From Software's popular RPG Elden Ring is expanding to a new platform: Switch 2. As part of the Nintendo Direct today, Nintendo and Bandai Namco confirmed Elden Ring for the console. Elden Ring will launch for Nintendo Switch 2 later this year. A specific release date was not announced, however.

Elden Ring was the No. 2 best-selling game of 2022 in the US and sold nearly 30 million copies as of the end of 2024 across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. No sequel has been announced, but the standalone multiplayer spin-off, Elden Ring Nightreign, is coming this May. It's not confirmed for Switch 2, however.

Author George R.R. Martin worked on Elden Ring's backstory and lore. He may also be involved in a potential Elden Ring film.

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During today's Nintendo Switch 2 broadcast, Supergiant Games has confirmed its roguelike sequel, Hades 2, will be coming to the new console. It's unclear whether Hades 2 will be a title available at the launch of the Switch 2, as a release date wasn't provided.

Speaking at the broadcast, Supergiant's creative director Greg Kasavin confirmed the news that Melinoe and her fellow Greek mythological characters would be arriving on Switch 2.

Hades 2 is confirmed for the Switch 2

Hades 2 entered early access in May 2024, but it's unclear from the announcement whether the game's full release will coincide with the release of the Switch 2, or if it'll remain in early access. In our Hades 2 review, we said that the sequel is "an ambitious expansion of all the ideas that came before it" thanks to the split-level dungeon crawling experience that sees the contents of Hades 2 almost doubled from its predecessor. There are more boss fights, more collectibles, more achievements, and more mechanics, but that never becomes overwhelming.

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Nintendo revealed a wealth of details about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console during its April 2 Direct. In addition to offering a deep-dive into the system's new features, the company offered a closer look at Switch 2 game cards, which are a little different from those used by the first Switch.

Nintendo confirmed that Switch 2 game cards will be the same size and shape as Switch 1 game cards, albeit with a few notable difference. Most obviously, the cards are now red instead of black. They also offer "much faster data-reading speed."

Additionally, Nintendo confirmed that Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express Cards, meaning the system will not be compatible with the same type of microSD cards used by Switch 1. Nintendo says these new cards will "make high-speed data transfers possible." The system will also come with 256GB of storage out of the gate, as opposed to the 32GB the Switch 1 launched with.

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The Nintendo Switch 2's full unveiling on April 2 has confirmed one of its most exciting new features: mouse functionality. You can indeed use the console's new Joy-Con controllers like a computer mouse, opening up possibilities for point-and-click adventures and strategy games to be an even better experience on the system.

In an overview of the Switch 2 hardware, Nintendo confirmed that both the left and right Joy-Cons on the system, which are also bigger and more ergonomic than their predecessors, can be turned on their side and used like a computer mouse. The Direct didn't expand too much on the mouse functionality, other than noting that mouse controls will only be available in certain games.

Nintendo later demonstrated a wheelchair-sports-inspired game called Drag x Drive designed to make the most of the unique dual-mouse controls, but it will be interesting to see how many developers make use of the unique control scheme. From everything Nintendo has shown so far, the Joy-Con 2's mouse mode doesn't look as comfortable to use for long stretches of gaming as a conventional mouse, but it could have interesting uses in porting PC games to the Switch 2.

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Many Nintendo Switch games will be getting upgraded editions on the Switch 2. These new versions of old games will include new features using the Switch 2's hardware upgrades, like mouse controls and game chat. They may also upgrade visuals and add new content.

For example, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will get 4K visuals and 60fps while the Switch is docked. You can also use the Switch 2's mouse controls to aim Samus' weapon. The Pokémon Legends: Z-A upgrade will have higher resolution and frame rate. Kirby and the Forgotten Land will get new levels and new powers, in addition to more technical features. The Nintendo Switch 2 versions of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will get technical upgrades and a new smartphone app.

Super Mario Party: Jamboree got the most extensive preview. The Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade will let you play minigames with mouse controls, audio recognition, and the camera peripheral (which is sold separately). For example, you'll control a microphone car with your voice and spray paint BO-MB with the Joy-Con. The upgrade also adds new ways to party. In the Bowser Live mode, you will use the camera peripheral footage as your avatar for minigames. In the Carnival Coaster mode, you control a roller coaster with the mouse controls, fire at enemies as you ride, and play mode-specific minigames.

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As part of the Nintendo Direct, Nintendo finally announced the release date and price for the Nintendo Switch 2. The system will launch on June 5. The system will be sold on its own, as well as in a bundle with the newly revealed Mario Kart World. A price was not shared as part of the Direct, but a US price was shared in a press release afterward: $450 for the system or $500 for the MK World bundle. Preorders begin in North America on April 9. In the UK, it'll cost 395 GBP, while in Europe it'll cost 430 EUR.

A June release for the Switch 2 was previously reported. For comparison, the original Switch launched in March 2017, priced at $300.

As it just so happens, today, April 2, was also the day that US President Donald Trump's new set of tariffs are going into effect. Trump already established a 10% tariff on Chinese exports back in February, later doubling that to 20% in March. Nintendo historically produced some of its products in China, leading some to wonder if the Switch 2 would be impacted.

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Announced during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a digital-only game that takes place on an enlarged Switch 2. The game is launching as a paid game on June 5, the same day the Nintendo Switch 2 launches.

The game consists of walking around on the surface of a giant Nintendo Switch 2, reading small information signs about the console and playing small demos that show off features of the console, like a golf minigame using the mouse feature and a maracas-shaking demo. The information stands explain not only what features like mouse controls do, but also provide small demonstrations of how that looks in action.

Explore the new system through tech demos, minigames, and quizzes with Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a paid downloadable launch title for #NintendoSwitch2. #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/doZVYS0wjV

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 2, 2025

It's not clear how much depth these minigames and tech demos will offer from the trailer, but there seems to be a small handful of different games. These take advantage of both the new mouse controls and also motion controls, using the detached Joy-Cons.

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Nintendo has shared concrete details about the Switch 2 hardware in its latest Nintendo Direct, including support for HDR, 4K resolution while docked, 120fps in supported titles when not in 4K, and magnetic Joy-Con controllers.

The Switch 2 LCD screen is larger than its predecessor at 7.9 inches, but the device overall is the same thickness as the original Switch. The screen itself is an upgrade and will run at 1080p in handheld mode and features an improved, adjustable kickstand and two USB-C ports--one on the top of the console and one on the bottom. When docked, the Switch 2 will be able to run at 4K (but will be fixed to 60fps). When not running in 4K, certain titles will support framerates of up to 120fps. The dock itself is also receiving an upgrade in the form of a built-in fan to keep the console cool.

It's not just the screen and dock that are receiving upgrades. The Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers (fittingly called Joy-Con 2) will attach to the console magnetically, with a release button on the back of the controllers that will allow for easy detachment. Each Joy-Con 2 will additionally have larger control sticks and bigger SL and SR buttons for more comfort when playing with a single Joy-Con horizontally.

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During the Nintendo Switch 2 broadcast today, the console manufacturer showed off a new feature: GameShare. Players will be able to join up and play together locally using just one copy of a compatible game. Even titles that require multiple screens can be played if one player owns a compatible game.

GameShare will be functional across systems, meaning you can join up with local friends whether you own a Switch 2 or its predecessor, the Switch. GameShare also supports the new GameChat feature, which allows players to communicate via voice chat. The feature is launched by the new C button.

GameShare-compatible titles

Shown among the titles coming to GameShare are Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Super Mario 3D World, Club House Games, Super Mario Odyssey, Big Brain Academy, and more.

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Nintendo revealed exclusive Switch 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for the new console in its April 2025 Nintendo Direct. These versions are largely similar to the originals but feature enhanced resolution, increased frame rate, and HDR for more vibrant images. In addition, a new service with in-game tracking and social features will be available for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 owners.

Zelda Notes in Nintendo Switch app for Switch 2 editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom

Zelda Notes, an upcoming feature for the Nintendo Switch app, can help players find points of interest and share QR codes of creations (like those in Tears of the Kingdom) to other players so then recreate them in their own games. It can locate undiscovered Shrines and Korok Seeds, and guide players with specific directions using voice navigation. As seen in the preview trailer, you can access voice memories, photo editing, item and auto-build sharing, and daily bonuses using Zelda Notes. You don't need a Nintendo Online Subscription to use Zelda Notes, but you do need a smart device that can download the Nintendo Switch app.

The Switch 2 verions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were only two of the many reveals in the April 2025 Direct, which you can read about in our Nintendo Switch 2 Direct hub.

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After being glimpsed during the Switch 2 reveal, Nintendo formally announced Mario Kart 9 during this week's Switch 2 Direct livestream--the game is officially called Mario Kart World. This new look at the kart-racing game showed off several of the familiar faces who'll be hitting the track, including everyone's favorite plumber Mario, several members of the Mushroom Kingdom, and other racers like Donkey Kong.

Mario Kart World is a launch title for Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo will share more details on Mario Kart World during a special Nintendo Direct on April 17. Switch 2 will be sold on its own at launch, but a bundle with Mario Kart World will also be available. According to Nintendo's website, World will be priced at $80, a notable increase in price for a new game.

Mario Kart World looks like a major step up from Mario Kart 8. It features support for up 24 racers, which is the most in franchise history. There are also appear to be new vehicles, including jet skis and jets, while players can now grind on rails and flip across walls. Mario Kart World also includes time-of-day and weather conditions that change throughout races. Players are free to drive off-road "virtually everywhere," Nintendo said during the presentation.

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2024 was a brutal year for the video game industry, with thousands of jobs lost due to massive layoffs. So far, that trend has continued in 2025 with recent layoffs at Eidos Montreal and Striking Distance Studios. Now, Shams Jorjani--the CEO of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios--is speaking out about the mass layoffs and calling for accountability from the CEOs who make those decisions.

"I wish that our industry hadn't shed almost… 30, 40, 50,000 jobs over the past two years," said Jorjani during an interview with The Game Business. "A lot of people at the top were making very unsound business decisions, and there's very little accountability on their part. Who among these executives is stepping down? Or slashing their salaries? What's happening is that regular developers are paying the cost of that. That's a terrible way to run our industry."

Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani blasts lack of accountability for bad decision making in the video game industry:
"Who among these executives is stepping down? Or slashing their salaries?" https://t.co/uadE4A65kt pic.twitter.com/gtJbzzLOCe

— AmericanTruckSongs9 (@ethangach) April 1, 2025

Jorjani went on to explain that he isn't against seeing studios expand, but he argues that growth should be responsibly paced for the long-term health of the business and the employees who work there. He added that his "first priority is to make sure that people [at Arrowhead] have jobs for many years." During the same interview, Jorjani noted that the turnaround of Helldivers 2 was inspired by No Man's Sky's comeback story.

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As part of the Nintendo Direct today, Nintendo opened the floodgates in terms of news and announcements about the Switch 2. Included in the presentation was confirmation of what the Switch 2's mysterious C button actually does.

The Switch 2's C button activates a social hub called GameChat, in which up to four people can link up via voice chat and play together. GameChat also allows for screen sharing, even if everyone is playing a different game. If a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is connected, each player can also appear in the corner of the shared screen.

Some of the earliest official images of the Switch 2 Joy-Cons showed a blank button sitting below the Home button, prompting many rumors and theories about it. Later, new art for the Switch 2 showed the C button in all its glory.

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Roblox, the massive gaming platform that mostly caters to younger gamers, has announced the launch of "Rewarded Video" ads, an ad format that allows users to opt in to watching ads in exchange for in-game rewards or currency.

This style of advertising is already common in mobile gaming and other mobile apps with microtransactions, where watching an ad is often offered as an alternative to paying premium currencies. Now, this feature is coming to Roblox--and by extension, to the millions of user-created "experiences" hosted on it platforms.

These ads will appear as an opt-in choice for users, who can choose to watch an ad up to 30 seconds in length to get a certain reward. In an example shared on Roblox's corporate blog, players can choose to purchase a house with in-game currency, or to rent it for a single session for free by watching an ad.

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Helldivers 2 has been out for over a year now, and it's been "one heck of a roller coaster year," as described by Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Shams Jorjani. In a new interview with The Game Business, Jorjani explained how Helldivers 2 recovered from an overwhelmingly negative Steam user score--and how No Man's Sky provided the template.

Helldivers 2 has seen massive highs and lows in its first year of release, from becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation game ever to being review-bombed almost to oblivion by angry fans. When it came to recovering from the lows, Jorjani looked to another legendary video game comeback.

"We went down to like 30 [percent positive] in [Steam's] user score, and usually that's the death knell for a game, but we came back from that," he recounted. "Then we fumbled with balancing and the focus for the game, and that sent us all the way down to 19%, I think was the lowest. Games that get 19% user score do not generally recover."

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Not everything goes as planned. You need to be prepared to act and often act fast when an emergency occurs. Especially when you're onboard the 40-ton airplane flying seven miles above the ground. In that case, things can get really bad, really quick. In Flight Catastrophe you have a chance to experience the realistic representation of a passenger airplane. You need to know every nook and cranny of it -- the decks, the engines, the cargo bay -- not a single place can escape your attention, as the danger can happen literally anywhere!

An elevated, story-driven virtual pet game starring bugs from land, air and sea! Spoil them with pets, food and furniture. Earn poop currency through minigames and by cleaning up their oopsies. Discover how even the smallest action impacts your friend. Release bug eggs to regrow their forest home! Play as a research scientist helping a forest recover after a devastating fire. Discover her story through cutscenes, diary entries, and items. Complete your bug compendium to unlock secrets and prizes!