More from Everything we know so far about the Nintendo Switch 2
The more than four-year-old game showed up in a blink-and-you’ll miss it moment during today’s Nintendo Direct sizzle reel. It’s not clear when it will release.
The game, which comes from Undertale creator Toby Fox, will be available on the Switch 2 when it launches on June 5th. That not only includes chapters one and two, but also the brand new chapters three and four.
Firaxis Games is bringing Civilization VII to the Nintendo Switch 2 on the console’s launch day of June 5th, complete with new mouse controls for the JoyCon 2. Existing Switch owners of the game will be able to buy an upgrade to the Switch 2 version and use the mouse function.
The company says it’s available day one with the Switch 2 for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has a new feature called GameShare, allowing an owner of one game to share it locally with up to three other Switch 2 and original Switch consoles. It also supports online play with other players, including game chat functions. The feature will be compatible with select games, and so far Nintendo only listed Super Mario Odyssey, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, and a couple others as examples.
More than 325,000 people (and counting) are already tuned in to Nintendo’s YouTube stream.
Nintendo’s big Switch 1 press event closed out with this incredible Breath of the Wild trailer. Here’s hoping Nintendo has something just as great planned to close out today’s Switch 2 show.
Nintendo has left us with a lot of unanswered questions so far, like whether the Joy-Cons will be magnetic or what that mysterious C-button does. Hopefully, Nintendo will reveal all that and more — and maybe even sprinkle in some surprises, too.
I wouldn’t expect this to be a spec-heavy event. Ever since the Wii, Nintendo has prioritized the full experience of its consoles over the race to the top on graphics and speed:
This shift came because of what Nintendo called its “blue ocean” strategy. The idea was that the increasing technological complexity of games was actually making them less appealing to many consumers.
Nintendo has moved beyond specs
While we wait for the next Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, let’s take a look at the legacy Nintendo’s new console is stepping into. The first Switch started by selling faster in its first two days than the Wii during the same period of its life, a record. It’s also on track to beating the DS as Nintendo’s highest-selling console ever, a milestone it was close to in February.
Can the Switch 2 live up to that?
Rumors abound, but Nintendo has a history of carving its own path and going a surprising route. My colleague Andrew Webster wrote this shortly after the Alarmo clock was announced:
The rapid succession of announcements and reveals from the company over the last few weeks has been surprising and indicative of its idiosyncratic nature. And while it might seem random, the weeks full of museum openings and alarm clock launches are likely part of a very calculated strategy.
I recorded this with a sleeping baby in the next room, so I apologize if my voice sounds a bit quiet. It’s only just past 6AM here on the West Coast — why did Nintendo announce its new console so early?