Nintendo has fully lifted the lid on the Switch 2, which means a tidal wave of fresh details has come crashing in. New information has emerged on the upcoming console’s hardware, its games, its new features, its launch, and more, and here, we’re going to round up all of those details. Without further ado, let’s jump in. PRICE AND RELEASE DATE Let’s get the most crucial info out of the way right off the bat- when exactly is the Nintendo Switch 2 releasing, and how much is it going to cost? Nintendo’s long-awaited next-gen console is out a couple of months from now, on June 5. In the US, it will be sold at a price of $449.99, while a bundle including a digital code for Mario Kart World will also be available for $499.99. That’ll be £395.99 and £429.99 in the UK, ¥49,980 and ¥53980 in Japan, and €469.99 and €509.99 in the EU. Interestingly, however, in Japan, Nintendo will also sell a Japan-only version of the console that will be roughly $340 cheaper than the regular base SKU, with its price set at ¥49,980. WHAT’S IN THE BOX? Let’s stick with the basics and talk about what we’re going to get for the aforementioned price of entry- what exactly will be in the box? There will, of course, be a Switch 2 with Joy-Con 2 controllers, as well as a dock and a Joy-Con 2 Grip. Other contents will include an ultra-high speed HDMI cable, a USB-C charging cable, an AC adapter, and Joy-Con 2 controllers. Oh, and speaking of the Joy-Con 2 controllers… JOY-CON 2 The Switch 2 is retaining its predecessor’s core form factor while making several improvements, which means we can expect improved Joy-Con controllers as well. The Joy-Con 2 controllers, as Nintendo officially calls them, will come with several upgrades over the Switch 1, chief among them being the ability to place them on a surface sideways and use them as a mouse. The feature was leaked previously and hinted at in the Switch 2’s announcement trailer, and has now finally been officially confirmed. Another major new feature that the Joy-Con 2 controllers boast is the new C button, which is tied to the new GameChat feature. GameChat will allow you to instantly jump into a chat with up to 12 other players. Voice chats will be the default, though those with a Switch 2 camera accessory can also do video chats. Meanwhile, GameChat will also let you stream your gameplay to everyone in your group- even if you’re all playing different games. GameChat will be available to everyone for free while in its early access period, which will run from June 5 to March 31, 2026. Following that, it will only be available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. GAMESHARE Another new feature that Nintendo is introducing Switch 2 is GameShare, which, in a nutshell, will let you share a game that you own with anyone, allowing you to play multiplayer even with someone who doesn’t own it. The feature will be available only with select, compatible games, though interestingly enough, even players on the Switch 1 will be able to receive them, as long as they’re being shared locally. Meanwhile, Switch 2 to Switch 2 sharing will also feature GameChat integration. So far, Nintendo has confirmed only a handful of games that will feature GameShare support, including Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain, and Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics. HARDWARE DETAILS So what exactly do we know about the Switch 2’s hardware? As the name suggests, it’s a better, more powerful Switch. It touts a 7.9 inch LCD screen that’s capable of 1080p output, and features support for HDR, 120 FPS, and VRR. When docked, it will feature 4K support for compatible games. The tablet’s rear kickstand is larger and sturdier, it features 256 GB of internal storage, and 3D audio support has also been confirmed. Meanwhile, there’s now an additional USB-C port on the tablet’s top, which means you can now also charge when playing in tabletop mode, while the dock will also include an internal fan to keep things from getting too toasty when you’re playing in console mode. Where the Joy-Con 2 controllers are concerned, in addition to their mouse functionality (which we’ve already discussed), the controllers will also feature larger SL and SR buttons when playing with a single controller, while both analog sticks are also larger. As previously confirmed, the Joy-Con controllers will also now attach to the console with magnets. BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY The original Switch boasts one of the best, largest, and most varied game libraries that any console has ever had, so we really cannot overestimate the importance of the Nintendo Switch 2’s backward compatibility support. Confirmed several months back, Nintendo has now provided more details- including the fact that Switch 1 titles that are played on the Switch 2 will have some enhancements by default from time to time. Some, for instance, will feature faster loading times thanks to the console’s more powerful hardware. Nintendo has also confirmed that GameChat will be usable will all games that you play on the Switch 2, including Switch 1 titles running via backward compatibility. GAME CARDS, EXTERNAL STORAGE, AND SYSTEM TRANSFER Miscellaneous details about the Switch 2’s physical media and data management features have also been revealed. Where the former is concerned, the console will still use cartridges, just as its predecessor does. Cartridges will be the exact same size and shape as the Switch 1, though they’re now going to be red- and that changed colour scheme will apply to physical game boxes as well. Meanwhile, the Switch 2 will not support regular microSD cards, with microSD Express Cards being required (which likely means we can expect faster memory, streaming, and loading). Nintendo has also confirmed that a System Transfer feature will also be available, allowing players with a Switch 1 to easily transfer over all of their data to a Switch 2 device. SWITCH 2 GAME PRICES This is one of the more controversial pieces of information that has emerged related to the Switch 2. While the console’s own price is ultimately fairly reasonable, its game prices are shooting up quite significantly. Nintendo has revealed that first-party games could be priced as high as $80 on the Switch 2. That won’t be the case with all games, mind you. For instance, Donkey Kong Bananza is going to be a $70, and presumably, Nintendo will also continue to release cheaper $60 titles from time to time as well (depending on their stature, that is). The biggest releases, however, are going to be $80- which is the price that Mario Kart World is going to be sold at, for instance. That is higher even than what has become the standard AAA price for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S games. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 EDITION TITLES The vast majority of the Switch 1’s library will be playable on the Switch 2 via backward compatibility by default, and, as mentioned previously, will tout some minor upgrades here and there. Certain other, select games, however, will come with a wider gamut of enhancements. Known as Nintendo Switch 2 Edition releases, these will be handpicked Switch 1 titles that will tout several enhancements exclusive to the Switch 2- for a price. A number of Switch 2 Edition releases have been confirmed- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which will be playable at either 4K/60 FPS or 1080p/120 FPS, feature enhanced resolutions and load times, tout HDR support support and more; Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which will feature improved frame rates and resolution; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which will both have HDR support, faster load times, improved frame rates and resolution, and support for a new external mobile app called Zelda Notes; Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World, which will boast a new story mode (i.e. the titular Star-Crossed World) and performance and visual enhancements; and Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV, which will add new modes with support for Joy-Con 2 mouse functionalities, the Switch 2 camera, and microphone, GameShare, and several technical enhancements. Nintendo Switch 2 Edition releases will be sold individually, but those who already own the game on Switch 1 will be able to pay to upgrade to the Switch 2 version. BATTERY LIFE AND CHARGING TIME “How long will the battery last?” is usually one of the first things people tend to ask about portable devices. With the Switch 2, the answer to that question is… well, about what you would have expected. Nintendo has revealed that the console will last anywhere between two to six and a half hours on a full charge, depending on exactly how you’re using it. Meanwhile, charging your Switch 2 to a hundred percent charge will take approximately three hours on average when in sleep mode. GAME-KEY CARDS Do you hate it when physical editions of games are just empty boxes that include download codes? Nintendo has come up with… well, a pretty strange solution (though solution may not be the right word). Switch 2 games will also be sold in the form of physical game cards, which will essentially be physical editions with cartridges that will not have the game or any of its data itself, but will instead require a full download of whatever game you have purchased. That, of course, means you’ll need an internet connection. Once you have downloaded the game, you will no longer need to be connected to the internet, though bafflingly enough, you will still need to insert the game-key card to be able to play the game that you have just downloaded. UI Nintendo has thus far showcased a few glimpses here and there of the Nintendo Switch 2’s home UI and system OS, and there isn’t much there that’s too different from the Switch 1. In fact, it is pretty much exactly the same. Other than a few tiny and largely negligible differences here and there, the UI largely seems to be the same as the Switch 1, right down to the basic light and dark themes. Whether we can expect any additional bells and whistles or even more than just two themes remains to be seen. GAMES Arguably the most important detail about any console- what games will it run? Obviously, the full lineup of titles set to launch for the Switch 2 over its first couple of years hasn’t been revealed, but Nintendo has unveiled a bunch of games for the system already nonetheless, including both exclusives and multiplatform titles. Where the latter are concerned, the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to receive the likes of  Reanimal, Split Fiction, Star Wars Outlaws, Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Cyberpunk 2077, Wild Hearts, Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Borderlands 4, NBA 2K, WWE 2K, Civilization 7, EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, Deltarune, Fortnite, Hades 2, Hitman: World of Assassination, Project 007, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, and many others. Of course, as you’d expect for a Nintendo console, plenty of exclusives are also already confirmed. These include the likes of Mario Kart World, the 3D platformer Donkey Kong Bananza, a Masahiro Sakurai-led Kirby’s Air Riders, FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki’s The Dustbloods, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Drag x Drive, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. A handful of Nintendo Switch 1 exclusives will also get simultaneous Switch 2 releases, with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. GAMECUBE TITLES Here’s another major new feature that Nintendo is rolling out with the Switch 2. Exclusively on the next-gen console, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers can look forward to GameCube titles in the service’s growing library of legacy games. Several have been officially confirmed already, including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion, F-Zero GX, Soulcalibur 2, Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Super Mario Strikers, among others. PRE-ORDERS With the Switch 2 due out in a couple months’ time, its pre-orders are also going live imminently, on April 9. Pre-orders will obviously be available via several retailers, though Nintendo itself will also accept pre-orders, for which you can begin registering your interest now- but with a caveat… NINTENDO STORE ORDERS Nintendo Account holders can register their interest for Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders now, but only in the United States and Canada. When purchases are available, Nintendo will send out invitational emails to account holders who have registered their interest, but these will be prioritized (and sent on a first-come-first-served basis) to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers with a minimum of 12-month old subscriptions, as well as at least 50 gameplay hours.