Nintendo Switch 2 Direct: Top 7 Revelations

New video game hardware announcements can become somewhat predictable. With each new generation of consoles, you can expect to see near-certain staples like enhanced graphics, faster load times, and fresh takes on beloved franchises, such as those featuring plumbers and turtles.

Nintendo has consistently delivered these improvements across several console generations, from the N64's analog controller to the tiny GameCube discs, the innovative Wii motion controls and Virtual Console, the Wii U's tablet screen, and the Switch's built-in portability. This tradition continues with the Switch 2.

However, being Nintendo, the company once again unveiled some genuine surprises during the Switch 2 Direct.

It's 2025, and we finally get online play.

My love for Nintendo dates back to when I was four years old in 1983. My babysitter used to roll footballs at me, mimicking Donkey Kong rolling barrels at Mario. I'd jump over them, making a Donkey Kong sound effect, then grab a toy hammer and smash them like Mario. That's how long I've been a Nintendo fan. So, I say this from a place of long-suffering experience: it's going to be impossible to talk about this awesome reveal without revealing a little loving bitterness.

Nintendo, as we all know, has historically struggled with online play. With the exception of Satellaview and Metroid Prime: Hunters, Nintendo has barely scratched the surface of what's possible with a unified multiplayer platform like those offered by Sony and Xbox. It's never been as easy to find and communicate with friends on a Nintendo platform. Even the original Switch required a separate app for voice chat.

Shockingly, change appears to be on the horizon. During the Direct, Nintendo unveiled GameChat, which looks genuinely impressive. It supports four-player chat with noise suppression, video cameras for showing friends' faces, and screen sharing across consoles, allowing you to monitor up to four different displays on a single screen. The new Switch 2 accessibility features page confirms that GameChat also supports text-to-voice and voice-to-text, enabling multiple communication methods for players.

While we haven’t seen details on a unified matchmaking interface yet, this is already a significant step forward. I’m hopeful it means the end of the infamous friend code system.

Miyazaki is bringing new blood exclusively to Nintendo

When I saw the first frames of the trailer, I thought I was watching Bloodborne 2. The ambiance, character design, and environments all screamed the FROM Software house style. Thanks to Eric Van Allen at IGN, I now know that I was watching footage from The Duskbloods, a multiplayer PvPvE game designed by the softly-smiling monarch of video game masochism, Hidetaka Miyazaki.

I do not know where this man finds the time to direct a Nintendo-exclusive game. I’m starting to think he might never leave his office or sleep, much like one of his own confused, hollowed characters wasting away in a gothic prison tower. But I’m grateful. FROM Software doesn’t really miss anymore, so I’m anticipating a delicious treat.

A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one

Speaking of people who need a vacation, apparently Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai has moved on from Smash to a new Kirby game. Did not see that coming. That man deserves a nap!

The original Kirby's Air Ride was, to put it bluntly, a visually appealing but aggressively unfun Kirby racer for the GameCube. However, Sakurai has made no secret of his deep affinity for Nintendo’s round, pink elder god, and it’s practically certain that a Sakurai-helmed take on the franchise will offer a far more refined and enjoyable experience.

Control issues

It was almost a throwaway moment, but the Pro Controller 2 sounds genuinely "Pro" this time around. Nintendo announced that the Pro Controller 2 now includes an audio jack, a feature that’s welcome about a decade later. More importantly, they’ve added two mappable extra buttons. I LOVE customizable buttons, so this tiny surprise actually thrilled me.

No Mario?!

This genuinely shocked me. As far as I can tell, many of Nintendo’s Mario makers have been locked up in a secret bunker for years working on his next 3D adventure, which I assumed would be the big summer game for Switch. I was very wrong. It turns out the Odyssey team is the force behind Donkey Kong Bananza, the captivating new 3D platformer with a focus on destructible environments. Nintendo is once again playing against expectations, trusting hardcore fans to flock to Donkey Kong’s biggest game in generations and saving Mario for another day.

The Switch 2 will also launch with extensive third-party support and Mario Kart World. While World looks like a system-seller, I figured it would be timed as a Christmas-window family game. Nintendo usually leans on Mario, Zelda, or both to sell to their biggest fans during a console’s first year. But Nintendo is looking at Mario Kart 8’s record sales with confidence, betting their most popular party game, alongside Bananza, will help move enough Switch 2 units to make the launch a success.

Forza Horizon x Nintendo was not on my bingo card

Open-world Mario Kart is here, whether it be for good or for ill. I’m betting on good, as the zany physics, weird vehicles, and combat mechanics of Mario Kart should lend themselves well to navigating between and across tracks, battling friends, and sowing chaos. The short look we got seems to indicate a continuous world a la Bowser’s Fury, but much larger and supporting myriad drivers.

It’s very expensive

The Switch 2 costs too much. I understand that everything is expensive right now, with tariffs going up, the yen going down, and American inflation reigniting. But $449.99 USD is a hefty price by any standard, and the Switch 2 is the most expensive launch in Nintendo’s 40-plus year US sales history. In fact, the Switch 2 costs $150 more than its predecessor’s launch price and $100 more than the next-most-expensive Wii U. Successful Nintendo consoles and handhelds have often relied on lower prices as a differentiator, but the Switch 2 will be looking to succeed without a price advantage.