The speculation can finally end. The Nintendo Switch 2 was officially revealed this morning, confirming weeks of rumors. Those leaks wound up being accurate, as the system’s design and features seem to match what we saw at CES 2025. Case closed … right?
Not so fast. While we did get our first glimpse at the handheld today, actual details on it are sparse. Sure, we saw its new Joy-cons, redesigned kickstand, mouse-like features, and more. We even got a brief glimpse at Mario Kart 9. But Nintendo didn’t share much in the way of hard details, saving that information for a bigger showcase on April 2. Here’s just a few of the unanswered questions that still linger.
Specs
While we saw just about every angle of the redesigned handheld, we learned absolutely nothing about its guts today. Nintendo did not reveal anything in the way of specs. We don’t know what chip its running, its resolution output, or anything about its larger display. We didn’t even get measurements for the system itself. For now, we’ll just have to keep investigating images of its rumored motherboard, which Reddit users have been pulling apart for weeks now. That leak suggests that the Switch 2 uses a Nvidia chip, which would be a major change from the original Switch.
Release date
If you were hoping the Switch would get its proper release date today, keep dreaming. Nintendo is sticking by a vague 2025 window for the device for now. Don’t expect it to come anytime soon though. Nintendo is set to reveal more details on the system during a Direct presentation on April 2, which likely means that it’ll come a while after that. There will be global demos of the system that month, though, indicating that its launch shouldn’t be too far off. Previous rumors noted that a June launch may be in the cards, which seems plausible given the Direct timeline.
Price
The system’s price is the big mystery coming out of today. Nintendo didn’t say a word about how much the system will cost and there aren’t many rumors to go by here. That might be for good reason. President-elect Donald Trump has said that he plans to impose new tariffs under his incoming administration, which could have a major impact on tech and gaming specifically. The system’s price may very well be in flux right now ands entirely dependent on whether or not those tariffs go through. Though knowing Nintendo, you can likely expect a lower price than, say, a PlayStation 5.
Launch games
We’ll also have to wait to see any Switch 2 games beyond the brief glimpse we saw of Mario Kart’s next installment. Nintendo appears to be saving those reveals for its April showcase, but there are plenty of rumors to sink into until then. Reports have noted that Microsoft is set to be a major third-party player for the Switch 2, with Halo: The Master Chief Collection planned for the system. It’s also safe to assume that some sort of 3D Mario game could be in the works considering how long it’s been since Super Mario Odyssey. For now, though, it looks like Mario Kart 9 is set to be the system’s flagship game.
Incompatible games
There’s some good news for Switch owners: Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with Switch games, both physically and digitally. There’s a catch, though. Nintendo says that some games won’t be compatible with the system. What does that mean? That’s not clear and Nintendo won’t be revealing it until a later date. Our best guess is that the caveat impacts games that utilized the original Switch’s rarely used IR sensors, which are not part of the Switch 2’s redesigned Joy-cons. That means that games like 1-2 Switch and Ring Fit Adventure may not work on the new system.
Compatible accessories
Backwards compatibility isn’t just about games; it’s a hardware question too. Will old Switch accessories work with the updated console? We don’t know yet, and Nintendo is staying tight lipped about it. When Digital Trends reached out to Nintendo, we were told that the company has nothing to announce at this time. One can reasonably assume that old Joy-cons won’t attach to the system, but the jury’s out on whether or not they can still be wirelessly paired. We’re also unsure about whether or not the system could theoretically work with the old Switch dock, but it seems possible given that the Switch 2 still features a USB-C port on its underside. It also features a top port, which should make it compatible with Razer’s newly announced Handheld Dock Chroma.
