Nintendo Switch 2 Launches June 5 at $449.99 with New Hardware and Games

[dartuil]

I thought the RTX 20 series was Turing not Ampere.

The price as we have discussed before is pretty much in line with (saner) expectations. I predict Switch 2 will outsell SteamDeck despite this "ridiculous" [sic] pricing.

exactly turing rtx20 and ampere rtx30

 

[cvaldes]

I don't have issues with the price it'll just be interesting if that limits the adoption of the console.

The hardware is pretty damn old at this point though so I'm mildly surprised it's 450 but I guess that lines up with everything else in 2025. It'll probably be scalped for double that for 3-6 months anyways.

Yah, I don't plan to buy the initial model this summer.

I'll probably jump on the bandwagon after they include OLED. The battery life of the subsequent models should be better if Switch 2 hardware development follows that of the original Switch. The followup models are a much better value from a feature-per-dollar metric.

And I don't give a rat's ass about FOMO since FOMO is for idiots. When the time comes, Nintendo will have a unit for me at MSRP, not with a scalper's markup.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

Yah, I don't plan to buy the initial model.

I'll probably jump on the bandwagon after they include OLED. The battery life of the subsequent models should be better if Switch 2 hardware development follows that of the original Switch.

I have an OG Switch my wife loves it, I will probably get this at some point also.

I'm still not a fan of PC based handheld that probably won't change for a few more generations they are all too weak but Nintendo games I enjoy like Mario Kart/ Zelda etc and I'm not a huge fan of emulation so I don't have a ton of options if I want to play them

 

[dartuil]

I have an OG Switch my wife loves it, I will probably get this at some point also.

I'm still not a fan of PC based handheld that probably won't change for a few more generations they are all too weak but Nintendo games I enjoy like Mario Kart/ Zelda etc and I'm not a huge fan of emulation so I don't have a ton of options if I want to play them

nothing better to have your console in your hands

 

[cvaldes]

I have an OG Switch my wife loves it, I will probably get this at some point also.

I'm still not a fan of PC based handheld that probably won't change for a few more generations they are all too weak but Nintendo games I enjoy like Mario Kart/ Zelda etc and I'm not a huge fan of emulation so I don't have a ton of options if I want to play them

I already mentioned that I will wait for Switch 2 OLED. I will also wait until there is a Switch 2-specific Zelda game as well. It's great that Nintendo is offering enhanced versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for Switch 2 but the bigger draw for me will be a brand new Zelda title.

And the exclusive FromSoftware title won't be available at the June 5th launch anyhow.

Again it's all about the content, something some people still don't get after decades of Nintendo videogame consoles.

LOL, about the only thing missing from today's Switch 2 announcement was GTA VI.

 

[BorisDG]

is that rumored or did they announce that?

It's official. You can see Nintendo website.

 

[TechKilledMe]

You still haven't learned what Nintendo's priorities are.

For them content is king. As it should be.

It's about the game titles, not about how many polygons they can paint on the screen, how many gigabytes of texture maps they can cram into VRAM, what sort of Geekbench or Furmark score it might return, etc. They don't market this to be a Windows replacement or to play YouTube (which you probably can) or do all the things you might ordinarily do on your smartphone (which everyone owns these days anyhow).

It's their portable gaming console and they will sell *LOT* of them. Moreover they will sell lots of games (I think the average Nintendo device owner buys seven titles), mostly at near MSRP prices.

Their exclusive game series rank amongst the most successful IP (Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong) on the planet. People buy Nintendo for their games, not for their hardware. Nintendo -- like Apple -- thinks of themselves as essentially a software company who has exclusive content that only runs on their proprietary hardware.

As always, it is expected that Nintendo sells the base Switch 2 at a price barely breaking even. They make bank off of software, peripherals, and merchandise. There is nothing new with this, this has been the case for decades. Similarly, Apple makes much more margin from their peripherals like some $20 cable or $45 phone case than the iPhone or iPad itself (although Apple certainly doesn't sell iPhones near COGS).

Remember that Nintendo rarely raises the price of the console hardware so today's pricing needs to absorb inflation for the expected sales cycle of this hardware generation (likely 6-7 years) even if COGS drops slightly for some components. For something like SteamDeck, the expected sales cycle is quite short comparatively so Valve doesn't need to factor this in. Valve (and competitors like Asus) can/will release new hardware frequently and change pricing accordingly.

This is all basic stuff that videogame pundits have acknowledged for decades. Nintendo's (both hardware and software) sales cycles and unit sales curves are vastly different than their console competitors (PS and Xbox) and the PC gaming industry.

That's why Nintendo can get away selling 8 year old hardware and games on that platform.

True. But how long can Nintendo keep making money on rehashes of Mario Kart, Zelda, and Donkey Kong? Platformers have been the exact same for 30 years, Mario Kart experience on the new switch is pretty much the exact same as it was on the N64. Like they obviously have a market but will people tolerate Mario Kart N+1 forever? I really dont think so. They need to be pushing new innovative party games rather than just rehashing the same games every console generation.

 

[dir_d]

True. But how long can Nintendo keep making money on rehashes of Mario Kart, Zelda, and Donkey Kong? Platformers have been the exact same for 30 years, Mario Kart experience on the new switch is pretty much the exact same as it was on the N64. Like they obviously have a market but will people tolerate Mario Kart N+1 forever? I really dont think so. They need to be pushing new innovative party games rather than just rehashing the same games every console generation.

This is the reason i don't feel there is a reason to move to this platform for now. I will stick with the OG Switch.

 

[cvaldes]

True. But how long can Nintendo keep making money on rehashes of Mario Kart, Zelda, and Donkey Kong? Platformers have been the exact same for 30 years, Mario Kart experience on the new switch is pretty much the exact same as it was on the N64. Like they obviously have a market but will people tolerate Mario Kart N+1 forever? I really dont think so. They need to be pushing new innovative party games rather than just rehashing the same games every console generation.

Here's the deal.

There are people walking on this planet who weren't alive when Nintendo shipped N64 let alone Super NES or NES. And some of their parents never played these when they were kids. And how easy is it for some random zoomer kid to get their hands on an functional and well-behaved N64 and a specific cartridge?

In other news, there are people still attending Shakespeare plays, Mozart operas, going to screenings of Casablanca, watching lameass Star Wars television series and lameass superhero movie-of-the-month offerings.

You can tell the story of Romeo and Juliet a thousand times over.

The most important thing with something like Mario Kart is having fun with your friends. It doesn't matter if you are playing Mario Kart 64 or Mario Kart World on the upcoming Switch 2. The point is to just have fun, just like playing tennis with a pal.

That's gaming with friends. The times you spend together is more important than what percentage of the game has new polygonal mesh models or larger texture maps.

But one thing for sure, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is not a rewrite of Ocarina of Time. Sure, it's easy to single out one game like Mario Kart and whine "It's the same thing". It's a racing game. But one could say the same thing about sports games. Or most co-op shooters. How much different is Marvel Rivals versus Overwatch 2? Some texture maps?

Killing more polygons doesn't make you a better videogamer.

 

[GenericUsername2001]

So any bets on how long it will take for a working Switch 2 Emulator to pop up? (Granted Nintendo has tried to crack down on that, but hopefully the devs of any future projects can avoid past emulator dev mistakes, like sharing pirated games on their discord, or living in an area where Nintendo can use their Yakuza ties to scare off the head dev).

 

[cvaldes]

So any bets on how long it will take for a working Switch 2 Emulator to pop up? (Granted Nintendo has tried to crack down on that, but hopefully the devs of any future projects can avoid past emulator dev mistakes, like sharing pirated games on their discord, or living in an area where Nintendo can use their Yakuza ties to scare off the head dev).

Maybe 2029? And by that time AI agents will be actively working on behalf of Nintendo's lawyers to look for any emulator development activity in Reddit, Discord, Sourceforge, Github, whatever.

One thing I can guarantee is that Nintendo's engineers did not just copy-and-paste the old Switch encryption code into the Switch 2's software tree and leave to go get beers.

My guess is that Nintendo has improved the DRM on Switch 2 and it will take 2-3 years for someone(s) to crack the DRM on new Switch 2-specific titles. There's also the ROM on the hardware to be cracked as well. God only knows if Nintendo added another layer of encryption somewhere else. And then spend more time writing an emulator.

There is source code for the now-quashed Yuzu/Suyu and Ryujinx emulators. Since we know there is backwards compatibility, that code will likely be examined and possibly repurposed for a future Switch 2 emulator. However because of that code's existence it would be fairly trivial for an AI agent to look for code strings that match old Ryujinx and Yuzu code in some active repository.

Hell, we already know that the miniature Super NES Classic console runs an emulator on Linux.

But for sure someone will try to write a Switch 2 emulator... And for sure Nintendo's lawyers won't just sit and do nothing...

And none of this means that the first release of a Switch 2 emulator will be good. Don't expect it to run every title at 8K@240Hz when you first hear about it, whenever that may be.

 

[Gooigi's Ex]

So any bets on how long it will take for a working Switch 2 Emulator to pop up? (Granted Nintendo has tried to crack down on that, but hopefully the devs of any future projects can avoid past emulator dev mistakes, like sharing pirated games on their discord, or living in an area where Nintendo can use their Yakuza ties to scare off the head dev).

Imma be honest…why? I’m a big supporter of emulation of games and once delusional Nintendo fanboy into a lover/HATER of Nintendo and with the NS2 with its Performance and Quality mode, emulation of NS2 games is kind of moot. Looks like the performance may even surpass of what current PC handhelds are capable of(until Nvidia and AMD releases their updated APUs)

Before people jump on the hating bandwagon of PC handhelds(Windows), Microsoft and Asusnare collaborating something and HIGHLY interested of what to see as I would love to have XBOX OS on a handheld.

 

[slyphnier]

It looked interesting but not only is the console getting a bump in price but games seem to be getting a price hike also. Considering the soc is old AF and based on a ampere I'm surprised they couldn't hit a better price point.

They dropped oled so they could no doubt sell an oled version once the LCD version loses steam but that was to be expected I guess.

The from software game looked interesting though.

few years just like switch1, i am guessing the cost (including current price inflation) is pretty tight at $450
putting oled display will further add the final-price which i think its already quite high (OG switch is $300 back in 2017, so $150 increase in 8years)

True. But how long can Nintendo keep making money on rehashes of Mario Kart, Zelda, and Donkey Kong? Platformers have been the exact same for 30 years, Mario Kart experience on the new switch is pretty much the exact same as it was on the N64. Like they obviously have a market but will people tolerate Mario Kart N+1 forever? I really dont think so. They need to be pushing new innovative party games rather than just rehashing the same games every console generation.

well considering their sales been good steady so far, nothing that sign their sales will slowing down for sure

tons game developer re-releasing old game (remaster / remake) which is basically old game with updated graphic [for remaster] and whole content update [for remake] and those games sales were pretty good

if we look at whole different game, like table-top-games (warhammer), something like released back on 87, it still going on to this day, despite same game-rule and people playing same way

and for nintendo, i think those game dont really rehashing their original/old-games, probably they keep the base concept
but each new title/series always got new feature added, which many find it refreshing enough and dont feel playing same-game

now for people saying it still same games, then how about various similar games, like current popular soul-likes game ?
elden-ring - wukong black myth - wolong fallen dysnasty - first berserker khazan is just reskinned game ? so no point playing those games ?

creating new genre isnt easy, but again its not dictated how good the game is, old game with same genre can be really good
even today there tons of people like retro games isnt it ?
abit OOT, but sometimes people actually prefer the original one, look at disney snow white live-action, no one want those arent we lol

tldr it isnt our issue, if they releasing boring game, we can always just go for another else, thats nintendo problem

 

[Dragokar]

The price is nuts......to keep it mildly worded.

 

[cvaldes]

The price is nuts......to keep it mildly worded.

My prediction is that the consumer marketplace will prove you wrong and Nintendo will eventually sell tens of millions of Switch 2 units. In fact, there's a chance they will eventually exceed the 100 million unit mark that the original Switch surpassed years ago.

What are the chances of SteamDeck selling 150 million units (something the original Switch family did by the end of 2024)? Ahahahahahahaha!!!!!

We have been over this repeatedly. There was zero chance that Switch 2 would have gotten a $50 price bump from the original 2017 Switch. $100 in 2017 dollars is $130 in 2025 dollars adjusted for inflation, a topic you seem to know little about.

The US$449 retail price for Switch 2 in mid-2025 is completely in line with what a sane and rational person would have expected.

 

[Onasi]

True. But how long can Nintendo keep making money on rehashes of Mario Kart, Zelda, and Donkey Kong?

So far the history shows that the answer is “forever”. Nintendo fans are a very conservative bunch (despite the hardware gimmicks Nin tried in the past) and it doesn’t take much to make them happy. The aforementioned series, a new Fire Emblem, a new Metroid and its cool, a 100 million consoles sold. It’s not my jam, but I have to respect the consistency and knowing one’s consumer base.

 

[wNotyarD]

The US$449 retail price for Switch 2 in mid-2025 is completely in line with what a sane and rational person would have expected.

Sanity and rationality typically don't go hand in hand with the passion videogames do entail.

 

[cvaldes]

Sanity and rationality typically don't go hand in hand with the passion videogames do entail.

Actually they do for Nintendo. Remember that they are a profitable publicly traded corporation.

Any public corporation's first duty is to increase shareholder value.

Nintendo has certainly made their share of mistakes however Switch wasn't one of them.

A lot of online commenters don't understand that nor do they understand the business of videogames. But it is essentially like any other business, you need to make more money than you spend if you're going to stay in business 140+ years like Nintendo has.

Insanity and irrationality -- two heavily practiced behavior patterns online -- doesn't pay the bills whether you're making videogames, stethoscopes, or basketball shoes.

It's clear that many people in this discussion thread have never worked in a corporate environment, attended a meeting, and been expected to show what they did helped with the company's bottom line.

Consumers are a notoriously fickle bunch -- more so now in 2025 than in the past -- but they keep coming back to Nintendo. It's important for Nintendo (and their competitors) to adapt to the times and not try to sell hanafuda cards in 2025. To do that takes a LOT of sanity and rationality.

If you actually watched the three presenters in today's Switch 2 reveal, they exemplified these traits on camera. Very Japanese. Put the fun, zaniness, and frivolity in the content (game title) not in the way you run your business. Some people don't understand this distinction. Clowns should be in the game not the boardroom.

 

[Dragokar]

My prediction is that the consumer marketplace will prove you wrong and Nintendo will eventually sell tens of millions of Switch 2 units. In fact, there's a chance they will eventually exceed the 100 million unit mark that the original Switch surpassed years ago.

What are the chances of SteamDeck selling 150 million units (something the original Switch family did by the end of 2024)? Ahahahahahahaha!!!!!

We have been over this repeatedly. There was zero chance that Switch 2 would have gotten a $50 price bump from the original 2017 Switch. $100 in 2017 dollars is $130 in 2025 dollars adjusted for inflation, a topic you seem to know little about.

The US$449 retail price for Switch 2 in mid-2025 is completely in line with what a sane and rational person would have expected.

How are dumb customers proving me wrong? I said the price is nuts, that's for me and for me only (well and everyone I talked about the price so far). Everyone can buy what they want, but don't blame the greedy companies when customers just throw the money at them.

Any bets on Switch 2 OLED or Pro later on xD?

 

[cvaldes]

You are free to do what you want with your money. However there is a very large number of people on this planet who will still shell out what Nintendo is asking for.

We know now for decades that Nintendo does not price their base console hardware much above COGS. This topic has been beaten to death like a horse.

I am 99.9% convinced that there will be some sort of mid-generation updated hardware (I previously mentioned Switch 2 OLED that I will wait for) with a price upcharge. However as I mentioned earlier in this thread, the mid-generation hardware typically has a better feature-to-price ratio. Remember that later versions of the Switch gained battery life.

I'm not sure about an SoC upgrade. If it brought 120fps at 4K, yeah, I could see that. Maybe ML-assisted frame generation to help with filling in those extra frame.

What's more nuts is the current street price of RTX 5090 discrete cards, at least for gamers. That is nuts. $449 for a Switch 2 is a great value.

Remember that the existence of sizable Switch/Switch 2 audience is good for gaming overall. It encourages developers and publishers to consider porting to lower-specced hardware and optimizing their software so you don't need a power-hogging RTX 5090 just to hit 60fps.

The videogame industry has no qualms about pumping out poorly optimized, resource hogging stutterfests for PC. Nintendo and their publishing partners have higher standards. Sure Fortnite on Switch doesn't look as pretty as it does on a well-appointed PC, but it is still eminently playable. It might not be the platform of choice for some Fortnite professional competitors, but if the typical Switch user is having fun with it, that's what really matters.

You might think of the price as nuts but the consensus view doesn't agree with you. Nintendo has sold over 150 million Switch units and they might sell 100 million Switch 2 units by the end of the product cycle. Plus most Nintendo gamers are buying titles at near MSRP prices. Some peoples' expectations about how videogame hardware and software should be priced is completely unrealistic.

For whatever reason, Nintendo's strategy has worked for 140+ years. Nuts to you? Fine. Nuts to longtime Nintendo gamers? Nope. Nuts to Nintendo shareholders? Absolutely not.

 

[TechKilledMe]

Oooof.

 

[bad1080]

Oooof.

wtf... a card with a hyperlink on it is only slightly better than the "retail versions" where you'd get a cd key in the case but no disc...

10eur more for a piece of plastic so you have an illusion of ownership... what a sad world

source: https://en-americas-support.nintend...nintendo-switch 2-game-key-card-overview

 

[cvaldes]

This new game-key card is really a physical DRM key that authenticates content ownership rather than storage medium. For digital downloads the DRM key is stored on the system. The game-key card just moves it to a physical media which one would hope could be loaned, moved, or sold. You can't really sell digital downloads so this might be something halfway between.

This essentially eliminates the cost of putting a large amount of NAND on a game card thus increasing gross margin for the game publisher since the game uses up system memory or a micro SD card that the consumer purchases themselves putting the expense of the NAND memory on the consumer.

As noted before earlier, there are price differences between digital downloads and physical media for some upcoming Switch 2 titles.

I suppose one advantage is that the publisher is no longer constrained by memory card capacity limits since the game content itself is a digital download. Soon we will be able to play CoD Modern Warfare in all of its 175 GB glory!

 

[bad1080]

The game-key card just moves it to a physical media which one would hope could be loaned, moved, or sold.

only viable until nintendo shuts down the store

 

[dir_d]

The game-key card just moves it to a physical media which one would hope could be loaned, moved, or sold.

This is where Nintendo will really make their money. Not only is the console itself expensive, you will no longer be able to get games 3rd party via GameStop and such. This kills the 3rd party market. Sony and Microsoft have already started down this path as well.