Switch 2 Nintendo Direct Event: When, How To Watch And What To Expect
So far, Nintendo has only offered a few bread crumbs in relation to its upcoming and highly-anticipated Switch 2 handheld game console. We know it exists and that it will sport a larger display and retooled Joy-Con controllers, but there's still a lot that we don't know about it. That's going to change in a couple of months at the next Nintendo Direct event.
When And Where To Watch The Nintendo Direct: Switch 2 Event
The event will undoubtedly draw a lot of eyeballs, given the massive success of the current generation Switch console (and it's various iterations, like the Switch OLED). If you want to watch the Nintendo Direct: Switch 2 event live, you can do so on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Just be sure to set your coffee maker to brew a batch of your favorite grind in the early morning hours if you're in the Pacific time zone, and have your Alarmo clock wake you up bright and early—it kicks off at 6:00am PDT (9:00am EDT).
We already knew the date, as it was revealed in Nintendo's 'first-look' showcase trailer, but we now have a specific time to go along with it. As with previous Nintendo Direct events, you'll be able to watch it on Nintendo's YouTube channel. There's no placeholder with a countdown timer for the event yet (which is why it's not embedded here), but there probably will be once as we get closer to it.
What To Expect At The Nintendo Direct: Switch 2 Event
We're hoping (and expecting) for clarity on the hardware specifications, or at least what kind of performance uplift gamers can expect versus the current-generation Switch. It will undoubtedly feature another custom NVIDIA chip, which is rumored to be a Tegra T239 SoC. Other rumored specs include 12GB of RAM and 256GB of built-in UFS 3.1 storage.
While we know the display will be bigger (as evidenced by bigger Joy-Con controllers that sit flush with the display panel in Nintendo's trailer above), rumor has it the Switch 2 will stick with LCD instead of OLED. That's a slight bummer, but if that is indeed the case, we could see Nintendo offer a Switch 2 refresh with an OLED display sometime down the line.
We're also curious to learn the full capabilities of the Joy-Con controllers. It appears as though Nintendo is switching things up to a magnetic attachment system, but there's also been chatter of being able to use them as a mouse. We'd caution to temper your expectations, though if they can be used as a mouse, it would open the door to some interesting gaming possibilities.
Nintendo is also likely to provide more clarity on the Switch 2's launch gaming lineup, as well as more details about backwards compatibility. The company has already confirmed that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with Switch 1 titles, though the caveat is that it might be hit or miss outside of first-party games.
Of course, the biggest details we're all anxiously waiting for are pricing and availability. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has suggested on multiple occasions that there is a plan in place to thwart scalpers, though past launches have come with similar claims. He also recently said that pricing will "consider the affordability customers expect" from Nintendo.
