Nintendo Switch 2 — Everything We Know So Far

After years of rumors and leaks, Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 — and it's launching June 5, 2025, at $449.99. It's bigger, more powerful, and packed with new features while keeping everything that made the original Switch great. Here's everything confirmed so far.

The Switch 2 sports an 8-inch LCD display, up from the original's 6.2 inches. It's not OLED like the Switch OLED model, but the larger size and improved brightness make up for it in most scenarios. When docked, the Switch 2 outputs at up to 4K resolution — a massive leap from the original's 1080p.

The biggest hardware change is the Joy-Con attachment system — they're now magnetic instead of sliding on a rail. They click on and off in an instant. The right Joy-Con also has a new C button that launches GameChat. And buried in the spec sheet: the Joy-Con can function as a mouse on a flat surface, opening up new control possibilities for compatible games.

GameChat is Nintendo's built-in voice and video chat system, accessible from any game with a press of the C button. You can talk to friends, share your screen, or even show your face via the Switch 2's camera accessory. For a company that once made you use a smartphone app to talk to friends, this is a massive leap forward.

The Switch 2 plays the vast majority of Nintendo Switch 1 games. Nintendo has confirmed some exceptions exist, but the core library — including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and most major titles — runs on Switch 2. Some games will even get free or paid upgrades with enhanced performance.

The Switch 2 launched at $449.99 for the standard edition and $499.99 for bundles including Mario Kart World. Retail stock sold out quickly at launch. Your best bet for finding one now is the used and resale market on eBay, where prices have begun settling closer to retail as supply catches up with demand.