by Danreb VictorioNintendo broke the internet this morning with their Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct. In addition to Switch 2’s launch date of June 5 and lineup of upcoming Switch 2 games, the hour-long presentation included information on the functionality of the highly discussed “C” button as well as hardware capabilities and the confirmed “mouse” function of the Joy-Con 2 controllers.
One major thing missing from the event, though, was the mentioning of any price for anything shown. That’s one key thing that we’ll be going over in this piece, as hopefully answer everything you need to know about what Nintendo didn’t show in the event today.
At SmashPad, we don’t care for clickbait. Since nobody here is paid, we’re not going to make an article for every little thing. That’s what Bluesky is for.
Switch 2 Price, Release, And Other Key Details
The Switch 2 will launch on Thursday, June 5 at an MSRP of $449.99. The default package will come with the console, left and right Joy-Con 2 controllers, a Joy-Con 2 grip, Joy-Con 2 straps, a Nintendo Switch 2 Dock, an ultra high-speed HDMI cable, an AC adapter and a USB-C charging cable.
A Switch 2, with everything mentioned above, bundled with Mario Kart World will also be available at launch for $499.99. This will undoubtedly be a popular option, especially when Mario Kart World is also confirmed to be priced at $79.99.
While retailers are likely to set their own dates and limitations, Nintendo mentioned that the pre-orders for the Switch 2 will begin on April 9. No specific time for the date has been given.
Players with a Nintendo Account can register their interest to buy a Switch 2 directly from the My Nintendo Store here. The site says when eligible, an invitation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address associated with that account and will be valid for 72 hours. These invitation e-mails will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours as of today–April 2. Nintendo will also be limiting purchases to one per person during the invitation period.
At least for Nintendo themselves, this is a fantastic way to keep scalpers from hogging the Switch 2 from gamers interested playing on Day 1. Nintendo did say, however, that release-day delivery is not guaranteed due to processing and shipment times.
Here are the prices for various first party Switch 2 accessories:
- Switch 2 Pro Controller – $79.99
- Joy-Con 2 – $89.99
- Camera – $49.99
- Dock Set – $109.99
Confirmed Switch 2 Games
These first party games will be available at launch.
- Mario Kart World
- Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour (Digital Only)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
These third party and indie games will be available at launch.
- Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster
- Street Fighter 6
- Split Fiction
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Hitman: World of Assassination
- Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut
- Deltarune Chapters 1-4
- Civilization VII
- Survival Kids
- Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
- Fast Fusion
- Fortnite
- Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer
The following games are confirmed for the Switch 2, but not coming at launch.
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo) – July 17, 2025
- Kirby Air Riders (Nintendo) – 2025
- Drag x Drive (Nintendo) – 2025
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Nintendo) – 2025
- Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV – July 24, 2025
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (Koei Tecmo) – 2025
- Sonic X Shadow Generations (Sega) – 2025
- Ys X: Proud Nordics (Falcom) – 2025
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (Square Enix) – 2025
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry) – 2025
- Borderlands 4 (Gearbox) – 2025
- Hades 2 (Supergiant) – 2025
- Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition (From Software) -2025
- The Duskbloods (From Software) – 2026
Nintendo listed a bunch of Switch games that will benefit from Switch 2 upgrades. Some will be at a premium, but some will be free as Stealth notes below.
Nintendo Switch Online Upgrades
A bit of the presentation was dedicated to Nintendo Switch Online, which for now isn’t seeing any price hikes. Nintendo Switch Online players have the following to look forward with the Switch 2.
GameChat
While underwhelming, GameChat ended up being what the highly-discussed C button is for. Until the end of March 2026, the service can be enjoyed without a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
GameCube comes to Nintendo Classics
The Nintendo Switch Online library is being rebranded as Nintendo Classics, and it’s been expanded to include GameCube games on the Switch 2 for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. The library will launch with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soul Calibur II, and F-Zero GX as other games such as Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance trickle in.
Upgrade Packs at No Cost
Like the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC, the Expansion Pack will include upgrade packs for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, allowing you to enjoy the upgraded Switch 2 versions of these games at no cost as long as you actually own those games.
Our Takes
We all have takes, so here are some blurbs from the staff so you know where we stand.
“I definitely don’t like that they hid the price during the presentation, but I understand the political climate might have forced it. As someone fortunate enough to sit where I’m sitting, I don’t like that the console launches literally DURING Summer Game Fest, so I have a lot more content to plan that weekend, but it is what is. Judging only from the presentation, it’s an A, but the finger-pointing and nickel and diming is already running rampant on my feeds in regards to prices. These games look utterly amazing, but $80 for freakin’ Mario Kart is a tough pill to swallow. We’ll find out how rough this really is once pre-order period begins next week, but yes–I’m still going to be a Day 1 owner.” – Danreb Victorio
“I’m excited about the outpouring third-party support with games like Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. It seems Nintendo is finally trying to modernize its hardware power. The first-party offerings are everything I could ask for, and I’m sure the big Holiday game will be a big surprise. I am, however, not thrilled about the new price of games. With the current political climate, hopefully Nintendo will find a way to mitigate these costs a bit.” – Myles Obenza
“There was only one party that could undercut the Switch 2 hype, and that was Nintendo themselves. The $450 price point would have been forgivable in the looming shadow of component tariffs, but not with only two months to prepare between disclosure and launch. Nintendo prepared us all for a $70 software price point with Tears of the Kingdom, but the fact that they’re still holding to an occasional $10 “fuck you, you know you’ll pay it” tax on certain games is egregious at best…assuming that’s all it is, and not something even worse. Is there going to be a physical software tax on top of that? They hamstrung the hype of a potential Wind Waker remaster – something that has been a credible item in the rumor mill for years now – by relegating it to Nintendo Switch Online in what is assuredly a straight dump of the GameCube version.
I’ll commend Nintendo for enacting some of the exact same preorder policies I advocated for over two years ago to combat scalpers, but I’m going to have to hear a lot more about the plan on software pricing before I know if I want a Switch 2 at all now.” – Patrick Mifflin