era. I don’t expect to see the return of Everybody Votes or StreetPass here, but there’s a good chance we get some sort of equivalent app here.
Expect: Less tech demos, more games
For its past few console launches, Nintendo has gone heavy on tech demos. Wii Sports, Nintendo Land, Nintendogs + Cats, 1-2 Switch — all of these games were designed to introduce players to the unique quirks of its latest console. This generation, we might see a break from that strategy. The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s most straightforward system in years, simply improving on what its predecessor did well. The only truly new feature we know about so far is its “mouse-con” functionality, which will allows players to slide a Joy-con over a flat service. I imagine that we’ll see that shown off in several games, but it’s less likely that we’ll get a 1-2 Switch equivalent this generation built solely to demo the feature, especially considering that game’s reputation in retrospect. I expect that we’ll see the Joy-con feature showcased more practically in games like Mario Kart 9 this time around.
Don’t expect: Any games from last week’s Direct
While we don’t know exactly which games will appear tomorrow, we have a good idea of what won’t. Last week, Nintendo held a Direct focused exclusively on games coming to Switch. It was a modest showcase that gave us a fresh look at Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. As such, don’t expect those games to get much attention here. They may pop up in a sizzle reel of games or get namechecked as cross-generation releases, but it’s unlikely we get brand new trailers. Don’t put your money on Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream or Rhythm Heaven Groove appearing either, as neither game is exactly the kind of technical powerhouse Nintendo would want to use to show off its powerful new device.
Don’t expect: Massive third-party presence
When it comes to third-party games, don’t dream too big. We’re undoubtedly going to see some games from key partners like Square Enix revealed during the Direct, just as was the case in 2017, but there’s good reason to think that Nintendo will primarily focus on its own games this time. In a recent podcast, Digital Foundry claims that many developers it spoke to at this year’s GDC have yet to receive a dev kit of the system. If that’s the case, we’ll likely only get a small handful of third-party games shown here from the biggest names in the industry. That wouldn’t be so far off from 2017’s Switch reveal, which gave stage time to companies like EA, but third-party was a massive focus at that event as Nintendo was coming off of two generations of limited partner support. It had to set a new narrative that outside studios were developing for Nintendo consoles again. That’s a given in the Switch era, so that same PR move isn’t as imperative here.
Don’t expect: A true next-gen visual upgrade
Speaking of power, let’s set some expectations there too. Is the Nintendo Switch 2 going to be more powerful than its predecessor? Without a doubt. Should you go in expected to see a portable PS5? Absolutely not. Realistically, tomorrow’s presentation isn’t going to change Nintendo’s status quo when it comes to tech. Games will look better than they do on Switch, but we’d be surprised if the Switch 2 surpasses the Steam Deck in power. Instead, we’ll likely see some familiar-looking Nintendo franchises, but with smoother performance and crisper visuals on display. A Kirby game is going to look like a Kirby game at this point. You’re not going to see a hyper realistic Mario. So long as you go in knowing that, you’ll avoid some disappointment.
