Switch 2's Nintendo Direct deep dive time revealed
We’re homing in on the date we’ll know more about the Switch 2
Those desperate to know more about the Nintendo Switch 2 are not alone, and we now know exactly when that will happen.
As part of its initial Switch 2 unveil, Nintendo told us the console will get its own dedicated show on April 2.
In one of the slightest announcements you could imagine, Nintendo has now confirmed that event will kick off at 2pm, UK time, as confirmed on the company’s UK website.
We’ll get “a closer look at Nintendo Switch 2”, apparently.
This show is a Nintendo Direct, the series of presentations used to introduce the wider world to Nintendo games and, increasingly, other stuff, too. The last Nintendo Direct’s subject was the Donkey Kong Country area in Super Nintendo World theme park, which is part of Universal Studios Japan.
When is the Nintendo Switch 2 release date?
Even though UK retailer ShopTo has opened up early pre-orders for the Switch 2, we don’t yet know when the console will arrive. It’s one of the key pieces of information expected on April 2.
We know it’s out this year, but that’s about it. Nintendo may not want to wait too long, though. According to the company’s latest financial reports, Switch sales estimates for this financial year (ending March 31) have been slashed by a million after lower-than-expected sales over the tail end of 2024.
How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?
The Switch 2 cost is another wailing black hole of info we hope to see filled soon. Analysts estimate the Switch 2 will cost around $400, which we said earlier could lead to UK pricing of around £379.99.
Seems pricey? The original Switch launched at £279.99 in 2017 but, once you account for inflation, that ends up at £367 according to the Bank of England – and no doubt more by the time the console actually comes out.
What games are coming to Switch 2?
We’ve published an article dedicated to the confirmed and rumoured Switch 2 games. In the console’s initial teaser, we saw footage of a Mario Kart game running, and we already know Pokémon Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are incoming.
What is not yet clear is how much Nintendo will follow the model used by Sony and Microsoft in having a super-protracted period in which games are released for both Switch and Switch 2. Upwards of 150 million Switch consoles have been sold and, as far as we can tell so far, there’s no hardware revelation in the Switch 2 to stop a cut-down version of most new games running on the old hardware.
Nintendo has traditionally also made money on console sales, barring certain periods of the Wii U and 3DS’s life, so it has even more an incentive to get us moving onto the new generation. PlayStation and Xbox consoles are often sold at a loss, the profits recouped through accessory, games and service revenues.