$450 for a Switch XL? Nintendo… Are You OK?
Alright, buckle up — it's time to talk about Nintendo’s “big” announcement: the Nintendo Switch 2. Or, as I like to call it, the “Switch 1.5 XL Slightly Shinier Edition.” And folks, I’m just gonna say it — this reveal wasn’t the mic drop fans were waiting for… it was more like a confused shrug followed by the sound of a Joy-Con drifting into a void.
Yeah, yeah, there’s a new design. Woo. We saw a teaser. Big whoop. But besides that and the vague promise of Mario Kart 9 (which, let’s be honest, should’ve dropped years ago), we basically got handed a glorified pamphlet. The reveal lacked energy. It lacked details. Hell, it lacked soul.
Now here’s where things get juicy. According to That Park Place and a very chatty podcaster known as Special Nick (cool name, I’ll give him that), the Switch 2 is dropping in June 2025 — not spring, not next month, not even Q1. June. And not just that, but it’s allegedly coming in two tasty little price tiers:
Base model: $449
Bundle with Mario Kart 9: $499
…For a handheld console with rumored Series S-level power and possibly no OLED screen.
Excuse me while I do a spit take in 8-bit.
A Bigger DS All Over Again
Let’s talk about what this thing looks like. Early impressions? It’s giving “DS to DS XL” vibes. Slightly bigger, maybe a little clearer, some better sound, but you’d have to squint to find true innovation here. “Switch 2”? More like Stretch 1. And don’t even get me started on the name — “Super Switch” was RIGHT there. It practically named itself. Hire me, Nintendo.
And sure, we’re getting another Nintendo Direct in April, but we’ve been through this game before. “More details soon!” always means “We’re still figuring this out, please clap.”
Price vs. Power: The Math Ain’t Mathing
Let me just lay this out: $450 for a base model? That’s a $150 increase from the original Switch and $100 more than the OLED model — which actually has an OLED screen. Meanwhile, this thing reportedly does not. So we’re paying more for... less screen tech? And graphics that, best-case scenario, hover around Xbox Series S performance? Which, might I remind you, launched in 2020.
We’re six years into the current gen, and Nintendo’s about to release something that would’ve been fine back then. Now? It’s like trying to sell someone a Blu-ray player in 2025 and calling it “next-gen.”
Yes, inflation exists. Yes, hardware costs have gone up. But if you’re slapping older tech into a slightly upgraded shell and charging premium prices, don’t act surprised when people start side-eyeing your Direct like it’s a scam call.
Launch Timing: A Missed Opportunity
Nintendo had a golden opportunity to release this thing in March — just like they did with the original Switch back in 2017. That would’ve made it an 8-year bookend. Poetic, clean, nostalgic. But nah. June. Because… reasons?
And let’s be real: Nintendo fans would line up for anything with Mario’s mustache on it. But there’s a big difference between “I’ll buy it eventually” and “I need this on launch day.” If it doesn’t ship with Odyssey 2, Metroid Prime 4, and something actually new, then what’s the urgency here?
This feels less like a revolution and more like a system update they’re trying to charge you for.
Final Thoughts: Nintendo Needs a Power-Up
I’m not trying to be a hater. I love Nintendo’s first-party games — that’s literally the only reason anyone buys their hardware. But let’s stop pretending this Switch 2 is blowing the doors off the industry. At best, it’s creeping up to where the Xbox was half a decade ago.
So unless they’ve got some secret weapon hidden behind the next Direct (a true hardware surprise, new Joy-Con features, a virtual console that doesn’t suck), then yeah — call me skeptical. Plucky, but skeptical.
Let’s just hope they at least include a charger this time.
So what do you think? Was this reveal trailer a hit? Do you think the rumored pricing is fair? Or are we all just pretending not to see the Wii U flashbacks?
Let me know in the comments — and don’t forget: $450?! For THIS?
