Everything announced at Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct

After months of speculation, Nintendo announced the Switch 2 console on Jan. 16 — and that was about it. With close-ups of the new unit and a few shots of a (theoretical) new Mario Kart, Nintendo went the Nintendo route of meeting extreme demand by doing whatever the hell it wanted on whatever timetable it felt like. The reveal came with a promise: more news on April 2, 2025.

The day has come. In what’s promised to be an hour-long direct, Nintendo unveiled much, much, much more about its plans for Switch 2. To quote Mario: WAHOO! Here’s what went down.

Developing…

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart 9 was teased during the Switch 2’s initial reveal, but now it’s official: Mario Kart World is arriving for the console’s launch. 

This version’s twist: the weather changes, off-roading is highly encouraged, and you keep on driving to the next course? Packing in 24 racers in each race makes this the most open-world of any Mario Kart, and there’s the promise of tons of social multiplayer modes.

GameChat 

Get ready for a revolutionary pitch: You can now communicate with friends and family while playing a game! The Switch 2 has a microphone built into the console itself, versus the controller, but Nintendo promises that even if your bro is blending a muscle shake in the same room, noise control tech makes it no problem to keep talking without a headset. Nintendo emphasized the use of parental controls in order to contrast itself to the Wild West of Discord.

The big reveal? Turns out Switch 2’s mysterious C button launches GameChat.

Nintendo Switch 2 Camera

Nintendo is reinventing Zoom. While you can play your games and talk to your buds using GameChat, the new camera accessory — arriving at launch — can give your multiplayer a video-call-esque twist. 

Local play via GameShare

While the Switch allowed for local play on one console using two Joy-Cons, the Switch 2’s GameShare function will allow pals to to play each other in a local setting using a single shared game — even if the friend doesn’t own a copy. 

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

All the new technology packed into the Switch 2 excited the team at Nintendo so much, they decided to make an entire game that allows player to learn about and experiment with the various features. In Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which feels like the Nintendo equivalent of Astro’s Playroom on Playstation 5, puts players in charge of a lil’ guy who goes around exploring a giant version of the console, as well as playing mini games that take advantage of the Joy-Con’s motion controls and mouse capabilities.