Exploring Expectations: What We Hope to Discover from the Switch 2 Announcement

In exactly four weeks, we’re set to learn more about Switch 2 – hopefully a great deal more. Wednesday, April 2nd, marks the date of the Switch 2 Direct, where Nintendo will unveil its upcoming console and provide us with a significantly clearer understanding of what lies ahead beyond the initial reveal.

Will we obtain a release date? Are there hardware features yet to be disclosed? Might we be looking at more games, perhaps? What are you eager to see or wish to experience?

There’s a poll at the bottom, but first, let’s turn to Team NL for their forecasts, hopes, and wildest wishes…

Hits after hits after hits (Ollie Reynolds, staff writer)

Now that Nintendo has completely abandoned staged events for streamlined, concise Direct presentations, I hope they’ll avoid the pacing issues that troubled the Switch showcase back in 2017. Admittedly, with the new mouse functionality, additional USB-C port, and mysterious new ‘C button’, there will still be some technical explanations we’ll have to sit through, but I believe it can be delivered in a much more engaging and dynamic manner.

Regarding first-party games, I’m entirely convinced that our next 3D Mario will finally feature a long-anticipated collaboration with Donkey Kong, and we will get to see it for the first time. Splatoon 4 will likely be announced, showcasing the series’ most significant leap in graphical fidelity and presentation. A thorough exploration of Mario Kart 9 is a certainty, but I sincerely hope Nintendo has more surprises in store. If there’s a showcase that calls for that “one last thing” moment, it’s this one.

Third-party publishers might also take their turn in the spotlight with a mix of ports and brand-new titles. I believe there will be something related to Monster Hunter, and if it’s not a Switch 2 exclusive, it might be a Monster Hunter World: Iceborne port. Games like Tekken 8, Lies of P, Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur’s Gate 3 will appear in a thrilling montage sequence, while Microsoft might surprise us with that rumored port of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Lastly, we’ll receive an electrifying one-two punch of Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong, both confirmed for day one. Let’s go.

Long-anticipated comebacks & cheesy delights (Jim Norman, staff writer)

I’ll get the slow game expectations out of the way first. I believe a closer look at Mario Kart 9 is assured, something playful to showcase the console’s… umm, quirk will probably be included in the launch lineup, and I would expect to see a ‘Switch 2 Sports‘ as well.

It might not be the most exciting lineup, I admit, but this is where my higher hopes come into play. I predict the Switch 2 Direct is where we will finally witness a Star Fox, appealing to the Nintendo fans and demonstrating the system’s power with a Starfield-style “Just take a look at how we transition between planets with no loading screens!!” This might also be the moment we hear about a remastered Zelda. I’m not sure if it will be the low-hanging Wind Waker or a sweet graphical upgrade on BOTW, but I’m telling you, it’s happening. Please.

Other than that, I’m looking forward to surprises — at least, I’m hoping for some surprises. Show me the Switch 2 playing in vertical ‘Tate Mode’ with something other than a shmup. Present me a community-centric feature that brings back some of that 3DS charm. For the love of Hylia, show me that I can use this console at a rooftop gathering, on a basketball court, or at an airport. I’m eager for cheesy experiences, plenty of them, but hopefully this cheese is a bit more intriguing than bland, mass-produced cheddar.

Turn it, flip it, unveil it (Alana Hagues, deputy editor)

I truly want Nintendo to make a big splash with the Switch 2 Direct, especially after these quieter months. Aside from seeing the mouse in action, please tell me what that other USB-C port is for. Any affirmation of upside-down functionality would be fantastic, but if it’s not for that, just anything else. What does it do Nintendo?!

However, I’m not one to get overly excited about hardware, so I crave games. And more games than just the new Mario Kart. Before I start dreaming, I’d love to see some Switch 1 Nintendo games running smoothly on Switch 2, and for Nintendo to indicate what truly changes, if anything. Show me Echoes of Information running flawlessly at 60fps or something along those lines. Give me a clearer view of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in handheld mode. Will Switch 2 even support Switch 1 games? I certainly hope so.

Okay, but new games, right? Let’s get the third parties involved. Square Enix can deliver Final Fantasy VII Remake to Switch 2, right? Tango Gameworks can share Hi-Fi Rush, correct? From Software putting Elden Ring on Switch 2? That’s a guaranteed win.

Nintendo also needs to kick off strong with its first-party lineup. And they absolutely will. A 3D Mario is a safe bet — something entirely fresh, not just a direct sequel to Odyssey. I don’t claim we’ll receive a brand new Zelda installment, but we might catch a glimpse. And — prepare for this — an all-new Animal Crossing, arriving in 2026. You heard it here first.

And a release date, you ask? I believe we’ll receive one, likely coming this June or July. Fingers crossed.

A fresh, optimistic, seasoned perspective (Gavin Lane, editor)

I expect we’ll see a launch month instead of a specific date, but I just want to be dazzled by – which will be a feat if the Direct doesn’t focus intently on games.

Undoubtedly, the hardware has a secret or two lurking within, and I’m eager to see how ‘Mouse Mode’ is utilized, but as a notable feature (a more powerful Switch, right?), it’s the