After a brief tease, Nintendo is finally detailing the Nintendo Switch 2 in full.
The Switch 2 is physically larger than the original Switch, with a larger Joy-Cons to accompany it, as well as a new dock. The kickstand has been redesigned, and the Switch 2 has a second USB Type-C port. The much-anticipated console/handheld hybrid will have big shoes to fill, as the original Nintendo Switch was Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time, with over 150.86 million units sold.
The Joy-Con 2 controller features a new C button, which Nintendo promoted early as a flagship new feature. It allows for GameChat, letting you talk with friends while playing games. There’s a built-in microphone in the Switch that will recognize your voice, and Nintendo didn’t show it in use with a headset. In fact, Nintendo shoes a blender in the background, suggesting it will cancel noise. The chat menu will also have game screens sharing to share with others in your party, though Nintendo’s direct made it look a little choppy. Your chat can include players in different games, so you do’nt have to be playing together. It’s nice to see this built in, as the original Nintendo switch required a smartphone app.
There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 camera that you can connect to the system to broadcast yourself on screen and video chat in front of your screen. The camera feed will also be incorporated into games, like some Mario Party-style mini games that were shown in the Direct.
Nintendo started the stream with Mario Kart World, showcasing what is sure to be a powerhouse game that will sell throughout the Switch 2’s lifetime. It will launch day and date with the Switch 2. Beyond more detailed graphics, it showed wall-riding, the ability to take control of a truck, and more. The game will change with time of day and weather conditions. You can drive off the track, driving from race to race. The game will have 24 players in each race, the most in the series’ history and a showcase of the Switch’s increased compute power. There’s also a free-roam mode in Mario Kart World, exploring an open world similar to Microsoft’s Forza Horizon series.
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