Reactions to the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal on Thursday ranged from elation to disappointment. On the one hand, nothing about the reveal surprised anyone who had been following the leaks over the past few months. Everything from the console’s design to the Joy-Con changes to the Mario Kart 9 teaser was spoiled ahead of time. On the other hand, it is clear that Nintendo has set the Switch 2 up to dominate the conversation all year long.
Nintendo took a risk by waiting so long to actually announce the Switch 2 and then suffered the consequences in the form of endless leaks. But I am not so sure those consequences are really negative for Nintendo. Sure, we didn’t get the thrill of seeing the new console for the first time in a flashy corporate video, but what we (and Nintendo) got instead was nonstop press coverage for well over a month leading up to the official reveal this week.
It has been just two months since Sony launched the staggeringly powerful PS5 Pro. Instead of talking about its best-in-class specifications, technological innovations, or even its eye-watering price tag, we’ve spent the last six weeks speculating about Joy-Cons.
Nintendo honestly couldn’t have asked for a better on-ramp for the Switch 2. The entire internet had worked itself into a frenzy, and just when it seemed like the anticipation might boil over into frustration, Nintendo formally introduced its new console.
But all we got was the introduction. Nintendo didn’t reveal specifications, a price, a release date, or even the launch lineup. We saw an animated demo of the Switch 2 and its controllers, along with a sneak peek at a new, untitled, and undated Mario Kart.
Whether or not you would have liked to see more is beside the point. Nintendo has been making headlines every day all month, and now that the console has been revealed, it will likely continue to do so for the rest of January. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We also learned on Thursday that a Nintendo Direct presentation for the Switch 2 will air on April 2nd, 2025. That’s quite a long wait, but don’t expect radio silence until then.
“If you’re wondering—one reason to randomly drop a Switch 2 teaser 2.5 months ahead of the proper reveal would be to allow third-party companies to start officially announcing their games for the system,” said Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier on Bluesky.
While Nintendo prepares to share more about the Switch 2, third-party developers will fill in the gaps. We might not get an announcement every week, but expect to see the launch lineup take shape in the lead-up to the Nintendo Direct in April.
In theory, the Switch 2 could launch any time after the Nintendo Direct, but there are clues that suggest June is the earliest we should see the console on store shelves. There will be a series of Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events all over the world starting in early April, and at the time of writing, the last one is scheduled for May 31 – June 1 in Seoul, South Korea. While Nintendo could launch the console before these events conclude, it doesn’t seem likely.
Plus, leaker Nate the Hate—who absolutely nailed the Switch 2 reveal date—has been pointing to May or June as likely release months for the console.
Assuming the Switch 2 doesn’t launch until June, that’s nearly six months of build-up, with each and every game reveal and feature confirmation receiving outsized attention.
Then the console is out in the wild, likely with at least a new Mario Kart. Don’t forget that Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe is the fifth best-selling game of all time. Of course, it likely won’t be the only first-party launch title, as it’s also been over seven years since the last 3D Mario and five years since the last Animal Crossing. Either of those would make a massive splash over the holiday season, as would a successor to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
It’s tough to see how Nintendo doesn’t dominate gaming news for all of 2025, especially if the Switch 2 sticks the landing at launch. That’s a big if, but the company doesn’t seem to be taking as many risks as it usually does with a new console. That removes some of the excitement, but it also means Nintendo doesn’t have to start from scratch to win consumers over. The Switch is the second best-selling console ever, but it’s increasingly obvious that Nintendo believes it can one-up itself with a sequel that no one can stop talking about.
The post How Nintendo made sure the Switch 2 would dominate 2025 appeared first on BGR.
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How Nintendo made sure the Switch 2 would dominate 2025 originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 16 Jan 2025 at 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.