Nintendo Switch 2 is Launching Globally Today

The Nintendo Switch 2 is launching globally today, and it’s expected to sell out pretty fast despite being 50% more expensive than the original model. At $449.99 in the US, the new handheld console is currently more expensive than the PlayStation 5, which currently starts at $399.99 for a limited time.

While the Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t exactly cheap, it now comes with 256GB of storage instead of 32GB on the original model, a bigger 7.9-inch LCD 1080p screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR support, and a custom Nvidia chip that supports ray-tracing and DLSS upscaling. The console also offers redesigned Joy-Con 2 controllers that can be operated like a mouse, and there’s also a built-in mic for the paid Game Chat feature.

Nintendo sold over 152 million units of the original Switch, and almost all physical and digital Switch games are playable on the Switch 2. Some of these old-gen games are also being upgraded to run at higher resolutions and framerates on the new console.

The flagship Switch 2 launch title is Mario Kart World. For the first time in the history of the series, it will let players go off the racetrack and drive virtually everywhere. Nintendo is offering a Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle at $499.99, which is a good deal as the game is being sold separately for $79.99. Other launch titles include Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, Split Fiction, and enhanced versions of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, to name a few.

It’s worth noting that Nintendo didn’t send review units to the press ahead of the global release of the Nintendo Switch 2, so detailed reviews will have to wait. Still, the console appears to be in high demand around the world, and Nintendo may eventually need to adjust its launch price due to Trump’s tariffs. That already happened for PlayStation and Xbox consoles, even though Sony just announced temporary PS5 discounts.