The day is almost upon us . After geezerhood of venture , we ’re very faithful to an official reveal of theNintendo Switch 2 . give thanks goodness for that , as we ’ve been locked in a tidepool of phony leaks and rumors for far too long . The new console hoopla round can be fun in easing , but the long road to Nintendo ’s next console has only become more exhausting over time . We hadAI company faking its outlet datefor clout , computer hardware manufacturers partake in 3D publish mock - ups , and every so - call insider on the planet flinging out conflicting information .
It ’ll all issue forth to an remnant before long when Nintendo reveals its new console . While that ’s a reliever , there is something bittersweet about it . The closed book of a new gambling gimmick is part of the fun . What will it calculate like ? What game will establish with it ? Will it be backward compatible ? These are the kinds of interrogation make for fun social cannon fodder ; I ’ve had plenty of speculative conversations with friends over the past two years . In some perverted way , I ’ll miss that once reality set up in .
So consider this the closing of a chapter — a last hooray . I ’m toss my final Nintendo Switch 2 bring out predictions out into the abyss . Why ? Because it ’s the last time we ’ll be able to do this for a few years , whenPlayStation 6rumors start cropping up . It ’s every gambling partizan ’s rite of passing to wildly theorize and express mirth at their hubris later . This is your last opportunity to enter in a historically eye - trilled hype cycle . Go unfounded .
No hardware surprises
There ’s only one affair I believe I can say confidently about the Switch 2 so far : I do n’t have a bun in the oven it to storm anyone . At this gunpoint , we ’ve seenseveral leaksthat have detailed everything from the system itself to its unexampled Joy - Cons . While there ’s been some mutant here and there , they ’ve all pointed to the same world : The Switch 2 is endure to be a souped - up replacement with very few new tricks . We can ask to see its rumored magnetic control rails , optical sensors in its Joy - Cons , and a new button underneath its proper control stick . Aside from those new features , do n’t expect much else . In all likeliness , we ’re going to get a straight iteration on the original Switch with a small power boost . Maybe we ’ll get some extra tricks like AI upscaling to achieve 4 1000 when docked , but keep your expectations in deterrent . This is n’t go to be the same secret plan changer that the Switch was in 2017 .
A new 3D Mario and Mario Kart 9
We ’re likely going to see a whole pot of games revealed alongside the console table , even if Nintendo saves that for its own showcase next month . I have hatful of guesses as to what might be on rap , including some real left - champaign hopes , but rent ’s start with the obvious : Mario . I gestate Nintendo ’s flagship mascot to play a major role in the Switch 2 ’s first yr , with two games likely to show up . The first is the next 3D Mario game , which is feeling more and more like a lock considering that the series ’ last mainline 3D plot , Super Mario Odyssey , launched in 2017 . I ’ll go one step further , though , and predict that we seeMario Kart 9as well . Nintendo historically roll in the hay launch its systems with a multiplayer secret plan and no game would have a greater wallop than the sequel to the Switch ’s bestselling secret plan . It ’s been over 10 years sinceMario Kart 8debuted , so Nintendo has had plenty of fourth dimension to figure out a follow - up .
Ring Fit Adventure 2 surprises
What other Nintendo pilot will we see ? We can pretty don thatMetroid Prime 4 : BeyondandPokémon Legends : Z - Awill get a major limelight , but what about unheralded games ? Will we see rumored reveals like a novel Donkey Kong game ? It ’s potential , but I ’ll cast a curveball out there : Ring Fit Adventure 2 . The firstRing Fit Adventuregame was a chip of a slow burn for Nintendo , launching during an experimental 2018 , but not gaining its full momentum until 2020 . That was when COVID-19 lockdowns plow it into a must - have fittingness tool . I envisage Nintendo will want to capitalize early in the Switch 2 ’s sprightliness , showcasing how its console will be compatible with accessories . Nintendo has had a very long time to study what worked during the Switch ’s lifetime and I expect you ’ll see those learnings represented in a safer year one game lineup ( do n’t expectArms 2 , folks ) .
Baldur’s Gate 3 leads third-party support
Nintendo has historically had a eldritch relationship with third - party collaborator , but the fellowship repaired any strained relationships it had during the Switch era . Third - parties were eager to get their games on the Switch and that ’s arrest true through the system ’s entire lifespan . you could have a bun in the oven to see that continue on the Switch 2 , as more powerful hardware opens the door for even more port that do n’t have to make as many compromises . There have been lots of rumors about what games we might see on Switch 2 , fromHalo : The Master Chief CollectiontoRed Dead Redemption 2 .
I ’ll throw off my own left - playing field guess into the mix : I ’m putting money on aBaldur ’s Gate 3Switch interface . Developer Larian was an former supporter of the Switch , so there ’s a connection there already . Plus , Nintendo usedSkyrimas its heavy third - party game to sell the Switch to “ hard-core gamers ” during its reveal . Baldur ’s Gate 3would have the same effect . Plus , it might be the perfect game to sell the Joy - Cons ’ rumored optical sensor , showing how computer mouse - heavy microcomputer games can translate to Nintendo ’s system .
The DS era comes to Switch Online
Speaking of that optic sensing element , I imagine Nintendo will want to really deal that feature if it ’s the Switch 2 ’s only tangible foundation . There are a few ways to do that , but I reckon one may be an expandedSwitch Online . While the service is unlikely to vary much , I can see a world where Nintendo DS biz come to its retro game program library . Those game could take advantage of the any likely Joy - Con mouse mimicking to simulate the touchscreen experience on a TV . It ’s high time that Nintendo finds a way to preserve its DS era hit . The Switch 2 ’s reveal seems like as unspoilt a metre as any to do so in a way that shows what the new ironware has over the old Switch .
A $350 price tag
While lots of detail about Nintendo ’s next console have leaked , one major inquiry remains : How much will it cost ? Historically , Nintendo likes to keep its cabinet inexpensive to court a more casual market place . I imagine it ’ll seek to do the same with the Switch 2 , but the reality is that ironware is more expensive than it was in 2017 . It ’s hard to opine a more brawny Switch launching for $ 300 in 2024 , peculiarly as thethreat of incoming tariffshang over the video biz industry . Still , Nintendo will want to keep its cost of entry lower than a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X , giving it a bit of flexibility . At best , I await to see the final equipment retail for $ 350 . That would put it on par with theNintendo Switch OLED , which is manageable considering that the newfangled organization is n’t expect to have an OLED showing . That may be wishful intellection , but do n’t expect it to cost you more than $ 400 .
