Nintendo is set to have a very busy 2025. With company president Shuntaro Furukawa confirming that Nintendo Switch 2 will be officially announced before the end of the financial year (that’s March 2025), it seems reasonable to expect the console to launch soon after, perhaps with a gap of five or six months. We already know Nintendo Switch 2 is well on the way, though - it’s been the worst-kept secret in gaming for a few years now. So how about everything else?
At TechRadar Gaming, we’re confident that Nintendo is probably going to have a stacked year in terms of both hardware and software. Whether that be a revised Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for the upcoming console or a fully-fledged 3D Super Mario title, we’ve been having a lot of fun speculating about what the company could realistically bring to the table in 2025. Further updates to Nintendo Switch Online seem likely, too, perhaps in the form of all-new retro libraries (we're still holding out hope for GameCube and Dreamcast here!).
Naturally, take all of this with a pinch of salt as Nintendo itself has confirmed nothing beyond a vague announcement window for Switch 2. Still, we’ve aimed to put the following predictions in realistic territory. For instance, no, we don’t think we’ll see a new 3D Zelda next year, even if we’d love to be surprised there. Otherwise, read on to find out what you might reasonably be able to expect from Nintendo in 2025.
We already know Nintendo Switch 2 is coming
Let’s just get the big one squared away first. As mentioned, we know straight from the horse’s mouth that Nintendo Switch 2 will be officially revealed before the end of this financial year. But when can we expect it to launch?
We can look at the reveal of the original Nintendo Switch for clues here. Nintendo unveiled its Wii U successor in late October 2016. The console itself was released on March 3, 2017, giving it a lead time of around five months. So, if Nintendo waits until the very end of this financial year to reveal Switch 2, we could be looking at a summer 2025 launch. That isn’t common for consoles, however, so a push to a Holiday 2025 date could be more likely.
As for what the console itself will be, Nintendo has given us some clues. President Shuntaro Furukawa has said that the phrase “Switch next model” is an accurate way of describing Switch 2. Of course, that could mean all manner of things. The Wii U was technically an evolution of the Wii, after all, and that was a shock to the system in arguably the worst possible way.
That said, with the Nintendo Switch rapidly closing in on the PlayStation 2 as the best-selling console of all time, it seems sensible to stay the course and simply improve on what we’ve had these last seven-plus years. Moreover, Nintendo has confirmed that its next console will be backwards compatible with Switch games - probably the biggest indicator we have that the succeeding system is likely to be similar.
How about those games?
In the past few years, Nintendo has always made sure to have a stable of Nintendo Switch games prepped well in advance of release. 2025 appears no different here, and we already have Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition locked in for release next year.
But how about Switch 2 games? Well, like the original Switch, it seems reasonable to expect a small, curated launch lineup featuring a handful of high-quality releases. My big prediction is something Mario-related at or close to launch - be that the successor to Super Mario Odyssey or Mario Kart 9 or potentially both. It also seems likely that Metroid Prime 4 Beyond will be a cross-platform game and could even be a launch title for Nintendo Switch 2.
In terms of third-party releases, there’s currently not much to work with. However, we do know that Yooka-Replaylee from Playtonic Games is likely coming to Nintendo Switch 2, with a recent X / Twitter post from the developer stating the game will “be on PS5, Xbox Series and… Nintendo.”
We're expecting new controllers and accessories
It’s already seeming like Nintendo is going to be upping its game when it comes to Switch 2 controllers. Rumors are that the console’s Joy-Con controllers are going to be much improved, this time featuring magnetic connectivity as opposed to that slide rail system that you can never quite seem to slot in right the first time. I’m also hoping for improved design and performance here overall, as Joy-Con stick drift has been a problem plaguing the original Switch since launch.
As for what I’d love to see, a new Nintendo Switch Pro Controller revision is top of that list. I’m already a big fan of the original model, thanks to the comfort it provides while gaming and its monstrously large 40-plus hour battery life. Once again, though, stick drift can be a problem here, so I’m hoping Nintendo finally implements Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers for greater longevity and responsiveness.
Nintendo very rarely strays from controllers when it comes to accessories. And unless you count the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo, we haven’t seen anything truly surprising from the company in terms of this. I think it’s unlikely that Nintendo would offer something like a gaming headset or earbuds for the Switch 2, but I would love to be surprised here. Even then, it’s just not really Nintendo’s bag, so I’m not expecting miracles from a Nintendo-made headset.
Big updates for Nintendo Switch Online?
The Nintendo Switch 2 presents a prime opportunity to overhaul the online subscription service. It’s gotten better since launch, of course, with more stable online connectivity and plenty of retro libraries and DLC offerings thanks to the Expansion Pack tier.
Nintendo shouldn’t rock the boat in terms of adding more tiers. We’ve seen what a mess that can be with both PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass. Instead, keep it simple, and continue to build on the value of what’s already there. In that sense, I’d love to see the addition of more retro libraries - potentially Nintendo GameCube and Sega Dreamcast. Both consoles had exquisite libraries and it’s not always easy to access the standout games without the original hardware.
Furthermore, I’d like to see a return of one of Nintendo’s most ambitious and fun projects from the Wii U and 3DS days: Miiverse. Not only would this once again bolster the presence of Nintendo’s charming avatars on Switch (they definitely felt like an afterthought here), but it makes it much easier to foster gaming communities and make friends to play various Switch games with. It was a phenomenal social network that I hope Nintendo chooses to revisit with its next console.
That's more or less everything we expect from Nintendo in 2025. Switch 2 is the clear headliner, naturally, and we're also expecting a swathe of new games, accessories and hopefully some tasty Nintendo Switch Online updates.
We're already seeing some third-party accessory makers hop aboard the Nintendo Switch 2 hype train - even if not all of these products seem entirely legitimate. But the waters are clearly stirring, and if Nintendo nails its Switch 2 launch, the company could be in for one of its best years in history.
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