Nintendo launched their Nintendo Switch 2 today. This new console/portable hybrid includes technical improvements across the board from its predecessor the Switch 1. The screen is bigger, there are new Joy-Con controllers with new features, and new online experiences to experience thanks to GameChat.
Nintendo's newest went on sale at midnight on the East Coast (9PM on the West Coast) along with an assortment of about 20 different titles, various accessories, and even some new amiibo figures. Among those new Switch 2 releases today are Mario Kart World, Split Fiction, Street Fighter 6, Sid Meier's Civilization 7, Cyberpunk 2077, Deltarune, Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Hitman World of Assassination, and a few Switch 2 Editions of Nintendo Switch titles.
Nintendo talks up their new GameChat feature for online play. This system shows off smaller gameplay windows of the friends you're playing with at the bottom of your screen. Of course, you'll be able to use GameChat in new games like Mario Kart World, which also launched today alongside the Switch 2.
As far as I'm aware, nobody was able to do any sort of a pre-rerelease review of the Switch 2 or the new titles that are now available. Therefore, if you're still on the fence about picking up a Switch 2, you may need to wait at least a few days for reviews to start trickling in from various media outlets or your friends. Waiting for reviews and impressions seems especially smart given that the Switch 2 alone costs $449.99 in the States, with a bundle combining the Switch 2 with Mario Kart World coming in at $499.99.
At the end of the day though, it's a new Nintendo console. You kind of already know what you're in for here, right? Also, if you do pick up just the Switch 2 hardware today, you can always pick up Mario Kart World later on for $79.99 if that's more your style.
Mario Kart World delivers frenzied Mario Kart racing like never before, as well as a series-first: a vast interconnected environment to explore and race across. Players looking to hit the road with Mario and friends can experience:
- Up to 24 drivers at once – the most in Mario Kart history – race across courses.
- Reimagined returning modes like Grand Prix competition, where the paths between courses are part of the race, too.
- Knockout Tour, a new game mode where checkpoints eliminate drivers if they can’t keep up with the pack.
- Free Roam mode, another new game mode, where players can explore, see the sights and more, solo or with friends online. There are hundreds of single-player missions to complete in Free Roam, too.
- Plus, look forward to hectic faceoffs in the Battle mode!
- Multiple ways to play together with friends, locally7 or online8. This includes local split-screen for up to 4 players on the same system, local wireless play, and competing or exploring with people from around the world (or friends) in online play.
- Using the new GameChat feature on Nintendo Switch 2, players can talk with friends around the world while playing online. Plus, see their live expressions in-game with the new CameraPlay feature by connecting a compatible USB-C camera to the system (sold separately).
I'm sure as reviews and impressions start to come in over the next couple of weeks, we'll have more details on how the Switch 2 launch is going.
Nintendo Switch 2 builds on the foundations of the Nintendo Switch system, and delivers a multitude of new features and enhancements, including:
- New social capabilities with the built-in mic and the new online feature GameChat, where up to 12 friends and family can play games and talk like they’re all in the same room, even when they’re miles apart. You can also video chat with up to four people if you connect a compatible USB-C camera, such as the Nintendo Switch 2 camera (sold separately).
- Powerful CPU and GPU capable of enhanced visuals and performance.
- A large 7.9-inch built-in LCD screen that displays in full HD at 1080p.
- Joy-Con 2 controllers that magnetically attach to the system. New mouse controls are also possible by sliding them across surfaces, such as a tabletop or even your lap in compatible games.
- 256 GB storage capacity – 8 times that of Nintendo Switch (a portion of which is reserved for use by the system).
- USB-C ports on the top and bottom of the system, and a freely adjustable stand for playing and charging in tabletop mode.
- Crisp audio quality and spatial 3D sound in handheld and tabletop modes.
- A new dock that enables the Nintendo Switch 2 to output video at up to 4K resolution or play games at up to 120 fps in supported games on compatible displays or TVs.
- Variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, available in handheld mode, helps games move seamlessly by preventing frame skips and flickering.
- Accessibility features to support a wide range of gameplay styles.
Yep, especially if most of the name is shared with the previous hardware. Barely Anything worthy, basically.