Nintendo Switch 2 Direct In-Depth Predictions
The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal is coming in only a few weeks, and I’m beyond excited. I haven’t been posting on this sub for a few months, but now that the reveal is so close, I thought it could be interesting if I broke down exactly how I thought the Switch 2 reveal would go, predicting how long each segment will be and roughly what will be in them.
I’ve approximated the segments down to the nearest 30 seconds to give a general idea of how long I think each one will be, and I believe that the direct as a whole will be about 45 minutes long. I think it will be 15 minutes shorter than the Switch 1’s original reveal because a Direct can be snappier and edited down to avoid unnecessary down time, and in general because the Switch 2 is releasing later into the calendar year of 2025 compared to when Switch 1 released in March of 2017, I just think there will be less First-Party reveals compared to 2017’s Switch 1 Direct.
In the interest of keeping this post brief I’ll try to keep this introduction short, but I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below. Without further ado, here are my predictions for the Switch 2 Direct:
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00:00-03:00: Switch 2 Overview Trailer Cold Open
The direct will start off with a cold open to the second Switch 2 trailer, which will this time be much more in line with the Switch 1’s initial reveal trailer, showcasing some of the console’s new features and control options. It will show off various new Third-Party titles as well as First Party Switch 1 titles running with various new graphical and frame rate enhancements, including a higher resolution version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. No brand new First-Party titles will be revealed in this initial trailer.
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03:01-08:00: Switch 2 Overview Explanation
Next, Shuntaro Furukawa will make (what I believe is) his Nintendo Direct debut and explain the various new features of the Switch 2 that were seen in the opening trailer. The new mouse controls will be shown off by navigating the new and improved Home Menu, which will also be shown to have more of a variety in available themes compared to the original Switch. Various new system settings, including the role of the C button being to change control options on the fly will be shown off, as well as some returning features that have been improved. Closing out the segment, software enhancements of Switch 1 games will be briefly mentioned here but will be expanded upon later in the direct.
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08:01-13:00: Super Nintendo Land Reveal Trailer + Explanation
The segment will open up with two pairs of stretched out limbs heading straight towards each other engaging in combat. It will at first appear to be Arms 2, but the screen will pan out to reveal that it is two Miis engaging in a duel, before the title of “Super Nintendo Land” appears on the screen. This is a sequel to the Wii U launch title, “Nintendo Land”, a game that featured various themed attractions from different Nintendo franchises. It will be revealed that the game now has duel attractions in addition to the original three types, and various franchises not included in the original game like Kirby, Star Fox, Splatoon, and Pilotwings will be shown off, utilizing the new control schemes of Switch 2 in some form. Following the trailer, Shinya Takahashi and Yoshiaki Koizumi will give a brief demonstration of one of the attractions. At the end of the segment, they will reveal that Super Nintendo Land will be a launch title for the console like its predecessor was to the Wii U.
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13:01-18:00: Mario Kart Crossroads Full Trailer + Explanation
Following up on the Switch 2’s initial reveal, the next Mario Kart title will get its first dedicated trailer, alongside the reveal of its title being Mario Kart Crossroads. The trailer would mostly show off what you’d expect from a new Mario Kart game: new courses, new characters, and a couple new gameplay features, including the official reveal of 24 racers and a new Wonder Flower mechanic where there are set locations that the flower can show up in and if a player drives through it, the track will drastically change for all racers on the track. Shigeru Miyamoto and Yoshiaki Koizumi will appear at the end of this segment to explain several features in detail, and it will be given an exact release date of sometime in July 2025. At the very end of the segment they will pass the spotlight back over to Furukawa to talk about Nintendo Switch 2’s online services.
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18:01-24:00: Nintendo Switch Online Deluxe Expansion Pack + New Features Explanation
Furukawa will officially announce that all NSO titles from Switch 1 will be available on Switch 2 at launch, and will explain how some features present on Switch 1 have been improved. He will also make a controversial announcement: there will be a third tier of NSO exclusive to Switch 2 called the Deluxe Expansion Pack, which will come out in August 2025. This tier will come with two main features. First, graphical and performance patches for Switch 1 games will be available to download for free as opposed to having to pay $10.00 USD individually for each game on the new and improved E-shop (which will also be shown off here, with individual patches first releasing in August as well). Secondly, there will be several retro consoles only available on Switch 2, starting with GameCube which will be added in early 2026 and with the promise that DS, Wii, and more consoles will be coming in the future. Closing this segment, Furukawa will state that Eiji Aonuma has something to tell us.
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24:01-26:00: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Definitive Edition Reveal + Eiji Aonuma’s Statement
Eiji Aonuma will open the segment by saying that he is excited to announce that the next generation of open-air Zelda is now in development for Switch 2. He will state that The Legend of Zelda has been an integral part of his life, and that he hopes to deliver the biggest Zelda experiences yet on Switch 2 before he takes a backseat role in his involvement, as he has been at this for over 25 years and may be planning on retiring soon. He will close the segment by announcing that a physical edition of Breath of the Wild, titled the Definitive Edition will be available to purchase in August 2025, with a graphical and performance patch also being available for those who already have the original game for Switch before the Direct transitions into two shorter trailers.
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26:01-29:00: Star Wolf: Renegade Reveal Trailer
The Star Fox franchise will finally make its long-awaited return 9 years after the disappointing reception of Star Fox: Zero on Wii U. Instead of featuring Fox McCloud, the game will take on a grittier aesthetic and star Wolf O’Donnell as he explores a series of planets completing mercenary missions and gaining access to new gadgets that allow him to explore new parts of the map and upgrade his ship to battle stronger foes out in space. Further plot details will be revealed at a later date, but the game will be slated for release in September 2025.
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29:01-32:00: Super Mario: Warp Time! Teaser Trailer
The segment opens up with Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad hanging out at Peach’s Castle, when suddenly Bowser appears with a mysterious gadget in his hands. For the first time in a 3D game since Super Mario Sunshine, it is revealed that there will be voice acting in this game as Bowser states that Mario has foiled his plans time and time again, and he’s grown tired of constantly being defeated by the plumber and his allies. He activates the device, which is revealed to be a magical clock, and the four are teleported to a different area. The heroes wake up, and appear to be in familiar surroundings, but everything is slightly off. They are greeted by a middle-aged Toad who has a brown mushroom-capped head as Peach and Toad frantically explain the situation. The older Toad is shocked, and accuses the four of being imposters, as the “real” versions of the heroes are fast asleep in the castle having their nap times. The camera flashes to the nursery where the baby versions of the four heroes are fast asleep, and then pans out to show an eagle-eyed view of the Past Mushroom Kingdom, with Peach’s Castle in the center. The landscape then transforms to show off a darker version of the kingdom, now with Bowser’s Castle in the center, and the title card “Super Mario: Warp Time!” appears, with a release slated for Holiday 2025.
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32:01-39:00: Third Party Games Showcase
Furukawa will show up once again, this time stating that he’s pleased to announce that Third-Party companies are eager to jump onto Switch 2 due to its increased capabilities from the original Nintendo Switch, and in the longest segment of the direct he will name off the various companies that have plans to be supporting the Switch 2, which will then be followed by a sizzle reel of some of the many third party games that will be coming to the console in its launch year, as well as a few longer, roughly 30 second clips of higher profile new third party games that will be coming to the console. Furukawa will end the segment by stating that they have one last software announcement to make before finishing off the direct.
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39:01-42:30: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Trailer 2
Metroid Prime 4 will get its second full trailer nearly a year after its first in the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, which will be in line with Breath of the Wild’s January 2017 trailer in terms of scope. It will be revealed that the game will take place in not one, but two separate overworlds each with their own sub areas to explore, making this the largest Metroid game to date. A few story details will be hinted at here, but Nintendo will keep most of the plot a mystery for players to discover on their own as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set to release alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 as its second launch title.
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42:31-45:00: Switch 2 Release Information + Pre-Orders Announcement
Closing out the direct, Furukawa will announce that the Nintendo Switch 2 is set to release on June 10, 2025, with 2 price SKUs of $400.00 USD for the console by itself and $450.00 USD for a bundle with Super Nintendo Land. Only the standard black model will be available at launch, but other models, such as a Mario 40th Anniversary edition may come out around the holiday season. It will also be revealed that Super Nintendo Land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Mario Kart: Crossroads will all be playable at the hands-on events leading up to the Switch 2’s launch, and pre-orders will begin in late April for NSO members, and will open up to the general public in mid-May. Furukawa will close out the Direct by thanking us for watching the presentation, and state that he looks forward to telling us more about Nintendo Switch 2 in the future.
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And there you have it. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on my breakdown predictions for the Switch 2 Direct in the comments, and it’ll be interesting to come back to this in a few weeks to see if I was on track at all or if I was totally off base.