While Nintendo is gearing up for an official Direct that focuses on the upcoming Switch 2, the company has been relatively quiet about what we can expect from the system when it comes to software, hardware, and even its launch date. A new report courtesy of Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson indicates that Nintendo might be targeting June for a Switch 2 launch.
Along with this, the report also indicates that Nintendo has a more intricate plan for the release of games on the Switch 2. While the original Switch saw a mix of first-party and third-party titles around its launch, the Switch 2 will reportedly get a more structured rollout of games divided into three distinct phases.
The first phase will primarily focus on Nintendo’s first-party games. This phase will take place during the console’s launch window, and will likely see major Nintendo franchises getting new titles. The second phase is seemingly slated for the October-November period, and will see the release of third-party games for the Switch 2. Details on the third phase aren’t clear, but the timing seemingly lines up near the Holiday period in December and January.
Also of note is the fact that several developers that Henderson spoke to during GDC 2025 revealed that they had not gotten development kits for the Switch 2 yet. These developers are expecting to get the hardware around the same time frame as the Switch 2’s launch in June.
If the reports of a June launch turn out to be correct, Nintendo has seemingly taken steps to ensure that retailers don’t run out of stocks. A report from earlier this month indicated that the company had already started shipping the Switch 2 to North America. According to the report, Vietnamese manufacturer HVBG had exported 383,000 units of the fully-assembled Switch 2 to the US. These consoles were noted to have the US/Canada region code of USZ.
Nintendo has also seemingly started work on more peripherals for the Switch 2. An FCC filing spotted earlier this month indicated that a new GameCube controller was being made specifically for the new console. The idea of it being for the Switch 2 largely comes from the fact that the filing had a listing ID of BEE-021; the BEE prefix has so far been used for products related to the Switch 2, while the original Switch had the HAC prefix.
Our first official look at the Nintendo Switch 2 came about back in January through a video released by the company. While not too many proper details were revealed at the time, we did get to see the new console’s design, and how it would use a new mechanism to attach and detach its JoyCon controllers. The use of colours in the Switch 2 will also seemingly be more subtle than the original.
Among the features of the new console that are confirmed are a larger display, as well as a mysterious new C button. While the new button’s use hasn’t yet been revealed, a patent indicates that it might have something to do with OS-level voice chat integration.
