Nintendo Switch 2 Direct: 7 Biggest Surprises

New video crippled hardware announcements tin go somewhat predictable. With each caller procreation of consoles you tin expect to spot near-certain staples for illustration amended graphics, faster load times, and caller takes connected beloved, plumber-and-turtle-oriented franchises.

Even Nintendo, which has done this consistently crossed respective generations, from nan N64 analog controller, mini GameCube discs, wacky Wii mobility controls and Virtual Console, nan Wii U tablet screen, and nan Switch’s built-in portability, has delivered these improvements pinch nan Switch 2.

But being Nintendo, nan institution again unveiled a fewer genuine shockers during nan Switch 2 Direct.

It's 2025 and we yet get online play.

When I was 4 years aged successful 1983, my babysitter utilized to rotation footballs astatine maine for illustration Donkey Kong rolling barrels astatine Mario. I would jump complete them, making a Donkey Kong sound effect successful nan air, past drawback a artifact hammer and smash them for illustration Mario. That’s really agelong I’ve been a Nintendo fan. So I opportunity this from a spot of long-suffering experience: it’s going to beryllium intolerable to talk astir this awesome uncover without revealing a small loving bitterness.

Nintendo, arsenic we each know, does not really play online well. Satellaview and Metroid Prime: Hunters aside, Nintendo has hardly scraped nan aboveground of what’s imaginable pinch a unified multiplayer level for illustration those created by Sony and Xbox. It’s ne'er arsenic easy to find and talk pinch friends connected a Nintendo platform. Even nan Switch required a abstracted app for sound chat.

Shockingly, alteration appears to beryllium present now. During nan Direct, Nintendo unveiled GameChat, and it looks... really neat?! It's a four-player chat that supports sound suppression, video cameras for showing friends’ faces, and surface sharing crossed consoles, allowing you to support an oculus connected up to 4 different displays wrong a azygous screen. We cognize from nan caller Switch 2 accessibility features page that GameChat besides supports text-to-voice and voice-to-text, allowing players to pass aggregate ways.

Now we haven’t seen what, if any, unified matchmaking interface mightiness necktie into this conscionable yet. But it’s already a large step, and I’m hoping it intends nan past nail successful nan coffin for nan barbaric friend codification forever.

Miyazaki is bringing caller humor exclusively to Nintendo

When I saw nan first frames of this trailer, I thought I was seeing Bloodborne 2. The ambiance, nan characteristic design, and nan environments each screamed nan FROM Software location style. Thanks to Eric Van Allen astatine IGN, I now cognize that I was watching footage from The Duskbloods, a multiplayer PvPvE crippled designed by nan softly-smiling monarch of video crippled masochism, Hidetaka Miyazaki.

I do not cognize wherever this man recovered clip to nonstop a Nintendo-exclusive game. I’m starting to deliberation that he whitethorn ne'er time off his agency nor sleep, overmuch for illustration 1 of his ain confused, hollowed characters wasting distant successful nan precocious building of immoderate gothic prison. But I’m grateful. FROM doesn’t really miss anymore, truthful I’m anticipating a tasty treat.

A astonishment to beryllium sure, but a invited one

Speaking of group who request a vacation, apparently Super Smash Bros. head Masuhiro Sakurai has moved connected from Smash to a caller Kirby game? Did not spot that coming. Get that man a nap!

The original Kirby's Air Ride was, to put it bluntly, a pleasant-looking but aggressively unfun Kirby racer for GameCube. But Sakurai has made nary concealed of his heavy affinity for Nintendo’s round, pinkish elder god, and it’s practically a certainty that a Sakurai-helmed return connected nan franchise will beryllium a acold much refined and enjoyable experience.

Control issues

It was almost a throwaway moment, but nan Pro Controller 2 sounds genuinely Pro this clip astir erstwhile Nintendo announced nan Pro Controller 2 has an audio jack now, which is different characteristic that’s invited astir a decade later. More importantly, they’ve added 2 mappable other buttons. I LOVE customizable buttons, truthful this mini astonishment really tickled maine pink.

No Mario?!

This 1 genuinely shocked me. Near arsenic I tin tell, a batch of Nintendo’s Mario makers person been locked up successful a concealed bunker for years moving connected his adjacent 3D adventure, which I assumed would beryllium nan large summertime crippled for Switch. I was very wrong. Turns retired nan Odyssey squad is nan unit down Donkey Kong Bananza, nan captivating caller 3D platformer pinch a attraction connected destructible environments. Nintendo is erstwhile again playing against expectations arsenic it truthful often does, trusting hardcore fans to flock to Donkey Kong’s biggest crippled successful generations and redeeming Mario for different day.

Switch will besides motorboat pinch extended 3rd statement support and Mario Kart World. While World looks for illustration a system-seller, I figured it would beryllium timed arsenic a Christmas-window family game. Nintendo usually leans connected Mario, Zelda, aliases some to waste to their biggest fans during a console’s first year. But Nintendo is looking astatine Mario Kart 8’s grounds income pinch confidence, betting their astir celebrated statement game, alongside Bananza, will thief move capable Switch 2 units to make motorboat a success.

Forza Horizon x Nintendo was not connected my bingo card

Open-world Mario Kart is here, whether it beryllium for bully aliases for ill. I’m betting connected good, arsenic nan zany physics, weird vehicles, and combat mechanics of Mario Kart should lend themselves good to navigating betwixt and crossed tracks battling friends and sewing chaos. The short look we sewage seems to bespeak a continuous world a la Bowser’s Fury, but overmuch larger and supporting myriad drivers.

It’s very expensive

The Switch 2 costs excessively much. I get that everything is costly correct now, arsenic tariffs spell up, nan yen goes down, and American ostentation reignites. But $449.99 USD is simply a hefty value by immoderate standard, and Switch 2 is nan most costly motorboat successful Nintendo’s 40-plus US income history. In fact, Switch 2 costs $150 dollars much than its predecessor’s motorboat price, and is $100 dollars much than nan next-most-expensive Wii U. Successful Nintendo consoles and handhelds person often relied connected little prices arsenic a differentiator, but Switch 2 will beryllium looking to win without a value advantage.

Jared Petty is simply a erstwhile IGN editor who likes penning astir really awesome and silly video games are. You tin find him astatine Bluesky arsenic pettycommajared.