Which games Dose Nintendo Switch 2 launch

Which games Dose Nintendo Switch 2 launch

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8 years after the original was first revealed, Nintendo is hosting a special Nintendo Direct dedicated to the next-generation Nintendo Switch 2.
Whether you’re a longtime Switch owner or just curious about what’s next, here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct and what to expect.

When and Where to Watch
The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is set for Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 9am ET/6am PT. An hour in length, you can catch the entire presentation live on Nintendo’s official YouTube and Twitch channels as well as in the video embedded below. If you can’t watch it live, don’t worry, the video will be available for replay on YouTube immediately after the stream ends.

And if you think the console itself is all that Nintendo is showing, you’re in for a treat. The company will also be hosting Treehouse: Live sessions on April 3 and 4, offering an exclusive deep dive into some of the biggest upcoming games for the console.

 

 

Nintendo Switch 2 launch date

The Switch 2 is going on sale on June 5th, 2025 and will cost $450/£396. There will be a single version, with 256GB of on-board storage. A bundle with Mario Kart Worlds is also due for $500/£430.

Pre-orders will open on April 9 at all the usual electronics retailers.

 

Mario Kart World: A new Mario Kart game kicked off the stream, highlighting a bunch of features entirely new to the franchise. You’ll be able to leave the race track for the first time, driving to the next course as part of each classic grand prix series, or free roam the world with friends. There’ll be a photo mode, too. A knockout Tour swaps circuits for checkpoints, with players knocked out if they’re last to reach the next one. Characters can change costumes mid-race now, and there’ll be different weather conditions and times of day too. Mario Kart World will launch day and date with the Switch 2. Nintendo has a Direct showcase stream planned for April 17 to reveal more.

Kirby Air Riders: two decades on from the Gamecube original, this fan favourite is getting a sequel. Some might ask whether we needed two racing games so soon into the Switch 2’s life, but it looks fun enough from the brief teaser trailer.

Donkey Kong Bananza: An all-new 3D Donkey Kong adventure in the vein of DK64, this colourful romp sees the simian hero pummel rocks to uncover hidden gems on Ingot Isle. It’s releasing on July 17.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour: a typically Nintendo-esque tutorial that teaches you all the Switch 2’s new functions and features via minigames and hidden secrets. It’s a paid-for game that’ll be digital-only.

Duskbloods: easily the third-party exclusive that’ll turn the most heads, Duskbloods is an all-new FromSoftware adventure that looks like someone crossed the steampunk genre with Castlevania. It’s coming in 2026, so expect to hear plenty more about its gameplay between now and launch.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games: Nintendo will update a bunch of Switch games for the new console, adding extra features to take advantage of Switch 2’s additions like the camera and mouse controls. First up will be Super Mario Party Jamboree on July 24th. Owners of the Switch original will be able to buy a digital upgrade. Zeldas Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will see patches that bring higher resolutions and HDR support, as well as a new Zelda Notes mode in the Nintendo smartphone app.

Gamecube on Switch Online: Nintendo’s much-loved sixth-gen console will finally see some of its greatest hits land on the Switch Online service. Zelda: the Wind Waker, Soul Calibur II and F-Zero GX are promised to start with. There’ll also be a Switch 2-compatible wireless Gamecube controller, complete with C button.

Third-party support: Nintendo brought plenty of friends along to show off their new releases. Hades II, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 and Borderlands 4 will all launch on Switch 2, while big hitters like Elden Ring, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy and Hitman: World of Assassination will receive ports.

 

 

Nintendo Switch 2 features
Screen: The Switch 2 has a 7.9in, 1920×1080 LCD display, which might come as a disappointment to Switch OLED owners – but 120Hz refresh rate and HDR support could make up for it. Nintendo is promising louder, clearer speakers to go with it, as well as a sturdy flip-out stand with a lot more angle adjustment than before. A second USB-C port at the top, next to the 3.5mm headset port, makes it easier to charge in tabletop mode.

Dock: You’ll still dock your Switch 2 in order to play on the big screen, but the new one can output a 4K HDR image – that’s a huge leap from the 1080 SDR of the original Switch. Nintendo has added a built-in fan to cool the system while it’s pushing all those pixels.

Storage: The Switch 2 will have 256GB of on-board storage as standard. It’ll be a lot faster at reading and writing than the original Switch. External storage sticks around too, but the new console will only support MicroSD Express Cards; your OG Switch’s regular microSD cards won’t work.

Game Cards: Switch 2 games get new red game cartridges which have faster read speeds than Switch 1’s black carts.

Joy-cons: the new joy-con controllers connect magnetically to the console, with a release button on the back. The left and right analogue sticks are larger now, so should be more comfortable to use – and hopefully stick drift is a thing of the past. They can be used on their sides like a computer mouse in compatible games.

The long-rumoured C button will launch a new GameChat feature. That’s right, on-device voice chat rather than through a phone app! It uses the microphone built into the Switch 2, with far-field pickup to hear you from across the room and background noise reduction. This menu also supports screen sharing during gameplay.

Switch 2 Pro Controller: the Switch 2’s new C button will also appear on the new Pro Controller. This accessory has a 3.5mm audio port built-in for using with a headset, and new GL and GR buttons on the back.

Switch 2 Camera: An official accessory for adding video chat to games, the Switch 2 camera is a USB-C webcam that sits on a raised stand for placing next to your TV. It’ll remove backgrounds if you prefer to keep your room obscured. It’s launching the same day as Switch 2.

GameShare: You’ll be able to play locally on multiple Switch 2 and Switch systems with just one game. It’ll only with with compatible titles, though, not the entire Switch game catalogue.
Switch 2 launch games

What's a new console without launch games?
Here's the Switch 2 launch titles from Nintendo:

Mario Kart World
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Here are the partner games you'll be able to play on the Switch 2 from launch:

Street Fighter 6
Split Fiction
Hogwarts Legacy
Hitman Word of Assassination - Signature Edition
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Deltarune - Chapters 1 to 4
Civilization VII
Survival Kids
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Fast Fusion
Fortnite
Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer
While I'm excited, I'm a little disappointed that there's no Doshin the Giant remake… Yet, my GameCube loving heart will be somewhat fed as its been announced Nintendo GameCube games will be available exclusively on the Switch 2 via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members.

Here are the GameCube games which will be available on the service from launch:

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Soul Calibur II
F-Zero GX
Switch 2 partner games


Here are all of the Switch 2 partner games revealed so far listed as they appeared in the presentation, along with any details given about their release dates. We'll learn more about these partner games as they're release dates grow closer, those EA Sports has said that the Switch 2 versions of FC and Madden NFL will have feature parity with consoles "as much as the hardware allows".

Elden Ring - 2025
Hades II
Street Fighter 6 - Launch title
DaemonXMachina: Titanic Scion - 5th September
Split Fiction - Launch Title
EA Sports Madden NFL
EA Sports FC
Hogwarts Legacy - Launch title
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 - Summer 2025
Hitman Word of Assassination - Signature Edition - Launch title
Project 007
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster - Launch title
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut - Launch title
Deltarune - Chapters 1 to 4 - Launch title
Borderlands 4 - 2025
Civilization VII - Launch title
copyright 2k
NBA 2k
Survival Kids - Launch title
Enter the Gungeon 2
Starseeker: Astronomer Expeditions - 2026
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition - Launch title
Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess - Launch title
Hollow Knight: Silksong - 2025
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar - 27th August 2025
Goodnight Universe - 2025
Two Point Museum - 2025
Wilds Hearts S - 25th July 2025
Witchbrook - Winter 2025
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S - Launch title
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma - Launch title
Marvel Cosmic Invasion - Winter 2025
Star Wars Outlaws - 2025
Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition - Launch title
Fast Fusion - Launch title
Shadow Labyrinth - 18th July 2025
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army - 19th June 2025
No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: The Somnium Files - 25th July 2025
Reanimal - 2025
Fortnite - Launch title
Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer - Launch title
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam - 2025
Tamagotchi Plaza - 27th June 2025
Human Fall Flat 2

 

What to Expect From The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
The Nintendo Switch 2 has been the talk of the gaming world since it was first announced in January 2025. Even prior to that reveal, there were rumors and speculation aplenty regarding what to expect from the first Nintendo console in nearly a decade. We already know it features magnetized Joy-Con controllers, backward compatibility with Switch cartridges, and an easy way to transfer digital games. But this Direct will finally give us the full picture, include hardware details, pricing, and a launch date.

It’s also expected that the first Nintendo Switch 2 games such as Mario Kart 9 will be revealed. Maybe they’ll even be a few surprises that no on is anticipating.

 

Stay in the Loop
If you can’t watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct live when it airs at 9am ET/6am PT, you can catch up on everything announced courtesy of Insider Gaming. From the console’s features to its announced launch titles and everything in between, Insider Gaming will have full coverage of all you need to know about the next Nintendo system

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