Nintendo will launch the Nintendo Switch 2 video game system on June 5 with a $450 starting price, the company said Wednesday.
The highly anticipated release (the original Nintendo Switch was released in 2017) will also launch with a new game in the Mario Kart franchise calls Mario Kart World, which will include both the classic race modes from the franchise, as well as open world gameplay. And Nintendo says that it will also launch a new Donkey Kong game, called Donkey Kong Bananaza, in July.
Nintendo has long distinguished itself from other video game companies with its focus on original owned IP, and has only begun exploring its potential in the broader entertainment landscape in the last couple of years, most notably with the Super Mario Bros. movie from Illumination, which also features Donkey Kong as a character.
Sony is also developing a live-action Legend of Zelda film.
Nintendo announced the news at a Nintendo Direct event Wednesday morning.
As expected, the Switch 2 will receive physical upgrades as compared to the original system, including a 7.9 inch 1080p built-in screen, as well as redesigned Joy-Con 2 controllers that attach to the system magnetically.
And in a notable change, Nintendo will lean into the social aspect of video games that has taken over the industry in the eight years since the original console was released. Games like Roblox and Fortnite have become places where players chat and socialize as they compete or play games.
The Switch 2 will include a feature called GameChat, which will allow players to chat with their friends while playing games.
“Nintendo Switch 2 is the next step in at-home gaming that can be taken on the go based on eight years of play and discovery that began with Nintendo Switch,” said Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa in a statement. “With its new features that expand the possibilities of gaming experiences, I truly believe that Nintendo Switch 2 is a leap forward in our journey of putting smiles on the faces of everyone that Nintendo touches.”
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