Nintendo has confirmed that it will be "offering a closer look at Nintendo Switch 2" on its April 2 Direct at 9 AM ET.
Before, we only knew what day the Switch 2 Direct would be. Now we know the date and the time. Exciting stuff, I know, but at least it gives us more information than watching the brief Switch 2 trailer over and over again for more Mario Kart 9 easter eggs, or a sign from God.
Though that first-look trailer introduced us to some of the Switch 2's original features – like the next-gen console's updated Joy-Cons with their rumored mouse sensor – it's ultimately a withholding preview. Nintendo has not yet revealed the names of any of the Switch 2's launch titles, for example, though the aforementioned Mario Kart 9 (if that is its real name!) is certainly a contender.
We also don't know how much the console will cost, though company president Shuntaro Furukawa promises its price will match "the affordability that our customers expect from Nintendo products" once the Switch 2 actually hits store shelves later this year. That is, assuming it doesn't get blasted by possible US tariffs, which could substantially inflate its price tag, or decomposed by another chip shortage, which limited some of the original Switch's availability in 2022.
Without more news from Nintendo itself, we're basically scrying with a clouded crystal ball. It helps, then, that once the Switch 2 Direct starts broadcasting at 9 AM ET on April 2, the handheld console floodgates are open. The same week of its Direct, Nintendo will begin hosting its global hands-on preview events, and we'll all have a lot more clarity.
Mario Kart 9 appears to take the Switch 2 back in time, swapping out Princess Peach’s sleek racing suit for the outfit she wore when she debuted in the kart racing series.
