The Nintendo Switch 2 is here: all of the launch news

After a long wait filled with leaks, reveals, preorder stress, and hands-on events, the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch day has finally arrived around the world, including launch events at retailers like Walmart, GameStop, Best Buy, and Target.

Nintendo’s next console looks like a worthy successor to the original Switch, and it has a lot of games to play on day one, including the new Mario Kart World and upgrades to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The Switch 2 also has new software features like the Discord-like GameChat, which could make it easier to trash-talk your friends. There are new accessories, too, including an improved Pro Controller.

Now that the Switch 2 is finally getting into people’s hands (if you don’t have a preorder secured, we have some advice on where to look on day one), we can all dive into what it’s like to actually have the console in our homes and in our bags. And, of course, there will be lots of games to play.

Here’s all of our coverage of the launch.

GuliKit wants you to know it’s already working on joystick upgrades for the Switch 2. Teardowns have confirmed that the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons are using the same joystick technology as the originals, which could potentially lead to issues with drift over time. GuliKit, the company that released Hall effect upgrade kits for the original Joy-Cons two years ago, said on X that it’s already “working hard on the magnetic joystick replacement.” But it hasn’t confirmed if the replacements will use Hall effect technology, or the newer TMR joystick tech.

Nintendo says your bad Switch 2 battery life might be a bug

If you’re dealing with what appears to be poor battery life on the Nintendo Switch 2, the company has a support document with steps you can try to fix it.

The document spells out what you can try if “the battery amount displayed and the actual remaining battery use don’t match,” according to Nintendo. “For example, you are able to continue using your Nintendo Switch 2 console for a few hours even though the battery charge indicator displays the battery is almost depleted.”

The Switch 2 is available online from Best Buy (update: sold out)

Update, June 11th: Best Buy has sold out of its initial online inventory of both the standalone console and the Mario Kart World bundle.

Gamers who missed out on a chance to get a Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day, or in the rare opportunities since, can buy one through Best Buy’s website or mobile app right now following a short queue. Although the retailer had plenty of in-store stock on launch day, this particular restock is available exclusively online. You can currently buy either the base $449.99 console or the one bundled with Mario Kart World that costs $499.99 (saving you $30 off the game’s usual cost).

The Verge tries Nintendo’s Switch 2 GameChat

Nintendo introduced a new hardware button to the Switch 2 specifically for chatting with your friends, and it’s undoubtedly my favorite feature on the console. Instead of using a smartphone app like the original Switch, Switch 2 users can open up a communications channel at any time with the “C” button and chat with friends, whether they’re playing the same game or something else.

That idea sounds a little outdated with the popularity of Discord, but Nintendo makes the process seamless enough that I can imagine a lot of people will end up using it. Last Friday, a few of my colleagues and I hopped into a GameChat session together and played Mario Kart World online — all of us communicating through the built-in microphone on our consoles and various USB webcams, with our likeness displayed on the bottom of the screen.

A GameStop damaged Switch 2 screens with staples, but they’re getting replaced

Some people reported an unwelcome surprise after picking up their Nintendo Switch 2 preorders at GameStop: staples used to attach receipts to Switch 2 boxes ended up damaging the screens on the console, as reported by IGN. However, GameStop says this was an issue that was “isolated” to a single store and that it has already offered replacements.

When you open the box for the Switch 2, the tablet / screen part of the device is just under the top flap of the packaging. The tablet’s proximity to the top of the box possibly explains how staples could get through and poke holes in the screen — especially if the person using the stapler gave it a solid push.

Switch 2: Not all webcams work.
We aren’t having great luck, and Reddit’s seeing mixed results too. Though Nintendo assured the public that “you can use… any compatible USB-C camera you’d like,” our USB-C toting Logitech Brio 4K, Opal Tadpole and DJI OP3 aren’t working, even while a nine-year-old Logitech C922 with USB-A does when docked.
Redditors say the Elgato Facecam, Insta360 Link, Sony ZV-E10, and Sony’s various PlayStation cameras don’t work, while aging Logitech and Microsoft Lifecams apparently do. Modern cameras that seem compatible: Razer Kiyo Pro, Logitech StreamCam, Logitech Brio 300. We’ve pinged Nintendo, and are calling in more cameras.

Compiled by ApocaGames