Get your kart-driving fingers ready, because the Nintendo Switch 2 is one step closer to arriving in your living room. The company provided a first look at their much-hyped new console today, and it looks like it will still have everything people loved about the original Switch—Nintendo’s second-best selling machine of all time (after the Nintendo DS)—just bigger and better. Literally. The Apple-esque commercial details the transformations of each individual piece of hardware, starting with a screen that grows to a size significantly larger than its predecessor. It also features a new USB-C port and a U-shaped kickstand.
Then it’s on to the Joy-Con controllers, which are a little sleeker-looking than their first iteration. As rumored, they also appear to attach magnetically to the console. As before, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be playable both on its own screen and on your TV, when connected to a dock.
Luckily, you can shell out some money for the new console without having to completely replace your game collection. The Nintendo Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with most original Switch games, Polygon confirmed, though some “may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” More details on which games you’ll need to replace will be coming later, but one you may want to update is Mario Kart, a new version of which is shown in the trailer.
The Switch 2 will be out some time in 2025, but you can experience it at a hands-on event in select cities starting in April—prior to the device’s official launch. The full schedule for those events is below, via Polygon). Since they end June 1, fans can probably count on a release mid-summer or later.
North America
New York, April 4-6, 2025
Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025
Dallas, April 25-27, 2025
Toronto, April 25-27, 2025
Europe
Paris, April 4-6, 2025
London, April 11-13, 2025
Milan, April 25-27, 2025
Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
Madrid, May 9-11, 2025
Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025
Oceania
Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025
Asia
Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025
Hong Kong, To be announced
Taipei, To be announced
