Today is March 26, which means our eternal wait is almost over, and this time next week we’ll finally know everything there is to know about the Switch 2. As we head into the final stretch towards our long-awaited information blowout, I want to talk about what I’m personally expecting Nintendo to show and tell us next Wednesday.
Original idea for an article, I know, right?
Before getting into next week’s Direct, as I’m writing this article, Nintendo has announced a second Direct for tomorrow, March 27, focused on games for the original Switch. I’ll also address that Direct in my predictions here as well.
Date and Price
Let’s get straight to business. My prediction is that the Switch will launch sometime in June with a price of $399 USD. Switch launched at $299 and the OLED model still retails for $349, so I struggle to see Nintendo pricing Switch 2 that low. There’s always the potential for it to cost slightly more with the effects of the *ahem* current tariff situation, but I think there’s very little wiggle room. Getting into the $449-499 range puts it at PS5-or-higher territory of pricing, and makes Switch 2 a much tougher sell. That being said, Steam Decks retail for $500+, so it’s possible.
As far as timing, June seems like an obvious target. Schools will be letting out, people will be taking vacations, and in general folks will be able to focus more time on gaming. Summer also tends to be a slower season for video game releases, so Nintendo could have a bit more of a spotlight. Also, the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events will wrap up at the beginning of June, so it seems obvious that Nintendo would want those to segue directly into launch.
Specs
I don’t expect to get detailed specifications from Nintendo during the Direct, but I think we’ll get some basic specs, and we can also infer some things from the data we have.
I think we’ll be getting a handheld with either a 900p or 1080p screen. My gut wants to say 1080p for a clear upgrade over the Switch’s 720p screen, but the Steam Deck is 1200×800 with a bigger screen than Switch 2, so Nintendo could very well go with a similar resolution to cut costs. Infuriatingly, I think Nintendo will hold the OLED model back once again for a later revision rather than a separate SKU at launch.
We already know the Switch 2 supports DLSS upscaling and frame gen, so I think Nintendo will tout up to 4K resolution in docked mode through upscaling. Overall, I’m expecting similar performance somewhere in the range of a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X.
Hardware and Software Features
For the first time in decades, Nintendo seems to be releasing a system that’s not a radical departure from its predecessor and, rather, just a more powerful Switch. There are still some new features that they’ll show off though – most prominently, the mouse feature that’s long been rumored and teased. I expect Nintendo to show off the mouse functionality and various ways it can enhance games, and likely have a small Wii Sports or 1-2 Switch like game that takes advantage of it.
In terms of software, I don’t expect to see a radically different UI. The Switch’s UI is very barebones, basic, and I would argue, sterile and boring, but Nintendo seems to be going for minimalism in their UI design philosophy and I don’t see that changing with Switch 2. I certainly hope they have a snappier eShop and possibly reimagined shop interface though, since it’s absolutely painful to navigate the eShop on Switch.
Maybe they’ll actually give us themes, though?
Games: Thursday’s Switch Direct
And now for the part we’re all waiting for: the games.
Let’s start with tomorrow’s Switch Direct. I expect to see Metroid Prime 4: Beyond front and center. It’s been confirmed that it’s not a Switch 2 game – it’s still for the original Switch – and it’s also rumored that it won’t be at next week’s Direct. Tomorrow is the perfect opportunity to blow the lid off one of the Switch’s last big exclusives and finally give us at least a release window. As far as the other big upcoming exclusive, considering we just had a Pokémon Direct a few weeks ago, I don’t expect to see much of Pokémon Legends: Z-A outside of maybe a passing mention or brief trailer, and we know that game is scheduled for late 2025.
What else for tomorrow? Probably a lot of ports and remasters. We’re still waiting for the long-rumored remasters of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. There’s been some talk that they’re already complete, so I could even see them being shadow dropped or at least coming out within the near future in the run-up to Prime 4.
There’s also the rumored remaster of Kirby Planet Robobot that would provide a good filler game between now and Switch 2’s release. It also baffles me that Nintendo hasn’t ported over the HD remasters of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, so those are possibilities as well.
I think there’s the chance we’ll see another smaller title from a more niche franchise or two before the Switch fades off into the sunset.
Switch 2 First-Party Games
It seems that Nintendo is setting up the new Mario Kart as their big system seller, so I expect that to be the big first-party launch title for Switch 2. Alongside that, I expect the aforementioned “tech demo” game as well as maybe another smaller unannounced original title (something like Steel Diver for 3DS or Snipperclips for Switch).
As much as I want to see Metroid Prime 4 in June, my gut is telling me it’ll be a late summer/early fall title. Instead of a Breath of the Wild situation, with two separate versions, I think we’ll just have the Switch release, touted with increased performance on Switch 2. I expect this from quite a few games this year during the cross-gen period, and I suspect Nintendo will show off some Switch games running at higher resolutions/better performance during the Direct. I could maybe see them doing a Switch 2 “remaster” of Tears of the Kingdom if anything, but overall I don’t expect separate Switch 2 exclusive SKUs for Switch games.
With two big cross-gen releases in Prime 4 later this summer and Pokémon Legends: Z-A in the fall, that leaves space for a big Switch 2 exclusive for the holidays, and the answer here seems obvious. I think that at next Wednesday’s Direct, we’ll see the next 3D Mario game, likely open-world and taking inspiration from Bowser’s Fury. This is probably the big ending that the Direct will be building toward, and it should be a true showcase for what Switch 2 can do.
I think we’ll have some glimpses at other less-major franchises next Wednesday as well. A new WarioWare seems possible, as does a first look at a new Fire Emblem series entry. Maybe even Splatoon 4? Or a teaser for Animal Crossing in 2026?
Switch 2 Third-Party Games
Finally, let’s talk about third parties. Switch 2 seems prime to pick up a ton of third-party support, and we’ve heard from developers and publishers that they plan to go all-out with supporting Nintendo’s next system.
I think we’ll see at least one big recent or upcoming third-party AAA release running on Switch 2 at next week’s Direct. A Grand Theft Auto VI announcement would obviously be huge, but I expect something more along the lines of Assassin’s Creed Shadows or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. I could also see ports of games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Elden Ring being in the works.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft jumps on board and we get an announcement of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and/or Forza on the Switch 2. Microsoft has been very adamant about putting their games on other platforms lately and have already expressed great praise and interest in the Switch 2.
Finally, Metroidvania fans have been waiting six years for any droplet of information about Hollow Knight: Silksong, and this seems like a perfect opportunity for it to make its long-awaited debut.
Anything Else?
So that’s it! Those are my predictions for what we might have to look forward to at next week’s Direct. Did I miss anything? Think I was totally off with any of my predictions? Or do you have any predictions of your own? Drop them in the comments!
