The Nintendo Switch 2 has a release date — June 5, 2025. Everyone, including the ReHack team, has spent countless hours doing their fair share of speculating about the new console before it came out. Now, the details are more or less confirmed by Nintendo itself. If you’ve been missing out on the gaming industry’s biggest news, here is everything you need to know about the Switch 2’s release.
We are less than one week away from the much-awaited release of Nintendo’s next-gen console. June 5 cannot come soon enough. This was announced during the Nintendo Direct on April 2, 2025, which featured over 60 minutes of information about the machinery and release lineup.
If you weren’t able to grab a console during the pre-order window, you may be able to catch them on release day from retailers like Best Buy, GameStop and Target. Call for availability.
The presentation neglected to mention anything about the price, which has been one of the most contentious aspects of its rollout. The U.S. release was priced at $449.99, which was intentionally left out of the showcase. There was another bundle, which includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World, which costs $499.99.
The peripherals and game prices were another surprise. Nintendo confirmed it will be doing variable pricing and having different costs for digital and physical games. This means new releases are costing anywhere between $59.99 and $89.99 — leaving many gamers wondering how sustainable their hobby is going to be.
Unfortunately, concerns rose when the President Donald Trump administration issued reciprocal tariffs, affecting locations where the Switch 2 console and peripherals were being manufactured. This changed the prices of many accessories, including the Pro Controller and amiibo. The cost of the console was not affected, but it could be after the 90-day pause expires.
Depending on your perspective, the technical specs behind the console are worth the price tag. Here is what you can expect:
There is also a built-in microphone, two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and gyro controls, among other smaller specs. The controllers also have mouse-mode compatibility, giving people a new way to play with them.
But what about features?
The console is also doing a few things the original didn’t do. The first is supporting integrated GameChat. This allows people to talk to friends while playing multiplayer in a Discord-like overlay. Players can access this through the C button found on the Joy-Con 2 controllers. The console also supports video capability, and gamers can grab one of the USB-C-connected cameras if they want to go live.
The Direct showed a bunch of anticipated first- and third-party games for the console. Many games did not have a release date and still don’t at the time of writing, including Kirby: Air Riders, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong and The Duskbloods. These are the games that are coming out Day 1:
Plenty of other details have been drip-fed to fans as the Nintendo Switch 2 release date approaches.
What’s the deal with the specs?
Both the base and Mario Kart World bundles include a dock. However, you can buy an additional dock separately for a whopping $120.
No. Mario Kart World is Nintendo’s first game to have this controversial price tag, and that does not mean it will be the last. Lower-priced games could also potentially have DLC, making the total cost even higher.
Nintendo Classics, which is part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, will now include GameCube games, but only on the Switch 2. You must also have the Expansion Pass version of the plan. On release day, you could play F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Soul Calibur II. More games, like Chibi-Robo and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, are around the corner.
The Switch 2 could be Nintendo’s peak, but it could also signal several shifts in the gaming industry. Regardless of your feelings about the price or specs, countless gamers are acquiring the sold-out console on Day One in anticipation of soaring across the open-world Mario Kart and getting hyped about the new Donkey Kong, Metroid Prime, Hyrule Warriors, Mario Party expansion, Kirby and the Forgotten Land addition, and so much more unreleased that is yet to come.
