The big day is finally here, when Nintendo will reveal the inner secrets of the Switch 2 and its games, and it’s very easy to watch the Direct as it happens.
At over eight years old, the Nintendo Switch is well past retirement age, but it’s still selling and we found out last week that there are still new games scheduled for it in 2026.
Nevertheless, its successor has been waiting in the wings for a while now, after the Nintendo Switch 2 was officially announced in January. Although it was a very limited reveal, with no voiceover to explain anything, while the only game that was shown was seven seconds of footage for a new Mario Kart.
The true reveal, where more games will be shown and the console will be explained in detail, takes place this week, as part of a very special Nintendo Direct.
When is the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct?
The Switch 2 Nintendo Direct is an online showcase that will be livestreamed on YouTube and Twitch on Wednesday, April 2.
It will last approximately 60 minutes and will start at 2pm BST (remember we’re not on GMT anymore).
That’s long for a Direct, so clearly Nintendo feels they’ve got a lot to talk about, but you don’t necessarily have to tune in when it happens, as you can just watch the whole Direct, or edited highlights, after the livestream is finished.
How to watch the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct
Watching the Nintendo Direct is very easy and completely free. The default venue is YouTube, with the video already available above, where you can watch the whole thing once it starts.
If you prefer, it’ll also be shown at the same time on Nintendo’s Twitch channel, but it’s the same livestream either way. Both channels will offer the full Direct to watch after it’s finished, along with much shorter videos of individual game trailers and console details.
What announcements are expected at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct?
That question is much harder to answer, as not only is Nintendo naturally hard to predict but there’ve been very few leaks or rumours in the run-up to the Direct (there were more before but that’s only because it’s harder to keep secrets when third party hardware companies are involved).
Based on previous console unveils, and given how few concrete details there are, it seems fair to expect a detailed description of what the console can do and definitive answers to questions like what the secret ‘C’ button is for and whether the Joy-Cons can really be used as mice.
We wouldn’t expect detailed tech specs though, as that’s something Nintendo never does. Although there’ll probably be something to illustrate the console’s power and the difference between Switch 1 games running on the original console versus the Switch 2.
In terms of games, the only thing close to certain is the new Mario Kart. But despite assumptions, there’s no guarantee it will be a launch title.
Considering it was in last week’s Nintendo Direct, there’s no certainty that Metroid Prime 4 will be featured heavily. Although given it’s widely expected to be a launch game it should at least be mentioned.
Everything else is pure guesswork at this point, including whether Nintendo will showcase any third party games or leave that for a subsequent Direct.
If you had to guess though, you’d have to say there’s a very good chance that you’ll get at least a glimpse of a new 3D Mario (with some rumours suggesting it’ll feature a Donkey Kong crossover), with a good chance of Splatoon 4 and perhaps a tease of a new Animal Crossing.
It’s far too soon after Tears Of The Kingdom to expect a new mainline Zelda but there could be another remaster or spin-off. Or perhaps even a full-blown remake of a classic title.
You’d also hope there might be at least one brand new IP and in fact we technically already know about one: the secret online title that Nintendo was playtesting late last year and is believed to be codenamed Rockstock.
Will the Switch 2 release date and price be announced at the Direct?
This is also very difficult to say but the best answer we can give is… probably. The Switch 2 is rumoured to have a launch date in or around June, so if that’s true Nintendo is going to have to get specific about the details of when the console will be available and how much it will cost pretty soon.
We already know it’ll be out this year, at some point, so a specific release date is all but certain. Pre-order details are also possible, but they may be left until a few days or weeks afterwards, so don’t worry if that isn’t announced straight away.
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