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Nintendo Switch Online is getting a Switch 2-exclusive upgrade. On June 5, the same day the new console goes on sale, the service's Expansion Pack service will begin including GameCube games. At launch, Nintendo will offer The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcaliber II and F-Zero GX, with more games to come following the Switch 2's release. Games that support multiplayer, including F-Zero GX, will offer online play, with support for up to four players. Additionally, the Switch 2 will render every GameCube game at a higher resolution for improved image quality. Nintendo will also release a new version of the GameCube's classic controller that features a USB-C connection, wireless connectivity and a dedicated C button for GameChat functionality. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-nintendo-switch-2-will-play-gamecube-games-141025334.html?src=rss
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During today's Nintendo Direct all about the Switch 2, the company shared how and when fans can finally get the handheld into their hands. After a long, long wait, pre-orders for the Switch 2 will begin on April 9. Its starting price tag is $450, and the console will be widely available on June 5. The console will be available from the usual lineup of retailers, which we expect to include Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and others. The $450 price tag is for the Switch 2 console alone, but Nintendo said it will also offer a bundle with the Switch 2 and a copy of the new Mario Kart World game, a Switch 2 exclusive, for $500. We knew from the teaser trailer for the Switch 2 that Nintendo's new hardware would be bigger and would have a new approach to the detachable Joy-Cons. The new Joy-Con 2 have a new C button, mouse controls and a built in gyroscope for tilt control. The console has a built-in mic to support a new feature called Game Chat that will let you communicate with friends in-game. The device is indeed a bit larger, with a 7.9-inch LCD screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR and a 1080p resolution. When docked, you'll be able to play at up to 4K on your TV, and Nintendo says it improved the consoles internal speakers as well. The new dock also has a built-in fan to keep the console cool and help maintain performance during long play sessions. The Switch 2 has dual USB-C ports for charging, and the base storage amount has increased to 256GB. The Switch 2's storage can be expanded like the previous model, but it will only work with newer microSD Express cards. Pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 starting April 9 from: Nintendo Amazon Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/how-to-pre-order-the-nintendo-switch-2-140931639.html?src=rss
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At last, we have the critical details millions of gamers have awaited for years: the Nintendo Switch 2 release date, price and other details about the new system. The console will arrive on June 5 and it costs $450. Pre-orders will open on April 9, so you have a week to prepare yourself. Long-standing rumors suggested that the console would go on sale in June. That lined up with a series of roadshow events Nintendo is holding around the globe to let folks try the Switch 2 for the first time. Those wrap up in early June. It's been reported that Nintendo wanted to have as many units of the console ready to sell out of the gate as possible to mitigate shortages. The Switch 2 is likely to be in high demand, even though Nintendo plans to keep releasing new games for the original Switch (which has sold more than 150 million units) into at least 2026. Still, if the demand is robust enough and reports that Nintendo has between 6 million and 8 million units ready to go hold true, the company is poised to smash sales records with the Switch 2. Nintendo Switch 2 hardware Nintendo says it redesigned the system from the ground up. As expected, the Nintendo Switch 2 is larger than its predecessor. It measures 7.9 inches, compared with 6.2 inches for the original system, though no thicker than the previous console. The Switch 2 has around double the pixel density of the original Switch, Nintendo says, as it has a 1080p display. In docked mode, you'll be able to play at up to 4K on your TV. There's some great news for frame rate appreciators, as the system will support up to 120 Hz gameplay on its own screen. There's HDR support too. Sadly, it's an LCD display rather than an OLED. Nintendo says it improved the speakers to deliver clearer audio, while you'll be able to enjoy 3D audio in select games through compatible surround sound systems or headphones. There's a built-in mic with voice cancelling tech too (more on that in a moment). Some other hardware features had already been revealed, including the multi-angled kickstand and dual USB-C ports, either of which can be used for charging. Gratefully, Nintendo has given the Switch 2's internal storage a serious upgrade. At 256GB, it has eight times the built-in storage of the Switch. That's was a necessary change, as many games already weighed in at over 32GB and required a microSD card to install locally. To add more storage, you'll need a microSD Express card, which supports higher-speed data transfers. Regular microSD cards won't be supported. As for the physical game cards, they're the same size and shape as the ones for the Nintendo Switch. As is usually the case, Nintendo isn't saying much about the processor or graphics processing hardware. The company simply says the "Nintendo Switch 2 has significantly improved CPU and GPU performance over Nintendo Switch, resulting in faster processing speed and enabling new visually advanced gameplay. It also makes it possible to achieve more detailed graphics and faster loading times." The new dock has a built-in fan to keep the console cool and maintain stable performance. That's something that might come in handy if you're playing, say, Elden Ring on the Switch 2 which is something you'll actually be able to do. Nintendo is promising a swatch of new accessibility features on the Switch 2. These include the option to change the font size, a speech-to-text function in GameChat (which we'll get to momentarily) and a screen reader. To help you get to grips with all of the new features of this console, you'll be able to check out tech demos, minigames and more in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. This will be a day-one paid launch title for the system. Explore the new system through tech demos, minigames, and quizzes with Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a paid downloadable launch title for #NintendoSwitch2. #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/doZVYS0wjV Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 2, 2025 Joy-Con 2 The rumors were true, the Joy-Con 2 includes a mouse control feature. Each controller can be used as a mouse, so you can maybe expect more strategy games (oh hi, Civilization VII) and even first-person shooters Nintendo is adding this feature just in time for Microsoft to start bringing Call of Duty games to its systems. A new 3 vs. 3 sports game called Drag x Drive, which will arrive this summer, uses the mouse controls of both Joy-Cons. The controllers attach to the main unit magnetically. To detach them, you need to press release button on the rear. The control sticks are larger, as are the SL and SR buttons. The latter are made of steel, and these are what the magnets built into the system attach to, seemingly electromagnetically. A new Pro controller with rear, assignable buttons will also be available. It has an audio jack and, like the Joy-Con 2, it has a C button. About that... C button and GameChat The much-discussed new C button on the right Joy-Con 2 (and the new Pro controller) can control a new feature called GameChat. For one thing, it can activate voice chat with up to 12 people. The microphone that's built into the main Switch 2 unit can pick up your voice from across a room when the console is in docked mode, Nintendo says. Through GameChat, the option to share your gameplay with up to four friends, so you can all see what each other is doing (though these friend streams seemed to be running at a low frame rte in Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct). A camera accessory will allow you to jump into video chat with up to four buds. You can choose to superimpose your camera feed over your gameplay. The camera will be available on the Switch 2 launch day. GameChat will require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in the long run, but access will be free until March 31, 2026. Parents and guardians can set GameChat restrictions through the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app. The company says it has safety features in place for GameChat. Nintendo Switch 2 games Of course, Nintendo unveiled several Switch 2 games, including Mario Kart World, the new title it teased in the console's announcement video. That will be a Switch 2 launch title. Expect more details about that during a dedicated Direct on April 17. I'm very excited about Donkey Kong Bonanza, a 3D platformer that will hit Switch 2 on July 17. A wave of major third-party games are coming to Switch 2 on launch day, including Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition (an ironically very funny name for a game that's being ported to a lass-powerful system), Split Fiction, Hitman World of Assassination, Street Fighter 6 and EA Sports FC. We got an update on a little game called Hollow Knight: Silksong, which now has a 2025 release window. Grand Theft Auto 6 better watch its back. In a major surprise, Nintendo revealed a brand new FromSoftware game that's coming exclusively to the Switch 2 in 2026. It's called The Duskbloods and it looks very much like a spiritual successor to Bloodborne. Meanwhile, the Switch 2 version of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will include a library of GameCube games, such as F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and SoulCalibur II. Transitioning from the Switch Players will be able to carry over most of their purchased Switch games, Nintendo Switch Online memberships and so on to the new console thanks to the Switch 2's backward compatibility. A new system that will also be available on the upcoming hybrid aims to make it easier for people to lend digital Switch games to friends and family but, as is so often the case with Nintendo, the company made things more complicated than they ought to be. Thankfully, Nintendo is looking to make it easy to transition from a Switch to a Switch 2. You'll be able to transfer your games, save data and so on directly to the new console. A GameShare feature will allow people to play the same Switch 2 game locally on multiple systems without having to purchase it more than once. That's a really nice quality of life upgrade for families and friends who like to play games together. Switch 2 owners can even share their game with Switch systems. On the downside, GameShare will only be available for select games, including Super Mario Odyssey for those who really want to play as Kappy on their own device. Naturally, it'll also work on some Switch 2-exclusive games. This story is developing, refresh for updates...This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-nintendo-switch-2-arrives-on-june-5-132838214.html?src=rss
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