Everything you need to know about Nintendo’s ambitious Switch 2 plans

Plus, South of Midnight gives Xbox players another great action game

Our top pick of the week: 44 Switch 2 stories Nintendo opened the floodgates this week, revealing the game lineup, launch plans, and pricing for the upcoming Switch 2 — which we can now say will be released on June 5 alongside Mario Kart World, some Switch upgrades, a bunch of third-party games, and the promise of a bunch of bananas later in the year.   It's a safe play, but one that covers the bases and has a few surprises in store — like an exclusive FromSoftware game, Masahiro Sakurai directing Kirby Air Riders, and Deltarune chapters 3 and 4.   That's not to say everything has gone smoothly, though. Between a $449.99 base price for the console and a $79.99 price for Mario Kart World, many fans haven't been happy. And after announcing an April 9 pre-order date, Nintendo then backtracked on that following the U.S. government's implementation of sweeping tariffs.   We've broken down everything you need to know — and a few things you probably just want to — across more than 40 stories, all of which you can find below.   Impressions My favorite part of Switch 2's Mario Kart was before the race started Donkey Kong Bananza is not just Mario Odyssey with a gorilla Using the Switch 2's Joy-Con mouse is only kind of like using a mouse The Switch 2 mouse does work on pants… and lots of other things Switch 2 won't kill your hands like Switch 1, but it ain't perfect  Price Nintendo Switch 2 gets June release date, price starts at $449 Nintendo delays Switch 2 pre-orders in response to Trump tariffs Switch 2 games are breaking the $70 game price barrier Will you buy a Switch 2 for $449.99? Even with inflation, Switch 2 is one of Nintendo's priciest consoles ever Is Nintendo making a mistake by charging for upgraded Switch 2 titles? GameStop will give you up to $175 for your old Switch when you reserve a Switch 2 Analysis Nintendo wants to compete in a new type of console war Where are all the first-party Switch 2 launch games? Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck: How Nintendo's next console measures up Inside the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware specs Farewell, physical media — some Nintendo Switch 2 games aren't on the carts Curiosities Donkey Kong wears pants now — is this Seth Rogen's doing? Switch 2 Direct's technical difficulties swallowed up a whole new game reveal They're just letting anyone drive in Mario Kart World Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods is giving off strong Bloodborne vibes The Switch 2 will have a Piranha Plant camera, because of course it will Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a virtual guide to the console, but you have to pay for it The Duskbloods trades FromSoft's sweet maidens for an 'elderly gentleman' rat It's nice to see Switch 2 get GameCube games that are hard to get in real life Round-ups All Nintendo Switch 2 games announced so far, including exclusive games Here's every Switch 2 game that uses the Joy-Con mouse Everything we know about Nintendo Switch 2 backward compatibility Everything we know about the Switch 2: News, reviews, analyses, and more News Switch 2 adds GameCube games to Nintendo Switch Online A new Donkey Kong 3D adventure is coming to Switch 2 Mario Kart World goes open-world and off-road on Nintendo Switch 2 Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 (finally!) debut alongside Nintendo Switch 2 FromSoftware announces The Duskbloods as a Switch 2 exclusive Why FromSoft is all in on multiplayer with Switch 2 game The Duskbloods Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are getting Switch 2 upgrades The Nintendo Switch 2 significantly cuts down Breath of the Wild's load times Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Cyberpunk 2077 lead a rush of AAA Switch 2 ports The new Switch 2 Pro controller has a headphone jack Looks like amiibo will still be a thing on Switch 2 Nvidia confirms DLSS, ray tracing for Switch 2 Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a camera, but you can also use your own Switch 2 Zelda upgrades have achievements, weird GPS voice assistant Switch 2's 'improved' eShop won't be such a laggy mess, Nintendo says Switch 2 Nintendo Direct: How to watch Nintendo's next big reveal Polygon's Shopkeeper is a weekly newsletter that collects the best deals on games, gaming accessories, Blu-rays, books, and other fine wares. Subscribe here. This week on TikTok | Can we break the Switch 2 mouse? | We went hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2's mouse mode, and tried it on the weirdest surfaces we could find. 5 stories to read The quest to save Notre Dame brought together unlikely game giants | Lasers, photogrammetry, and virtual reality collided in a high-tech restoration.   From World of Warcraft parodist to horror director: John Hsu's strange path to a terrific Netflix movie | Dead Talents Society's John Hsu explains how World of Warcraft, Perfect Blue, and "the Taiwanese Logan Paul" shaped him.   Why every Honkai: Star Rail character is hot, and other revelations from its lead designer | "As of right now, we don't have any ugly characters in Honkai: Star Rail."   Tabletop industry in full panic as Trump tariffs are poised to erase decades of growth | "Devastating consequences" expected, says trade group.   Stranger Things: The First Shadow's creators explain how their Broadway show 'complicates' season 5 | Will the play be crucial to understanding the show? 5 things to watch Gazer in theaters | The slow-burn descent into thriller paranoia territory echoes work from David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick.   The Apothecary Diaries on Crunchyroll | Help, my favorite anime couple is getting cockblocked by minding their own business!   Witch Watch on Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll on April 6 | The funniest anime I've seen all year.   Y2K on Max | Worth watching just for its one spectacular cameo.   Conan the Destroyer on Netflix | The perfect excuse to relive the golden age of Hollywood's heavy metal fantasy. 5 games to play South of Midnight | Weaving a spellbinding tale of grief, loss, and hope. Available now in early access ahead of April 8 launch on Windows PC and Xbox Series X. Schedule 1 | I've been ensnared into the wild life of a drug dealer. Available on Windows PC. Pacific Drive | The largest update yet adds a new survival game mode. Available on PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.   Psycho Patrol R | Cruelty Squad creator's latest is a nightmare cop sim where social media is a drug and you pilot a mech with chicken legs. Available on Windows PC. Armored Core | Armored Core's stellar first generation is finally available on modern consoles — with a catch. Available on PlayStation 4 and 5 for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers. Shop talk The Nintendo Switch 2 uses fast microSD Express cards — and you can buy them now from Amazon or SanDisk. "The good news if you buy a microSD Express card? They're backward-compatible with all supported original Switch games," writes Cameron Faulkner. "The not-so-good news? They're kind of expensive." Get one now for $5 off. Free game of the week Steel Hunters | Wargaming's mech shooter/extraction game is now out in early access. Available on Windows PC. The best of the rest TEASER: Sensing your Spider-Verse 3 hunger, Sony sets release date, drops teaser images TWISTER: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 has a holodeck somehow? SPOILER: Dimension 20's season premiere comes with a post-credits surprise ANOTHER: A Minecraft Movie's post-credits scene teases the Minecraft Cinematic Universe This email was sent to reunisoft.cryptonews@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences here: unsubscribe     If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.   View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved.