- Nintendo will launch the Switch 2 on June 5. The new game system will cost $450, a 50% increase over the launch price of the original Switch. Mario Kart World will be the system’s biggest game at launch.
Nintendo has finally pulled back the curtain on its next video game system.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will go on sale June 5, the company announced Wednesday morning—and it’s counting on excitement over a new Mario Kart game to help power sales as it will carry a price tag of $450 (a $499 bundled version will include a download code for the game).
At $450, the Nintendo Switch 2 price is on par with systems like the PlayStation 5, and it’s a tremendous jump from the $300 Nintendo charged for the original Switch at launch eight years ago.
The Switch reinvigorated Nintendo, however, growing to become the company’s top-selling home console of all-time. Life to date, the company has sold just under 151 million Switch units and it faced supply shortages during the pandemic.
For the Switch 2, Nintendo is doubling down on the Switch’s strong points, continuing to offer a system that can be used in both the living room and while on the go. The Switch 2 will feature a bigger screen (7.9 inches vs. 6.2 on the Switch), improved resolution (1080p vs 720p) and more internal memory (256 GB vs 32 GB). It will support “compatible” Switch games as well.
Nintendo is also leaning more into social gaming with the Switch 2. A new button will enable a Discord-like gamechat mode, where players can chat while playing and view each other’s screens. A camera accessory (available to purchase separately) will allow them to video chat while playing and can be incorporated into some upcoming titles.
The game lineup
While the Switch had The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as its flagship launch title, the system’s best-selling game to date has been Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, an updated version of a 2014 release. So it wasn’t surprising to see the company roll out a new Mario Kart game as the flagship launch title for Switch 2.
Mario Kart World, also available on June 5, will introduce a number of new features, including atmospheric changes, a new race style called Knockout Tour, a longer race that eliminates players at various checkpoints, and free roam, letting people drive around the game world at their leisure. Also, for the first time, players will be able to drive off the track during races to explore alternate routes.
Several Switch games will be offered with optional upgrades (for an additional cost), which bring in new gameplay features or improvements).
The company also showed off several third-party titles, including Hades II, Borderlands 4, Civilization VII and, coming this winter, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a prequel, of sorts, to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Meanwhile, on July 17, a Donkey Kong focused platform game called Donkey Kong Bananza will launch for the Switch 2.
The launch of the Switch 2 is expected to be the second-largest event in the video game industry this year (with the expected launch of Grand Theft Auto VI topping that list). The higher-than-expected price could mute that somewhat, especially as tariffs loom, which threatens to greatly increase the day-to-day costs for most Americans.
The lack of a new Zelda, Animal Crossing or traditional Mario title could be issues as well. Nintendo is undoubtedly working on all of those, though, meaning no matter how the system performs at launch, the Switch 2 has a number of highly anticipated franchises ahead of it.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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