Nintendo Switch 2 Direct live: the latest Switch 2 reveals from the event as they come in

The Switch 2 Pro Controller could have a headphone jack

Here’s some news hot off the presses. The latest FCC filing from Nintendo suggests that its next Pro Controller – presumably the one for the Switch 2 – will feature a headphone jack.

The device described in the filing apparently offers both Bluetooth and NFC, which sounds a lot like the existing Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, but also mentions a 3.5mm headphone jack.

This was something missing from the old Pro Controller, which made it difficult to use wired headphones with the Nintendo Switch. The addition of a headphone jack is something that fans have been crying out for for years, so hopefully Nintendo has listened to the feedback.

Of course, while filings can be a strong indicator this is still just speculation for now. We’ll have to wait and see whether a new Pro Controller is unveiled later today.

Something to do with the Switch 2?

The big question on my mind regarding Virtual Game Cards is whether or not the announcement has anything to do with the Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo has confirmed that the system will be present on Switch 2 also and, for my money, the timing seems a bit too close to be a coincidence.

My theory is that Nintendo wants to make it easier to transfer save data and purchases between the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, simplifying the setup process for those who choose to upgrade.

Maybe we’ll learn a bit more about the transition between the two consoles later today.

What are Virtual Game Cards all about?

One of the most surprising things we learned in the previous Nintendo Direct was the upcoming arrival of a new Virtual Game Card system.

It seemed very confusing at the time, but now that I’ve had some time to break it down here’s a quick explainer.

Basically, your Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 will recognize digitally purchased games (those are the ones you get on the eShop) in the same way they recognize physical ones as a ‘Virtual Game Card’.

A dedicated menu will show your Virtual Game Card library, and lets you ‘load’ or ‘unload’ them (the digital equivalent of taking them in and out of your system).

What does this mean practically? Well, soon you’ll be able to more easily transfer games between your own consoles. You’ll be able to ‘unload’ a game on one system, and then log in with your Nintendo account to ‘load’ it on to another. All saves are transferred, in theory making it a bit easier to manage multiple consoles if you own them.

As someone with a Nintendo Switch OLED for use at a home, and a Nintendo Switch Lite purely for travel – I’m pretty excited by this.

Nintendo has also confirmed that you will be able to share games between members of your Nintendo Account family, lending them for 14 days at a time. Cool!

Give me Nintendogs please

Forget Mario and forget Zelda, if I’m being honest the one thing that I really want to see from Nintendo today is a Nintendogs revival. Yes, I am fully aware that there was that one on Nintendo 3DS, but you know as well as I do that nobody actually played it.

A shiny, modern Nintendogs wouldn’t just be absolutely adorable – it could really show off the Nintendo Switch 2’s rumored hardware features. Imagine using mouse mode to stroke a virtual puppy, or being able to drag the Joy-Con around a table to simulate a walk. The possibilities for virtual pet interaction are endless…

Time check

There’s just 90 minutes to, gamers! Now is a good time to start thinking about snacks for the broadcast…

I think I’m going to go with a cup of coffee (though I doubt I’ll really need it given all the exciting announcements in store!) and maybe a handful of roasted sunflower seeds. The salted ones are great.

But what about the stock?

There’s no point releasing an affordable console if few consumers are able to actually buy it as a result of stock shortages.

James has covered major product launches for years and had this to say about the likely stock situation:

“I know what you’re thinking… will we see a similar stock situation to the PS5 and Xbox Series X with the new Nintendo Switch 2? Obviously, I don’t know for sure, but I’m confident it won’t be as bad as those pandemic months.

Yes, the Switch 2 will be in demand, and yes, fans will be rushing out to buy one. That will almost certainly lead to consoles selling out during the initial pre-order phase and potentially the early weeks following the console’s release.

However, I think the Switch 2 will be back in stock fairly quickly and fairly regularly, given Nintendo should have a solid idea of the demand and we aren’t all cooped up indoors looking for ways to pass the time.

Either way, we’ll be here bringing you all the latest Switch 2 pre-order and stock news immediately following today’s Direct and in the months ahead.”

More on that price…

I’m going to be talking about the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 a lot, because it’s going to be really important.

If Nintendo gets the price wrong, it could be a disaster – with the Nintendo Switch 2 failing to match the success of its more affordable predecessor.

To give you a good idea of what to expect in the pricing department, I’ve called on skilled savings finder and Senior Deals Editor James Pickard for some expertise.

“Rumors have the Nintendo Switch 2 priced at somewhere around $399.99 / £349.99, and while this feels like a fairly logical prediction I wouldn’t be surprised if the price crept up slightly higher – especially in the US,” he said.

“Still it would be a risk, as anything above those current rumored prices puts it even more closely in direct competition with the PlayStation 5, which can be picked up for as little as $399.99 with the latest Digital Edition Astro Bot Bundle. Because of that, I think Nintendo will be trying to stay as close to those rumored prices as possible and stop heads from turning to Sony.”

The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is big concern and one area where we don’t even have any real rumors to work with.

So, we took to our WhatsApp community to ask our audience how much they think the upcoming console will cost. Here’s what they thought:

44% – so nearly half – think it’s going to cost more than $450 which would be a hefty price tag to come out of the gate with.

At the other end of the spectrum, and the next largest response, 23% think it will be less than $400 which would keep its price broadly in line with the Switch OLED.

Jostling in the middle of the pack, 19% of folks think it’ll be $400, and 14% are going for $450.

What do you think?

President & COO of Nintendo of America weighs in

Doug Bowser, president & COO at Nintendo of America, has posted something on X / Twitter about the upcoming event earlier today.

As you might expect, there’s no real new information here, but his enthusiasm is infectious.

Nintendo Treehouse: Live could be huge

Yesterday Nintendo confirmed two new Nintendo Treehouse: Live streams after the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. The first will take place on April 3, with the second following on April 4.

Both will kick off at 7AM PT / 10AM ET / 2PM BST and give us a live hands-on look at some Nintendo Switch 2 games in action.

If you’re not familiar with Nintendo Treehouse Live, the format has been used by the company frequently in the past. It basically involves a room filled with various presenters, who you watch play with some of the latest hardware and/or games.

These two streams could prove very insightful, giving us a relatively unfiltered look at the Nintendo Switch 2 in action, so definitely tune in if you get the chance.

I would also bet money on the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct given us our first glimpse at the console’s user interface. Hopefully it’s going to be a bit more exciting than the relatively plain Nintendo Switch UI.

I’ve personally got my fingers crossed for the addition of colorful system themes.

This was a big feature for the Nintendo 3DS (though it was not around at launch) but conspicuously absent from the Nintendo Switch for the entire of its life. There was a dedicated themes menu, but it only showed two basic options: black and white. That’s just taunting us!

One of my major hopes is that the Nintendo Switch 2 will bring back themes in a big way. I want to be able to show off my love for certain franchises on my home screen once more, complete with custom icons and music.

I’ll always have a soft spot for my Nintendo 3DS, in no small part thanks to the adorable Hatsune Miku artwork (and accompanying song) that greeted me every time I turned it on.

Nintendo always shies away from talking in concrete numbers, but I do think the company will still manage to find some way of showing us just how much more powerful the Nintendo Switch 2 is than its predecessor, too. Perhaps we’ll see some of the more intensive Nintendo Switch games running smoothly on the new machine…

Will mouse mode finally be official?

I think we’re definitely going to see the long-rumored mouse mode in action very soon.

This has been the subject of many leaks and was even hinted at by that console reveal trailer (which showed the Joy-Con darting around a flat surface like mice).

The idea is that the new Joy-Con controllers will be able to be used on their sides thanks to an optical sensor that lets them detect movements to control things on-screen.

It sounds a bit silly at first, but the practical applications of this idea could be huge. It would allow for much better precision in shooter games like Nintendo’s own Splatoon, or be a blessing for navigating the complex interfaces of titles like Super Mario Maker.

Speaking of reminders, now would be a fantastic time to refresh yourself on the Switch 2 with the original first-look trailer.

It was our first official look at the console’s design and shows some physical differences between it and the original Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch 2 – First-look trailer – YouTube

Watch On

Length reminder ahead of the show

If you need a quick reminder about the broadcast’s length, Nintendo has previously confirmed that it will be “approximately 60 minutes long”.

This is a bit longer than your average 40 or so minute Nintendo Direct and about the same duration as the original Nintendo Switch reveal event.

I’m optimistic that this will be more than enough time to have all our most pressing questions answered.

What’s the fuss all about?

If you’re a little out of the loop and want to know what today’s Switch 2 event is all about, here’s a quick recap of events so far explaining exactly why I’m so excited.

Nintendo first unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2, the upcoming successor to its hugely popular Nintendo Switch console, in a surprise reveal trailer posted almost two months ago on January 16, 2025.

It showed off the new system officially for the first time, with a slick 3D animation paired with cute music and cool sound effects.

Although there were plenty of small hints throughout, the video confirmed very few new features and didn’t explicitly mention any games (though what looks like a new Mario Kart was shown briefly on screen).

It did plainly state that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be able to play most Nintendo Switch games though, but that’s basically all we know for sure right now.

The video ended with a date: April 2, 2025, which the company then confirmed would be the day of a dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.

I expect this imminent broadcast to be a detailed breakdown of the system, outlining its features and revealing some of its launch games. I also think we’re likely to learn a release date, with pre-orders potentially opening too.

Hello and welcome to the beginning of my Nintendo Switch 2 Direct live coverage!

I’m going to guide you through the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct as it happens, keeping you up to date with a steady feed of all the latest news just as it comes in.

The presentation is only two hours away now, so I would really start getting prepared. If you haven’t already, consider bookmarking the official Nintendo YouTube page for easy access once the broadcast goes live.