Well, it just happened! Nintendo did their April 2nd Nintendo Direct all about the Nintendo Switch 2. And it was jam-packed with technical presentations, features and games. Since this is only a personal blog, I won't report everything in detail, there's a lot of news site out there for that (but I will put a link to the official presentation on Youtube below). But I can share what I thought about the whole thing, and what I'm interested in.
First off, we finally know about the mysterious "C" button on the joy-con. It was for online chat and communication. Nintendo made a big deal about it. There's a new mic directly on the Switch which seems to capture your voice from far away, even if there's a lot of noise around (we'll have to see if it truly works). You can also share your game screen live while you're playing online with others, and even your face if you buy the optional camera accessory. BUT to be frank, I'm mostly a single-player guy, and my multiplayer sessions are always couch co-op with family and friends, not online. So even if I know it's great for some, it doesnt matter much for me.
Others technical stuff that picked my interest are the fact that the screen will now be 1080p, but only LCD (for now)...but with HDR, and up to 120FPS, so it still feels like an upgrade. Docked, it can goes up to 4k resolution too. Joy-cons can be used as mouse, and they made a big deal about it, showing them in action in many games. Strong magnets also connect them to the Switch, so no more disconnecting Joy-Cons. Though, they didnt tell if the joystick were Hall-Effect, but I truly hope at the very least that joy-con drift is a thing of the past. One final technical thing, standard Micro SD won't work on the Switch 2. Only Express one, which is sad, since I had a 1TB still in stock here to be used for the Switch 2. But the Switch 2 will come at lauch with 256GB of internal memory, so it should help for a little while.
They also showed a lot of games. The main event was right at the start. Mario Kart World, an open-world Mario Kart game will release on Launch Day, which make the Switch 2 an instant success right there, if you see how much 8 Deluxe managed to sell on Switch, even if being a Wii U port. Another highlight for Launch Day was the Gamecube games for NSO with Expansion Pack. This was a thing many asked for the Switch 1, but I guess this will be a bonus for Switch 2 only.
We also finally have the confirmation that yes, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will be upgraded version of Nintendo Switch 1 games. So far they have announced games like Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but most of all, both Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wilds and Tears of the Kingdom. They will sell those directly as Switch 2 games, or if you have the Switch 1 game, you can buy an upgrade pack instead. Also in the same vein, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond will, without surprise, launch as both a Switch 1 and 2 games, and can be played 4k-60FPS or 1080p-120FPS on the Switch 2.
Many third-parties also confirmed their presence for the Switch 2. Most of them were port or remaster of old games. We had confirmation of games like Elden Ring, Yakuza 0, a remaster of the first Bravely Default, Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade which I'm all happy about. Hollow Knight Silksong also got a confirmation for a 2025 release. But the big thing was The Duskbloods, a new Souls-like which seems to be more close to Bloodborne (I may be wrong, but this is what it feels to me), and is releasing exclusively on the Switch 2.
As for Nintendo, we got reveal of a brand new Hyrule Warriors called Age of Imprisonment, which is to Tears of the Kingdom what Age of Calamity was the Breath of the Wild. We also got a teaser trailer for Sakurai next project: a new Kirby Air Ride called Kirby Air Riders. And the final reveal, a brand new 3D Donkey Kong game called Donkey Kong Bananza. This one have a July release, so I guess Nintendo will continue with their "One Big Release per Month" formula of the past.
So yeah, what did I think of all that? I think it was amazing and I will surely buy it Day 1 (if I can obviously). And like I said previously, Mario Kart World alone will be enough to make the Switch 2 an instant success in my opinion. But we'll see. The only thing bothering me is the fact that I'm still left in the dark with my big "Me Problem" question. If both the Switch 1 and Switch 2 can be primary console at the same time, so that I can still play both without internet. Last week Direct and the Virtual Game Card system made me believe so. But I still don't have the official confirmation. With over 1000 games installed on my Switch 1, I still want to be able to play this anywhere without internet, without having to transfer everything to the Switch 2 (since my Switch 1 have a 2TB Micro SD anyway to have all that, and I don't think it exists yet in the Express format). Anyway, that's it for me, I didnt took any notes like I usually do during Direct, so everything was from memory, so I may have missed 1-2 important things. But below is the link for the Direct so you can catch up if you need. Enjoy!
UPDATE: Well, one day after the Direct, many new elements started to be known about the pricing on many things. First off, the console itself, which seems to be US$450, which while high, I don't think it crosses that threashold where I would not buy it. But then came the price of physical game, and right off the gate, Mario Kart World will be US$80, which I admit is kinda a slap in the face. People are still not ok with some games costing $70, so going straight at $80, that's quite an increase. I've read that Donkey Kong will be at $70, but still, all this price gouging don't feel right with me. Then we have the price of the upgrade pack which is supposed to be around $20, which is really borderline, but then I've also read that it would be free with NSO. And finally, the "Game-Key Card", Switch 2 cart that are basically empty, so you have to download the entire thing, but you still need to put this empty cart to boot up the game. This is kinda ridiculous. Two exemples were given. Street Fighter VI and Bravely Default. While I could theorically understand for SFVI (since it has a 50GB download), there's no excuse for Bravely Default, which is only 11GB (except being cheap of course). All those little things here and there is starting to make me go more toward a "wait and see" approach instead of a full "DAY 1 PURCHASE"...
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