PARIS, France (AFP) – Japanese video game giant Nintendo announced Wednesday that its new Switch console would be available on June 5, starting the countdown for one of the most hotly awaited gaming launches in years.

Millions of fans around the world tuned in live on YouTube for an hour-long presentation from the Kyoto-based company about the Switch 2 — an update to the 2017 original model that has sold around 150 million units.

The new console retains many of the features of its best-selling predecessor, including its detachable “Joy-Con” controllers, but will come with a larger, higher resolution screen and quicker processing speeds.

After giving a glimpse of it in mid-January, the company provided further details about some of the changes including a “C” button that activates “GameChat”, allowing players to speak with one another while playing.

“Using GameChat even when you’re apart, you can play games and hang out as if you were together in the same room,” the company said.

Nintendo also announced a new version of its best-selling Mario Kart game, called “Mario Kart World”, which features race tracks around the world but also allows players to go exploring off-grid.

Other notable new games, intended to drive uptake of the more expensive hardware, include “Donkey Kong Bonanza” and “Kirby Air Riders”.

They will be priced around 30 per cent higher than existing Switch games at 80-90 euros ($86-$97), according to prices on the French store, while the console will also be at least a third more that its predecessor.

The recommended retail price was listed as $449,99 dollars in the United States, £395.99 in Britain and 469.99 euros in France, according to the company’s websites which had queues of curious fans waiting to access them on Wednesday.

– Other features –

Numerous other games for the Switch 2 featured during the launch presentation including “The Duskbloods”, “Elden Ring”, “Street Fighter 6”, “Hogwarts Legacy”, “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater”, “Borderlands 4”, and “Hitman: World of Assassination”.

The Switch 2 will have eight times the memory of the original Switch at 256 GB, and a screen that measures 7.9 inches (20 centimetres) versus 6.2 inches for the first Switch.

Its controllers, which attach with magnets rather than sliding on, can also be used like a desktop computer mouse, a new functionality the company is clearly hoping game developers will make use of.

A new “GameShare” function will also enable users to share games with friends to allow them to temporarily play together.

Analysts had predicted that the company would opt to bring out an improved iteration of a winning formula, rather than announce revolutionary changes — and that appeared to be the case overall.

“When you ask gamers, they mention performance and game software, but in reality, they seem to want the same experience as the original Switch,” Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Japanese brokerage Toyo Securities, had said beforehand.

“I think what they truly want is simply higher performance.”

The Switch won favour with gamers of all ages thanks to its hybrid concept, which allows players to use it on-the-go and connected to a TV.

– Slowdown –

Despite recent diversification efforts into movies and theme parks, Nintendo’s core business still relies heavily on video games and investors were closely scrutinising Wednesday’s announcements.

The company cut its profit forecasts in February due to slowing sales of the original Switch, but its shares have risen this year overall on expectations of strong demand for the Switch 2.

Nintendo could sell around 19 million units in 2025 and 21 million the following year, according to Toyo Securities estimates.

One unknown factor is the impact of import tariffs on Switch 2 availability in the United States, with US President Donald Trump poised to unveil sweeping new duties on Wednesday that could spark a global trade war.

Reports suggest Nintendo has recently switched an increasing amount of production from China to Vietnam to avoid US tariffs, while building up stocks of the product in the world’s biggest market.

The video game industry has been struggling with a global slowdown, with sales down by 35 per cent in 2024 year-on-year in the United States, according to data from US market research firm Circana.