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Nintendo Switch 2
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Nintendo Switch 2 console to be released in 2025

Graph of Nintendo Systems and Amount of Purchases

(AP) — Gaming giant Nintendo revealed its newest console, the Nintendo Switch 2, Thursday in a highly anticipated announcement gamers had been waiting for since rumors of its release first spread years ago.

The Switch 2, the successor to the Nintendo Switch system, will be released in 2025, the company said.

In a new promotional video, Nintendo showcases a larger version of the Switch that looks similar to its predecessor. The video also shows the system’s controllers, or Joy-Cons, now attach to the side of the main unit rather than slide in.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play exclusive games, as well as both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. Some Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with the new console, the company said.

The announcement did not provide many details on the console or a specific release date. The company claims more information about the system will be available during the company’s April Nintendo Direct event. The Kyoto-based game developer said it will also host “Nintendo Switch 2 Experience” events in several countries, where players can get a hands-on experience with the new system. Those events are planned for cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris beginning in April. Ticket registration for those events begins Friday, Nintendo said.

The reveal itself was sparse on detail, only confirming that the console would be larger than its predecessor and that its Joy-Con controllers appear to attach via some kind of magnetic action. Because of the reveal’s relative lack of concrete information, we’re left with so many questions about the new console. Nevertheless, there was still lots of speculation about what the new console  could possibly do. Theories were put forth that the new Joy-Cons contained some kind of mouse functionality and that the extra button on the right Joy-Con was related to some kind of party chat feature. Hopefully, Nintendo will let us know those if theories were correct during the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct on Wednesday, April 2nd bright and early at 9 AM.