The Nintendo Switch 2 boasts a larger central tablet-like screen with a kickstand and a similar layout to its predecessor
Nintendo will release the Switch 2 this year, the long-awaited successor to its flagship console that has sold almost 150 million units worldwide, the Japanese games giant said Thursday.
The company posted a video on its website showing the 2017-era Switch transforming into the new iteration of the gaming machine.
“The Nintendo Switch 2… will be released in 2025,” the company wrote in a brief statement, adding that it would provide more information about the console in an Apr. 2 livestream.
In the just over two-minute video, Nintendo shows off a console that looks very similar to the original hybrid Switch, which can be handheld or connected to a TV screen.
The Switch 2 boasts a larger central tablet-like screen with a kickstand and a similar layout to its predecessor, with similar paired “joy-con” controllers that clip to its sides with magnets.
During the video, the console is also seen showing off a new version of the long-running Mario Kart series both on its built-in screen and on a TV, after the latest installment “Mario Kart 8” sold more than 64 million copies.
Nintendo also said that several “Nintendo Switch 2 Experience” events would be held in major cities around the world from Apr. 4 to give gamers an opportunity to test the new console.
During the video, the console is also seen showing off a new version of the long-running Mario Kart series both on its built-in screen and on a TV, after the latest installment “Mario Kart 8” sold more than 64 million copies
Players have long been hungry for news on a follow-up to the original Switch, which has sold more than 146 million units worldwide since hitting shelves in 2017.
That makes the Switch the third bestselling console ever after Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s DS.
Mounting speculation had in recent weeks been stoked by leaks about some technical details.
Nintendo estimates it has sold 1.3 billion copies of Switch titles, including “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” which became a must-play among all age groups during COVID-19 lockdowns.
The company said in its Thursday statement that the new machine “plays Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games, as well as both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games”—which would fulfill a promise on backwards compatibility with the old console that it made in November.
But it added that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2,” adding that further details would come “at a later date.”