The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct might not have gone as smoothly as I had hoped, but it offered several major information drops and new games that completely defied my expectations, both for better and for worse. While I had a general idea going into Switch 2 Direct about what to expect from its offering of games or performance capabilities, most of them ended up being blown out of the water. While there was plenty to appreciate from the recent Direct, there were more than a few controversial moves from Nintendo that could have lasting consequences for the console.

It's hard to please everyone when it comes to revealing a console as massive as the Switch 2, with some fan expectations often being completely at odds with each other. Regardless of my personal thoughts, there's no doubt that Switch 2 is already a great technological leap that can offer the innovative gaming experience Nintendo is known for. While I'm still looking forward to seeing what Switch 2 has in store on release, the new information gives a lot to consider when thinking about buying the new console.

10 A Price Tag Even Higher Than I Expected

Addressing The Largest Elephant In The Room

It's hard to talk about all the exciting aspects of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct without also acknowledging how expensive the console and its games are compared to the past. With Mario Kart World alone coming in at a whopping $80 for a digital edition alone, it's clear the future of Nintendo won't be cheap, especially when a physical copy can reach upwards of $90. Coupled with the quiet removal of the Nintendo Selects program and the refusal to lower the price of games even a decade after release, I'm concerned about the sustainability of the device moving forward.

I was far from the only one to voice these concerns either, as the chat for the Nintendo Switch 2 Treehouse stream was flooded with comments from upset fans, demanding a lower price and even discussing a boycott over its release. Making the pricing issue even worse is Nintendo's decision to make games like Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour a paid version of a glorified game manual. Despite these concerns, it still seems almost assured that Switch 2 will be a massive success for Nintendo regardless of the increased costs, with the excitement around the console seemingly too large to fail.

9 A Surprising Absence Of First-Party Nintendo Titles

Offering A Wide Array Of Third Party Options Instead

One of the first things I thought of after watching the initial Switch 2 showcase was simply how few first-party titles would be arriving at its launch. While there are plenty of exciting games I'm looking forward to, like Donkey Kong Bananza and Kirby's Air Riders, the Mario Kart World was the only real contender for a console-selling first-party launch title. Even with the lack of release options, the Mario Kart has reignited my interest in the series, with the open-world mechanic being just what the series needs to set it apart from the competition.

To make up for the lack of official Nintendo titles on launch, Switch 2 featured plenty of third-party titles to increase the value of the console. While returning titles like Fortnite and backward compatibility for games wasn't too surprising, being able to play older titles like Yakuza 0 or even the Switch exclusive The Duskbloods by FromSoftware are excitingly promising options.

8 The Lack Of Reveals For Cozy Games Like Animal Crossing

A Complete Opposite To Nintendo's Previous Direct

Given the massive popularity that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was able to achieve on the original Switch, the complete lack of any news for the classic Animal Crossing ​​​​​​series was somewhat of a disappointment. With how little Animal Crossing fans have received over the years outside the recent changes made to Pocket Camp, the letdown wasn't all too surprising in the end, with many fans not being surprised by the lack of news.

It feels strange to completely pivot away from cozy mobile games when it's one of the selling points of the Switch.

Coupled with how intense Nintendo's recent Direct showcases were with cozy games and farming sims galore, it feels strange to completely pivot away from cozy mobile games when it's one of the selling points of the Switch. While the new console is aiming to take a new direction for Nintendo's games with increased fidelity and performance, I can't help but feel it was a missed opportunity not to save a few of the best cozy games for the Switch 2 showcase.

7 The Sheer Power Of Switch 2's Hardware Performance

Jaw-Dropping Fidelity For Such A Small Device

While I knew that Switch 2 would offer a greater increase in pure performance, my jaw dropped after seeing Cyberpunk 2077 running surprisingly well on the new console. While there have been reports that Cyberpunk and Hogwarts Legacy have lower frame rates, being able to handle these kinds of games at all is a massive win for the console. It will be some time until full hardware comparisons start being made after its launch, but I'm still looking forward to seeing how Switch 2 will handle larger games on its release.

When plugging Switch 2 into a dock, the system can output up to 4K resolution, with a built-in cooling fan preventing the console from overheating during gameplay.

Aside from being able to handle large-scale games, I was pleasantly surprised to see the enhanced performance won't ignore the smaller first-party titles Nintendo is known for either. Offering 1080p on a massively improved 120hz screen, the Switch 2 will run all your favorite games at a much faster performance rate right out of the box, providing the next generational leap I've been waiting to see for nearly a decade.

6 Nintendo Isn't Abandoning Its Past Switch Games

Offering A Way To Get More Value From Your Existing Library

After hearing some of the rumors about how the Switch 2 won't be backward compatible with all Switch games, I was hesitantly curious about what Nintendo would reveal going into the newest Direct. Thankfully, it seems that the wide majority of your original Nintendo Switch titles will be fully compatible with the Switch 2, barring a few notable exceptions, like the Nintendo Labo and others listed on Nintendo's website.

While the price point is less than ideal, most games will still be receiving free updates to take advantage of Switch 2's new hardware, which seems to range from new features and unlocked performance caps. On top of limited updates, I was surprised to see that the Switch 2 would offer a paid upgrade for your original titles to their enhanced edition. While it's frustrating to have to pay for games I already own, some of them offer considerable upgrades, like BOTW fixing its spotty performance or Kirby's Forgotten Land upgrade including an entirely new story DLC.

5 A Surprising Amount Of Unique Hardware Features

Switch 2 Is More Than A Simple Performance Upgrade

Given that many of the Switch 2's new features were already leaked or heavily rumored before its release, I didn't expect to see too many new aspects of the console announced. Right out of the gate, the Switch 2 directly caught my attention with its implementation of the GameChat functionality built right into the controller itself, letting you speak with friends or family with the simple press of a button. Rather than acting as a traditional game chat, the feature seems to act more like a Discord call than anything else, even letting you stream games for your friends.

Until March 31, 2026, a Nintendo Online hip is not needed to access GameChat. Afterward, a Nintendo Switch Online hip will be required.

Going hand-in-hand with the new GameChat functionality is the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, which, on top of acting as a versatile face cam, can also be used in games like Mario Party Jamboree to add more personalization. Unfortunately, it's hard to imagine too many people going out of their way to buy an entirely separate camera for the Switch 2, but it's still an interesting concept with unique gameplay potential. On top of these unique inclusions, the Switch 2's dock also received some unexpected upgrades, with a built-in cooling fan to the more resource-intensive titles the console can handle.

4 Developing A Spiritual Successor To Odyssey Rather Than A Sequel

A Unique Experience That Could Be Even Better Than The Original

Another game I thought for sure would make an appearance or at least be mentioned in some form was a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey. Being one of the most beloved games in the franchise yet, Odyssey's clear inspiration from classic games in the series like Super Mario 64, while innovating with new mechanics and enhanced visual fidelity, helped the experience come to life in more ways than one. While it was a bit disappointing to not have any word about a new 3D Mario game – technically aside from Mario Kart World – what we got instead could be even better.

Donkey Kong Bananza was one of my favorite original game reveals of the Switch 2 Direct, as it seems like a loose spiritual successor to the iconic world-trotting adventure. While it does share many similarities in expressive style and unique gameplay offerings, the trailer seems to show more of a linear gameplay that's expected from the series, being more akin to the recent Astro Bot instead. Regardless of which game Donkey Kong Bananza ends up taking more inspiration from, it still feels like a unique experience that I can't wait to see become a reality.

3 The Ability To Easily Share Games Was A Surprising Improvement

An Unexpected Move From Nintendo

Based on Nintendo's treatment of game sharing and local save data in the past, I was completely blindsided by the new ways Nintendo's Switch 2 is tackling the concept moving forward. Not only can you share cooperative games locally with nearby consoles to play together, but the Switch 2 also allows for game sharing over the internet with far fewer restrictions than before.

GameChat is required to share games online, which is only included in the paid Nintendo Online hip.

While it doesn't solve every issue I have with game sharing from the original Switch, it's always great to see more ways to play with friends and family, especially with how expensive Nintendo games have been getting over time. Unfortunately, it seems that GameChat is required to share games online, which is only included in the paid Nintendo Online hip. Even if you do have a paid Nintendo Online , certain games like Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition will not be compatible either way, but can still be shared locally instead.

2 Game Cartridges Will Work Differently Than Expected

A Strange New Way To Play Virtual Games

While Nintendo could have easily used the same cartridges as before, or an entirely new disk format, the Switch 2 took a strange middle ground that was more than a bit confusing at first. While the newer red cartridges aren't too different from what I'm used to with the Switch, the Switch 2's Game-Key Cards caused a lot of buzz online over their confusing explanation. While it's still a strange concept, Game-Key Cards could be a way to combat the massive file sizes that games like Elden Ring are known to have.

Rather than entirely replacing physical games with virtual keys, the new system acts as a physical key that lets you the game after purchasing and inserting it into your Switch 2, much like the digital-code versions of games that the original Switch had. Offering a physical card is an interesting alternative as it allows you to easily share and even resell virtual games that would otherwise be locked to a single .

While the original Switch games can be played on the Switch 2, the red cartridges of the successor console are not playable on the original device, given its hardware limitations.

On top of these changes, the Switch 2 will launch with over eight times the storage of its predecessor with a total of 256 GB of space, allowing you to enjoy a drastically higher number of games before resorting to buying a new MicroSD card. Given that the Switch 2 will only accept newer MicroSD Express cards, the increased storage is somewhat of a consolation for saving on costs down the line.

1 I Never Thought I Would See Silksong From Nintendo

I've Never Been Happier To Be So Wrong

Aside from all the new features and games announced for Switch in the coming months, I was completely blindsided by Team Cherry's Hollow Knight: Silksong finally showing up again, even if it was only for a few seconds. I've always refuted the idea that games like Deltarune and Silksong would make their debut in a Nintendo Direct due to their PC origins, especially given Silksong's prior contract with Xbox. Although Xbox claimed that Silksong would be released in 2023 at the latest based on its Game timeline, this official 2025 release date is some of the best gaming news I've heard in years.

Compared to Deltarune's fully fleshed-out trailer shooting for a launch date that coincides with Switch 2's, it was more than a bit strange that Silksong didn't get the same treatment given the years of anticipation behind it. Due to the still ambiguous release date for the highly anticipated indie game, it's likely that Team Cherry is saving a spotlighted trailer for Silksong for when the studio feels ready to declare an official release date on the Nintendo Switch 2.