Photo // Nintendo
SPEEDING ONTO SHELVES. The Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle will be sold for $500.
By: Cienna King
Photographer and Staff-Writer
More information about Nintendo’s newest console has been released, and fans are divided. Price increases are the main concern, along with some other factors.
On April 2, Nintendo aired their newest Direct, giving fans more information about the Switch 2. The Joy-Cons were previously said to be magnetic, but Nintendo announced that they can also be used as a mouse in certain games.
The mysterious “C” button on the Joy-Cons has been revealed as a chat button. Gamers will be able to chat through their system and share their game screen simultaneously. Nintendo will also sell a camera allowing users to stream video of themselves along with their screen.
However, in the Direct the screen sharing appeared to be a bit laggy, so some gamers are concerned about how well this new feature will hold up.
Some new games were also announced in the Direct video. Fans have gotten more information about the new Mario Kart World game, which will include many new playable characters and an open-world concept. Some other newly announced games include Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Kirby Air Riders and The Duskbloods.
Another new and fairly controversial feature is the introduction of game-key cards. If users buy a physical copy of a game, instead of actually owning it (for example on a disc), they will instead own a cartridge that when inserted provides steps to download the game online. Players will, however, still have to keep the cartridge inserted in order to play the game. It is important to note that this won’t be the case for every game – there will still be games that are fully physical like the previous Switch.
The biggest concern so far has been pricing. This new Switch will sell for $450, which is a big increase from the previous Switch (released at $300). The Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle will be sold for $500; however, on its own, the new Mario Kart will cost a whopping $80. A lot of newly announced games will be around the same price point, and a lot of fans believe that this is quite high.
Pre-orders for the console were originally going to be available April 9, but those pre-orders have been canceled due to tariffs. According to BBC News, U.S. tariffs on Japan are currently at 24%. However, Nintendo still plans on releasing the Switch 2 on their original launch date of June 5.
