Nintendo confirms Switch 2 will launch on June 5
2 April 2025, 15:44
The much-anticipated console will include a larger screen and new social gaming tools.
Nintendo has confirmed that its highly anticipated new Switch 2 console will be released on June 5.
The new console, which was first confirmed to be in development in January, has a larger and higher quality screen, as well as new magnetic detachable controls.
Nintendo said the new console will also come with a range of new social features, centred around a new tool called GameChat, which allows players to voice or video chat with friends while playing.
The Japanese gaming giant also confirmed the new console will support the ability for players to share a game and play together with up to three friends, even if those friends do not own the game.
All Together, Anytime, Anywhere. #NintendoSwitch2 launches June 5th! pic.twitter.com/JxKQdU9Jky
— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) April 2, 2025
The much-anticipated console follows the original Nintendo Switch, which has proven hugely popular with gaming fans since it was released in 2017, with its hybrid home and mobile gaming system which allows players to carry the screen and detachable remote controls with them, as well as dock the device in a station at home to use it with a TV.
The original Switch has sold around 150 million units since its release.
The Switch 2 will support some backwards compatibility for a certain number of original Switch games, as well as a new type of game called Switch 2 Edition games – upgraded versions of existing games specially enhanced for the new console.
During a livestream laying out details about the new console, Nintendo also announced a number of new games that would launch on the upcoming console, including Mario Kart World, an open-world version of the popular racing series.
Ahead of the console’s launch, the gaming firm is to run hands-on events with the product in cities around the world.
These will include an event at London Excel between April 11 and 13.
Nintendo president, Shuntaro Furukawa, said the Switch 2 was a “leap forward” for the company and its customers.
“Nintendo Switch 2 is the next step in at-home gaming that can be taken on the go based on eight years of play and discovery that began with Nintendo Switch,” he said.
“With its new features that expand the possibilities of gaming experiences, I truly believe that Nintendo Switch 2 is a leap forward in our journey of putting smiles on the faces of everyone that Nintendo touches.”
