Nintendo Switch 2 officially unveiled, with a Mario Kart 9 teaser

Get ready to act surprised: Nintendo has officially unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s got a similar form to the Switch but with a slightly larger screen and controllers, Joy-Con that slot into the side of the console rather than using rails, a bigger kickstand built in, a new mystery button on the right controller, an extra USB C port on the top of the console (in addition to the one at the bottom). These are all things that have been heavily rumoured thanks to a string of leaks in the last few months from accessory manufacturers, but now it’s all official.

The reveal trailer also includes a teaser for what is, presumably, Mario Kart 9—again, something that’s been rumoured as a Switch 2 launch title. While there’s no name, logo, or any other details, the Switch 2 trailer includes a few seconds of Mario Kart footage that’s different enough from Mario Kart 8 to not be another re-release of that game. There snippet features a new track (“Mario Bros. Circuit”), Luigi has a new kart design, and, perhaps most intriguing, there are 24 spaces on the starting grid—Mario Kart 8 capped out at 12 players per race.

Nintendo also re-confirmed that Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with Nintendo Switch games, after a statement to that effect last year, with both digital and physical games supported. A disclaimer notes that certain games “may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2”, which might sound concerning but is fairly typical for any sort of backwards compatibility—it’s hard to guarantee that every single game will work absolutely perfectly, but it’s probably a safe assumption that vast majority will work without issue.

The reveal includes a 2025 release window but no firm date or pricing. There’s no information about technical specs or games coming to the system either, other than that brief Mario Kart tease. More details will be revealed during a Nintendo Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct scheduled for Wednesday, 2 April.

Nintendo will also be running a series of Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events in April and May, where folks can get a hands-on look at the new console. Unfortunately, there are none scheduled for New Zealand; the closest for us is the one in Melbourne from 10 – 11 May. Tickets will be available through a free-to-enter, randomly-selected draw, with registrations open from January 18th at 1:00pm NZDT until January 27th at 1:59am NZDT.

Here’s the full Nintendo Switch 2 Experience schedule: