Our Big Nintendo Switch 2 Interview With Nintendo Of America's Bill Trinen

Editor’s note: This question and reply was conducted connected April 3, 2025, anterior to Nintendo’s announcement astir delaying Switch 2 pre-orders successful nan United States owed to nan imaginable effect of tariffs. Parts of this question and reply were edited for clarity.

Nintendo has yet pulled backmost nan curtain connected Nintendo Switch 2, revealing nan company's imagination for its next-generation console and its games. But overshadowing dicussion astir what nan Switch 2 is tin of, nan caller gameplay mechanics successful Mario Kart World, and OG Switch games that will find a caller lease of life connected Switch 2, is a backlash to Nintendo's pricing strategy.

We sat down pinch Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience Bill Trinen to talk astir nan large first-party reveals for illustration Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, nan strategy down pricing Switch 2 astatine $450 and Mario Kart astatine $80, nan determination to merchandise Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour arsenic a paid integer product alternatively than a pack-in game, his excitement for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's rodent controls and Masahiro Sakurai's return to nan Kirby franchise, and more. Plus, does Bill cognize what Switch 2 cartridges sensation like? Read our afloat question and reply beneath to find out.

IGN: Congrats connected yet unveiling Nintendo Switch 2. How does it consciousness to yet person it retired there?

Bill Trinen: Well, it's conscionable breathtaking to beryllium capable to get each nan specifications retired there. For us, nan astir important point is that we really want group to admit and understand that Nintendo Switch 2 is nan existent successor to Nintendo Switch, takes what you emotion astir Nintendo Switch, and past builds connected it pinch a full batch of caller features and caller capabilities and caller games that return advantage of those. And really takes what has evolved gaming pinch Nintendo into thing that's a batch much societal done things for illustration GameChat, which takes what was nan anytime, anyplace play of Nintendo Switch and makes it much each together, anytime, anywhere.

IGN: So you conscionable mentioned GameChat, that was a immense portion of your position yesterday. Why was now nan clip to yet present Nintendo sound chat, which is thing that group person wanted connected your consoles for a really agelong time?

Trinen: Well, I would opportunity we've ever looked astatine it from nan position of, 'what is Nintendo's existent spot and what are Nintendo's existent values?' And for us, nan astir important point is putting smiles connected people's faces and doing it successful a measurement that group tin spot and acquisition nan smiles that they person pinch nan group that are astir important to them.

And surely location person been different crippled systems pinch chat and things for illustration that up until now, but what we wanted to do was to return thing that could yet replicate that aforesaid room, sofa multiplayer, sofa co-op acquisition and joy, and bring that into an online space. And truthful for us, GameChat is why it's truthful important is nan operation of being capable to spot their faces, being capable to spot what they're doing from a gameplay position and being capable to consciousness for illustration you've yet sewage a virtual abstraction wherever you tin person those aforesaid experiences that you mightiness person successful your surviving room. So that's why pinch nan powerfulness of, I would opportunity Switch 2, being capable to yet execute that has been a large attraction for us.

IGN: Cool. And we ever knew if you did sound chat, it would beryllium successful nan astir Nintendo way, and conscionable pinch nan camera and nan mic connected nan portion successful nan dock and you say, 'oh, don't interest nan inheritance sound won't get in.' It was a cool presentation.

Trinen: Good. And that's nan bully point is pinch nan built-in microphone, it's like, yeah, you tin conscionable sound chat if you want and you tin do that portably arsenic well.

IGN: Well, let's talk astir Donkey Kong Bananza. I emotion nan title by nan way, it's perfect. Although past nighttime erstwhile I was scrambling to type my preview, it autocorrected to 'Bonanza' each time, and I was like, 'I’ve sewage to adhd this to my dictionary.' But I emotion nan sanction and it's truthful breathtaking to spot DK backmost successful nan spotlight aft truthful long. And I noticed truthful galore things conscionable getting my hands connected nan controller for nan first time. So erstwhile you guys sewage this crippled successful astatine Nintendo of America, what stuck retired to you nan most? What was your favourite portion astir moving connected it from a localization position aliases thing else?

Trinen: Well, truthful I'll commencement pinch a really unspeakable joke, which is I for illustration to telephone this nan astir groundbreaking crippled successful video crippled history.

IGN: [Laughs] I utilized that successful my preview today. I said, 'you person to break each nan crushed you tin because you mightiness make a groundbreaking discovery.'

Trinen: [Laughs] That's right. So for us, nan number 1 point that I deliberation is astir apt conscionable nan astir satisfying astir this crippled is conscionable DK nan character. He's back, he's backmost successful a large way. And DK is simply a characteristic wrong nan pantheon of Nintendo characters who has ever been a spot connected nan much powerful side, chaotic astatine times, silly.

And each of that has conscionable been thoroughly baked into this game. And arsenic nan characteristic DK, you're capable to usage nan powerfulness of his punches and you mightiness onslaught an force successful nan environment, and that force goes flying and hits a wall and nan wall crumbles and you spot thing there, and that past entices you to spell successful and commencement digging done nan terrain to spot what other you tin find backmost there. And it conscionable creates this incredibly rewarding rhythm of demolition and find that is woven each passim nan game.

IGN: The find via demolition was a really cool cornerstone of this crippled from my clip pinch it. I thought that was conscionable really great. And nan 2nd that I started playing it, I conscionable felt nan DNA of Super Mario Odyssey and Mr. [Yoshiaki] Koizumi's squad each complete this successful truthful galore ways. Are they nan ones that are moving connected this?

Trinen: It's a very bully question. You'll person to enactment tuned. We ever for illustration to commencement by showcasing nan crippled and getting group focused connected nan gameplay, but we'll person immoderate accusation to stock astir nan developer successful owed time.

IGN: Okay. Can you show me, is this internally developed? Because location hasn't been an soul Donkey Kong crippled since I judge Jungle Beat was nan past one?

Trinen: Jungle Beat was nan past one.

IGN: You had nan NST (Nintendo Software Technology) do nan Mario vs. Donkey Kongs, but...

Trinen: NST has done nan Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, but this is going to beryllium a nosy one.

IGN: So thing much connected that?

Trinen: Nothing much connected that yet.

IGN: Okay. I had to try. Let's talk astir Mario Kart World, because there's truthful overmuch awesome worldly successful there, but I deliberation the cattle is what's stealing everybody's heart. Did you expect that reaction? There's Akira memes astir nan cow, it's hilarious retired there. Did you cognize nan cattle was going to beryllium a large star?

Trinen: I would opportunity possibly not arsenic large arsenic nan cattle has become. Internally, surely nan very first infinitesimal that we saw nan cow, everybody wanted to play arsenic Cow.

IGN: When we were playing Knockout Tour yesterday, location were conscionable for illustration 7 cows connected nan track.

Trinen: Well, that's nan different point that I conscionable emotion astir Mario Kart World is pinch nan interconnected world of tracks, arsenic I'm driving, you'll commencement thing for illustration Knockout Tour and you'll beryllium driving crossed nan continent. And what utilized to beryllium nan Mario Kart exemplary was there's discrete tracks and you title connected a discrete way and past you take a different way and you title connected a different discrete track.

And now what I find is I'm driving through, I'm starting successful a caller way and driving crossed nan terrain and, 'Oh, I conscionable happened to walk done Moo Moo Meadows and now I'm onto nan adjacent thing.' And it's conscionable for illustration for personification that's grown up playing Mario Kart for truthful galore years, conscionable to beryllium capable to person that acquisition and portion it each together mentally into this large monolithic continent of racing has been a full batch of nosy for me.

IGN: It feels for illustration a taxable parkland of Mario Kart history, and I'm driving yesterday and going done each nan different segments and past each of a sudden, 'Oh, I'm successful nan geyser passageway from Dino Dino Jungle from Double Dash.' But I'm wondering, truthful correct now it seems for illustration nan races, you commencement astatine 1 way and extremity up astatine another, and past nan last thigh is 1 loop astir that last circuit you extremity up at. Not successful nan Knockout Tour, that's different, but is location a clip proceedings aliases versus title mode that’s a measurement to conscionable do 3 laps astatine this track? Or are you ever driving interconnected betwixt them erstwhile you're racing?

Trinen: You will person abilities to thrust 3 laps connected definite tracks. Obviously we've sewage a Nintendo Direct dedicated to Mario Kart World coming. I deliberation you'll spot a batch much connected nan crippled there, and I deliberation a batch much that will hopefully astonishment you and make you really consciousness like, 'Wow, there's a batch to this game.'

IGN: That will beryllium really bully to see. Because correct now it looks great, it plays great, but I deliberation nan talk of nan municipality is nan value tag. This is an $80 crippled from Nintendo successful nan United States and $50 if you bargain nan Nintendo Switch 2 bundle. But I saw location connected your website that that bundle is only disposable for a constricted clip while supplies last. Can you conscionable talk astir nan strategy down pricing Mario Kart World this way?

Trinen: Well, I would opportunity it's little astir nan strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it's much conscionable whenever we look astatine a fixed game, we conscionable look astatine what is nan experience, and what's nan content, and what's nan value? Mario Kart World, I deliberation particularly arsenic you spot from nan Nintendo Direct, not to springiness you immoderate hints aliases anything, but I did publication your article this greeting and I deliberation you had mentioned that you didn’t find a batch to observe erstwhile roaming around. So I would opportunity tune into our Mario Kart Direct to spot what, possibly you'll beryllium capable to find retired astir that.

But honestly, this is simply a crippled that is truthful large and truthful immense and you will find truthful galore small things successful it to discover. And there's still immoderate different secrets remaining that I deliberation arsenic group extremity up buying and playing nan game, they're going to find this to beryllium astir apt nan richest Mario Kart acquisition they've ever had.

IGN: Okay. And to conscionable enactment connected pricing for a small spot here. I'm looking astatine nan Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of games and immoderate games are $70, immoderate are $80. That's what it's looking for illustration correct now. And immoderate are cheaper than that too. I don't deliberation we cognize nan U.S. value for nan Welcome Tour yet, but I deliberation we saw nan Japanese value is astir $10.

Trinen: Yeah, nan U.S. value is $9.99 for nan Welcome Tour.

IGN: $9.99. Okay, integer only.

Trinen: Yes.

IGN: I'm conscionable wondering astir nan strategy down pricing these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions astatine nan operation of nan Switch 1 unit price, usually $59.99, and past immoderate that upgrade way is, for illustration $10 for Breath of nan Wild, making that a $70 game, aliases Tears of nan Kingdom is an $80 crippled because it's $70 positive nan $10 upgrade path. Can you conscionable locomotion maine done nan strategy down not offering immoderate benignant of discount for newcomers connected Switch 2 and saying, 'Tears of nan Kingdom is $80 now conscionable for illustration Mario Kart is?'

Trinen: Well, again, what I would opportunity is that we conscionable look astatine each individual crippled and we look astatine nan contented and nan worth of that game, and past we say, 'what is nan correct value for nan worth of this entertainment?' What I would astir apt antagonistic to immoderate of that is that really what you're looking astatine is for nan Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, that's nan beingness value for personification that has not bought nan guidelines game.

For personification who has bought Tears of nan Kingdom aliases Breath of nan Wild, nan upgrade packs for those are $9.99. And if you hap to beryllium a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, some of nan Zelda upgrade packs are inclusive wrong that membership. So there's nary further complaint for those. But I deliberation overall, our wide attack is really conscionable attraction connected what's nan content, what's nan value, and what's an due value based connected that.

IGN: Okay, thanks. And past nan pricing for nan console itself, too. A batch of group are talking astir it — $450 successful nan United States, and we cognize location are decidedly world economical factors astatine play. Can you stock thing down nan strategy for pricing of nan console? Was this thing that was up to nan ligament wherever you didn't cognize what it was going to costs until recently? Can you stock immoderate insight?

Trinen: Can't really stock penetration into immoderate of that. Obviously nan costs of everything goes up complete time, and I personally would emotion if nan costs of things didn't spell up complete time. But I deliberation immoderate clip you're building a caller strategy that's sewage caller features and caller tech, there's costs associated pinch that. So again, we look astatine what is nan acquisition connected Nintendo Switch? What's nan acquisition connected Nintendo Switch 2? What are nan caller features that it offers? And surely there's nan costs of equipment and things that facet into that, but we effort to find nan correct due value for a merchandise based connected that.

IGN: Last mobility connected price, I promise. I played Welcome Tour connected nan show level and I walked distant and thought, 'this is simply a cleanable pack-in game.' It shows what nan console is, it shows HDR, it shows these caller technologies Nintendo is embracing — successful immoderate cases for nan first clip — and I consciousness for illustration it's a awesome showcase for nan console. Was location ever immoderate talk of making this a pack-in game, and why did you make nan determination to value it arsenic a abstracted integer product?

Trinen: It's an absorbing product. We're really getting fresh today, we're going to beryllium doing immoderate Nintendo Treehouse Live segments and covering a batch of games successful detail. That's 1 of them. And I deliberation group will beryllium capable to spot done Treehouse Live astir apt a small spot much possibly than you were capable to spot connected nan show floor. It's a beautiful robust portion of software. There's a batch of awesome item successful there.

For immoderate people, I deliberation location are group who are peculiarly willing successful nan tech and nan specs of nan strategy and things for illustration that, for them I deliberation it's going to beryllium a awesome product. It's really for group that want much accusation astir nan strategy alternatively than needfully a speedy intro to everything it does. And for that logic and conscionable nan magnitude of attraction and activity that nan squad put into it, I deliberation it was decided that, 'Yeah, this feels for illustration $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels for illustration a bully worth for what you're getting retired of nan product.'

IGN: Okay. I want to talk astir immoderate of nan features of nan Joy-Con 2 now because I was really impressed pinch nan rodent functionality. I thought that it worked really, really good successful thing for illustration Metroid Prime 4. I tin spot that being nan preferred measurement for a batch of group to play that game. So what are your expectations for rodent controls? Are you hoping that third-party developers make awesome usage of them? Do you deliberation it tin bring caller types of games? Just talk to maine astir your feelings astir nan mouse.

Trinen: Well, personally, I'm really excited astir nan rodent control. I don't cognize what your acquisition pinch Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was, nan measurement that to maine is astir apt my favourite measurement to play is I for illustration to play divided Joy-Con. I conscionable for illustration nan state of having my hands not locked onto a controller for illustration that. So I often for illustration to play divided Joy-Con and having nan state to conscionable seamlessly driblet nan rodent down for combat and past prime it backmost up for divided Joy-Con, to maine is something, number one, you can't do pinch immoderate different console, you can't do connected PC.

And it makes for a really awesome acquisition for nan Prime series, peculiarly because nan Prime bid is nan creator of nan first-person escapade genre. And truthful successful a bid wherever you're doing a batch of exploration that's sewage immoderate combat mixed successful pinch it, that state feels right. Because for me, I consciousness for illustration if I'm doing a batch of exploration, I want to beryllium divided Joy-Con. That elasticity to maine is amazing.

I deliberation nan different point that astir apt I'm hoping group are catching onto is that, yes, nan Joy-Con 2 introduced rodent control, but they present rodent power successful conjunction pinch nan different exertion wrong nan Joy-Con. So whereas pinch a PC mouse, you're moving up and down and broadside to broadside and whatnot, pinch nan Joy-Con, you've sewage nan added expertise to use things for illustration nan perspective that you're twisting nan Joy-Con at, and having that besides effect nan play power pinch nan mouse.

Or you've sewage 2 Joy-Con that person rodent power each, and that intends 2 things. It intends either you tin person contiguous two-player rodent power gameplay correct retired of nan container pinch nan Nintendo Switch 2, aliases it means, arsenic we spot pinch Drag x Drive, that you tin do things pinch dual Joy-Con control, which hasn't been done before. And truthful my dream is really threefold. One, is that our ain improvement teams proceed to research pinch what they tin do pinch nan rodent to create imaginative caller ways to usage it.

I dream that we commencement to spot third-parties that are past looking astatine opportunities pinch things for illustration dual rodent power aliases operation of rodent positive mobility power to germinate their gameplay. But I besides do dream that erstwhile you look astatine PC developers, for example, if they want to bring a PC-based crippled to console, they person to walk a batch of clip revamping nan power strategy and adapting it to fastener controls. And truthful having nan state of rodent power pinch nan Joy-Con hopefully makes PC developers a batch much eager to want to bring their games to Nintendo Switch 2.

IGN: Well, my societal squad really wants to know. We don't person Switch 2 cartridges here. Do they sensation for illustration Switch 1 cartridges?

Trinen: [Laughs] I don't cognize yet.

IGN: You haven't done a sensation test?

Trinen: I person not done a sensation test. I support hoping for pistachio flavor, but that's not happening.

IGN: [Laughs] I don't deliberation that would move distant nan kids. Okay, cool. Well, my past mobility present is that Kirby Air Riders was a immense astonishment astatine nan Nintendo Direct yesterday. And to spot that is this concealed task that Mr. [Masahiro] Sakurai teased earlier this twelvemonth aft wrapping up his YouTube series. Cool to spot him travel backmost to activity pinch you guys again. Can you stock immoderate specifications further than that teaser we sewage successful nan Direct?

Trinen: Well, I judge Mr. Sakurai has said that location will not beryllium immoderate further accusation connected nan crippled for rather a while. The team's moving very difficult connected it. But for me, this was astir apt 1 of nan astir breathtaking announcements for a mates of reasons.

One, I'm ever excited to spot what Sakurai-san is moving on. Two, he created nan Kirby characteristic and nan Kirby franchise. And truthful it's awesome to spot him travel backmost to lead and nonstop a Kirby crippled again for nan first clip successful a mates of decades. But I deliberation much importantly, I've ever felt that Kirby Air Ride connected GameCube was a crippled that was up of its clip and possibly not afloat understood astatine nan clip that it came out.

And truthful I'm conscionable really excited because there's a halfway group of group that played that crippled connected GameCube that emotion it to death. And number one, I'm conscionable happy because for them, this is specified a large announcement and it's truthful bully to spot their excitement. But astatine nan aforesaid time, I deliberation that pinch wherever we are successful nan crippled manufacture today, I deliberation we've sewage a existent opportunity to present a overmuch bigger assemblage to Kirby Air Riders. And I deliberation group will yet really statesman to admit conscionable what I deliberation is nan brilliant of Masahiro Sakurai and what he created pinch that game.

IGN: Well, I'm successful that halfway group. It's for illustration 1 of my large puerility games. I emotion Kirby Air Ride, City Trial Free Roam. That's each I was doing, truthful I'm very excited. But acknowledgment truthful much, Bill. We're ace excited for June 5 and everything other that's coming connected nan way.

Trinen: Great. Thank you.

Logan Plant is nan big of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN's Database Manager & Playlist Editor. The Legend of Zelda is his favourite video crippled franchise of each time, and he is patiently awaiting nan time Nintendo announces a marque caller F-Zero. You tin find him connected Bluesky @LoganJPlant.