(April 3): Nintendo Co will release its new Switch 2 console on June 5, seeking to keep the number one spot in video-game devices with a new version of the top-selling model it introduced in 2017.

The new product will start at US$450 (RM2,016) in the US, the company said Wednesday, an increase from the US$300 the company charged for the original Switch.

Shares of Nintendo fell 5.9% Thursday morning in Tokyo, part of a broader sell-off on fears that tariffs announced by President Donald Trump would harm Asian exporters. Some of Nintendo’s consoles are assembled in Vietnam and Cambodia, which are facing particularly high levies.

Nintendo revealed details of the machine during an hour-long livestream, including a new chat feature and a separate video camera. The company also announced several new games, including Mario Kart World, a new entry in the popular Mario Kart series, which will release alongside the system. The new game will feature 24 racers and a free roam mode that allows players to explore the world beyond the racetracks.

One of the biggest surprises was the reveal of a new game from the acclaimed Japanese developer FromSoftware Inc, called The Duskbloods, that will be out next year as a Switch 2 exclusive.

The company’s first entirely new platform in eight years, the Switch 2 has the potential to lift sales for game makers and retailers after what has been a lacklustre three years for the industry.

To buoy sales, Nintendo is also leaning on a large lineup of third-party games that were not playable on the previous Switch, including old entries in franchises such as Street Fighter and Final Fantasy.

Rather than asking customers to start from scratch, as it did with most of its previous consoles, Nintendo is instead taking an iterative approach. The Switch 2 resembles the Switch, with its large screen and detachable controllers, but is slightly bigger. Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 will play games both on the go and on a television using a dedicated docking station. The new machine can play almost every Switch game as well as games that will be developed exclusively for Switch 2.

The Switch 2 will also have some additional features, such as allowing players to flip over the controllers and use them as a computer mouse for playing certain games.

The Switch 2 controller includes a button dedicated to a new feature called GameChat. Players will be able to use it to talk to friends using the system’s built-in microphone and can share their screen with friends while playing games. A separately sold camera will allow users to appear on screen while playing, much like they would while streaming on Twitch or YouTube.

The Switch 2 will also allow you to play select supported games locally or online with people using other Switch 2 systems, even if they don’t own the game.

Other features of the system include two USB-C ports, an adjustable stand with more flexibility than the original Switch and 256GB of built-in storage. The screen will support HDR, while the new dock will be capable of outputting at 4K resolution when playing on the television.

Although the Switch 2 is still not as graphically proficient as rivals PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the new power boost has allowed Nintendo to court third-party publishers such as Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc, which said that the popular action role-playing game Elden Ring will be on the new system. Capcom Co’s Street Fighter 6 and Electronic Arts Inc’s sports games Madden NFL and EA Sports FC will also come to Switch 2.

Some old Switch games will be enhanced for Switch 2 and support the system’s new features, Nintendo said, showing off an iteration of last year’s Super Mario Party Jamboree that allows players to use the camera and mouse controls. Existing owners of the game will be able to pay for an upgrade.

Enhanced Switch 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will improve both games’ graphics and include a feature called Zelda Notes with supplementary features like map navigation that you can access on your phone.

The upcoming game Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will feature both Switch and Switch 2 versions.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc will release Switch 2 versions of the strategy game Civilization VII, the sports games NBA 2K and WWE 2K and the upcoming Borderlands 4.

Uploaded by Magessan Varatharaja