The Internet Reacts To The Nintendo Switch 2

If you missed it, Nintendo finally unveiled the Switch 2 this morning. It looks pretty much exactly like what the leaks said it would. It’s a bigger, presumably more powerful version of the beloved console/handheld hybrid that has magnetic Joy-Cons and can play your old Switch games, too. That might not sound that exciting to some, but it’s nice to finally have Nintendo talking about the thing instead of having to scrape the bottom of a leaking barrel for crumbs of information. We’ll get a longer presentation on the device through a Nintendo Direct on April 2, as well as some opportunities to play the thing in select cities in the days and weeks that follow. But how is the internet reacting to this first tease? There’s enough excitement, disappointment, and bewilderment to go around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itpcsQQvgAQ

The collective relief of finally having real news

It’s been months of waiting for official Switch 2 news. Nintendo confirmed the existence of the device last year, and it’s been a drip feed of news from leakers ever since. Now that the Switch 2 officially exists and we can put a face and name to the concept of the Switch successor, fans can finally relax after clinging to the company’s socials for all this time.

Literally everyone: NINTENDO THE SWITCH 2 IS SUPPOSED TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK SAY FUCKING -ANYTHING-

Nintendo: https://t.co/HEgc9grV6F pic.twitter.com/sY8gBhH3z2

— Nas Leafeon (@NasLeaf) January 15, 2025

Literally Nintendo This Morning LMAO#NintendoSwitch2 pic.twitter.com/ggvtMPPmjj

— HMK (@HMKilla) January 16, 2025

Mario Kart (9?)

We still don’t know much about the Nintendo Switch 2, and the only game the company showed for the device was a new Mario Kart. No title was given, but the brief glimpse we saw of the game in action showed a more cartoonish art style than that of MK8 and teased what seems to be a 24-player mode. Fans seem stoked about it, and hot on the subtly revamped character designs.

what a perfect specimen pic.twitter.com/Nev2XKcENy

— AJ (@yggdrasilsaltar) January 16, 2025

Woah wait this is crazy, new Mario Kart game footage and… they have entirely new models for the characters?? Am I insane??

They all look way cuter than they did in Mario Kart 8, love this style https://t.co/zeqDL4cRyI pic.twitter.com/BkdeFXFMoo

— Saltydkdan (@saltydkdan) January 16, 2025

Radiator Springs was a bold choice for a Mario Kart course. Playable Lighting McQueen inbound pic.twitter.com/gRcRulUBjJ

— Mr. Duby (@misterduby) January 16, 2025

New Mario model is giving “creature” vibes like the Mario 64 model, I love it so much pic.twitter.com/9TScCwFDe0

— Saltydkdan (@saltydkdan) January 16, 2025

Avoiding the Wii U mistake

One thing several people have noted is that Nintendo went out of its way to make it clear that the Nintendo Switch 2 is a new console. The Wii U had plenty of problems, but one of the biggest was the mistaken perception, based on its branding, that it could be a peripheral for the original Wii. Slapping a 2 on the name makes it clear that this is the next iteration of the thing you already love. Say what you want about PlayStation’s naming convention not being that flashy, but you know that a PlayStation 5 is the next major console from Sony. The Switch 2 name is straightforward, and that is the best decision Nintendo could have made in moving to the next system.

https://twitter.com/embed/status/1879884395907309652

Last time Nintendo had a 100-million-selling console, it followed it up with one that sold 14 million

So it's noticeable that the Switch 2 trailer all but screams: This Is The Bigger/Better Evolution Of The Switch You Know (not a peripheral to skip)https://t.co/jK68h3pbzO

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) January 16, 2025

This frankly cartoonishly large 2 is the act of people who absolutely do not want the "is the Wii U just a Wii accessory" confusion to happen again. pic.twitter.com/hnO9pzIVQ7

— Ryan T. Brown 🎮🩷 (@Toadsanime) January 16, 2025

Some healthy skepticism and questions

The reveal trailer finally removed any uncertainty about the existence of the Switch 2, but it was light on some larger details. Right now, it seems to be mostly a bigger, beefier Switch with a few extra bells and whistles. That’s pretty uncharacteristic of Nintendo, which has typically introduced some major innovation in every generational leap. So there are a lot of unanswered questions still floating around as we move toward launch. Is the bigger screen and more powerful hardware the main hook? Will Nintendo release more Joy-Cons than the sleek ones it shows in the reveal trailer? There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Switch 2.

i am SO curious about how and what nintendo will continue to tout as the major differences—truly outside of “it’s bigger” and “the joy con connect better” it’s hard to tell right now, especially to a casual observer/player

— allegra frank (@LegsFrank) January 16, 2025

The mouse and keyboard girlies are eating

There have been rumors that the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons would double as mice. This could be huge for strategy games like Civilization 7 that have historically been cumbersome to play with a controller. Nintendo didn’t confirm it in the trailer, but there’s a shot of the Joy-Cons seemingly being used like a mouse that has people excited for the possibilities.

if I can organize my pokemon collection with mouse controls on the Switch 2 like this im gonna cum buckets ill be real pic.twitter.com/gvd0visDe7

— Lewtwo (@Lewchube) January 16, 2025

https://twitter.com/embed/status/1879906435188015202