Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Release Date Rumors, Everything We Know So Far

Nintendo is about to tell us a whole lot more about the Nintendo Switch sequel on April 2. Here’s what we know and what we’re still guessing.

Mario’s getting a makeover, and it’s imminent. The 8-year-old Nintendo Switch is about to get a sequel, and we’ll know a lot more on April 2. Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 via a several-minute-long YouTube trailer earlier this year that showed off the new console’s contours and a single Mario Kart game but little else. But we’ll know a ton more in a Nintendo Direct video that’s expected to be an hour long, tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET. You can follow CNET’s announcement live blog for the news and commentary, starting now.

We also know Nintendo will be showcasing the Switch 2 soon in hands-on gameplay as part of a world tour that was extremely hard to win free tickets to. If you missed the tour, there’ll be a Nintendo video series on April 3 to 4 that will show deeper dives into Switch 2 gameplay. What we don’t know yet is price or release date. It could go on sale sometime around when Nintendo’s next Super Nintendo World theme park opens at Universal Studios Florida this May or June, but we probably won’t know that until April 2. The latest reports, however, point to a June release.

The countdown is underway, and these are the knowns and the unknowns so far. The Switch 2 was rumored for a long time, and its reality closely matches previous leaks. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be surprises. In fact, we’re counting on them.

A familiar formula

Signs point to a big jump in gaming power — don’t expect something on the order of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, but you should expect a console that can finally play higher-end games at higher resolutions, and has improved controllers too. That’s okay with me. And, according to a recent CNET survey, it’s more than okay with most people who responded. The Switch 2’s propositions sound like they’re already appealing to a lot of people, even if it seems iterative. That’s also because it’s been a very long time since the Switch has gotten a true hardware successor.

Recent reactions online initially seemed a little disappointed in the Switch 2 perhaps not being a hardware powerhouse, but keep in mind the relative landscape and Nintendo itself. Handheld game systems have to split differences in performance and power efficiency in ways that plugged-in megaconsoles don’t: Consider Valve’s Steam Deck as a template.

It’s also worth remembering that Nintendo likes to keep its hardware affordable. Plenty of Nintendo consoles made magic with older graphics chipsets. As far as my expectations for Switch hardware performance, I’d think it would feel as good as or slightly better than what the current Steam Deck can pull off.

Price unknown: will it be $400? Or higher?

Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, told investors that the April 2 Nintendo Direct, and the hands-on experiences afterwards, will be used to determine consumer demand for the system. Pricing is still being considered, with reports suggesting anywhere from $350 to $500. Nintendo’s aim here is affordability, however, so expect something not so incredibly expensive that people won’t have money left over to buy games. Maybe it’s best to be prepared for a price around $499, just in case.

It wouldn’t be any surprise if the new console were at least $400, since the many-year-old Switch debuted at $300. Inflation alone would merit a price uptick of nearly $90. Could it hit $500? Or could Nintendo sell different configs, similar to what Microsoft and Sony are already doing? Reports also suggest higher prices for the games themselves, possibly around $70 for big first-party games.

And yet, the most recent reports seem to be suggesting prices no higher than $400 and possibly even less. Nintendo’s Switch Online subscription price could see an increase instead, based on one report from a purported retailer via Reddit. Maybe higher-priced games and subscriptions would be Nintendo’s way of making up for the lower hardware cost.

Nintendo’s showing it off on tour

Nintendo offered a chance to win free tickets to anyone with a Nintendo Account to attend a hands-on experience of the Switch 2 in a number of world cities, but it was hard for even our colleagues at CNET to win. (There is a waitlist, though.)

New York, April 4 to 6
Los Angeles, April 11 to 13
Dallas, April 25 to 27
Toronto, April 25 to 27
Paris, April 4 to 6
London, April 11 to 13
Milan, April 25 to 27
Berlin, April 25 to 27
Madrid, May 9 to 11
Amsterdam, May 9 to 11
Melbourne, May 10 to 11
Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26 to 27
Seoul, May 31 to June 1
Hong Kong and Taipei, TBA

It’ll be backward compatible with the Switch

No worries: the Switch 2 can play older Nintendo Switch cartridges and digital games. Almost all of them, at least. And upcoming Switch games are already known to play on the original Switch as well: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends Z-A.

Nintendo previously confirmed the Switch 2 would be backward compatible with both Nintendo Switch games and Nintendo Switch Online. Backward compatibility for Nintendo game consoles isn’t new. Many TV-connected Nintendo consoles and handhelds could play games from the immediate last generation before it: the Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, for instance. But the original Switch made a clean break from the Wii U and 3DS and ran its own software. I’m glad that’s not happening again.

As for the few games Nintendo says may not be compatible? I’m guessing they’re games that needed specific older Switch hardware, like Nintendo Labo or Ring Fit Adventure.

It means you should be perfectly safe treating the next Nintendo console as an upgrade for your existing Switch and its game library. That’s the whole idea.

New games expected: Mario Kart for sure, but also Mario, Xbox Games and more

Nintendo revealed only one game in its most recent trailer: a new Mario Kart game, which appears to have 24 simultaneous players. As for the rest of the lineup, we may not know until April. Still, reports have given us ideas.

Based on the most recent reports, Nintendo’s expected to announce a new 3D Mario game as well, arriving later this year. Super Mario Odyssey, the Switch’s first new 3D Mario game, is already more than 7 years old. Well-regarded leaker Nate the Hate detailed the reports on his YouTube channel.

Reports also point to Xbox games debuting on Switch, with a Halo compilation and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 being the first. Other games may include Final Fantasy VII Remake, Red Dead Redemption II and Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Microsoft’s gaming head, Phil Spencer, has already teased games arriving on Nintendo’s next system.

Based on what we think Nintendo’s graphics power on the Switch 2 will be, it’s likely safe to assume a lot of previously unavailable Xbox and PlayStation games might finally be able to make the move sooner than later, including notable Switch no-show Madden.

Staggered release dates for games?

You might have to be patient for your favorite games to hit Switch 2. Past Nintendo history suggests that’s practically a guarantee. A recent report points to a staggered release schedule, where a couple of AAA Nintendo games lead off the first release, while third party games and more Nintendo games follow between here and the holidays. The report says developer kits may not even be available yet.

Regardless, that sounds like what the original Switch’s game release calendar felt like. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out alongside the Switch, but many games slowly became available later on.

Specs and features? Double USB-C for sure

The Switch 2 is definitely bigger than the original Switch and seemingly thicker. It reportedly has an 8-inch screen, up from the 7-inch Switch OLED, and it definitely has USB-C ports on both the top and bottom of the console this time. The handheld will dock just like the Switch, but that extra USB-C port suggests something else: maybe accessories and, who knows, support for secondary displays like glasses.

The Steam Deck, laptops and most phones already support video-out modes that work with display glasses like those made by Xreal and others. It would be a great bonus to have this work on a new Nintendo Switch 2 and could even hint at Nintendo making some glasses-like accessory of its own. That’s speculation on my part, but considering Nintendo had its own cardboard VR kit for the Switch and a remote-controlled AR race car, not impossible.

There’s also a headphone jack again, and a rear handle-shaped kickstand bends all the way back to rest the Switch 2 at a variety of angles for tabletop play, similar to the Switch OLED model.

Joy-Cons updates: Magnetic, more buttons, and also doubling as mice?

The Switch 2’s Joy-Cons are similar-looking but definitely new and bigger. The beefier controllers snap more easily onto the Switch body and external controller adapters, and the Joy-Con side edges look to have an extra set of shoulder buttons. It looks like the triggers are improved, and an extra button below the right Joy-Con stick has appeared too.

We didn’t get hard confirmation, but these controllers look magnetic. One report from game controller manufacturer Mobapad goes into detail on the magnetic system as well as extra buttons on the controllers.

Will that allow for new accessories as well? I’m curious how modular the next Switch successor could be. The current Switch doesn’t have other accessories that slot into the side rails to replace the Joy-Cons, but might there be peripheral surprises with the next version? We’ll see. There’s a stick-out pin connector inside that looks like a new type of interface.

The biggest wildcard is that the new Joy-Cons may have optical sensors that turn them into mice. This was reported earlier, but the teaser trailer shows the Joy-Cons sliding along a table in exactly that type of mouse-like way, and a recent patent filing looks like a pretty strong confirmation.

Graphics should get a big boost to play more current-gen games

Reports going back to 2023 and earlier have pegged the next Switch as having revamped graphics capable of handling current-gen console games that the current Switch can’t. Think of games like Death Stranding or Elden Ring or Madden NFL. The next Nintendo console should still be a combo console with handheld and TV-docking modes, especially since that model is one the rest of the industry is slowly drifting toward (see the Steam Deck and a wave of PC gaming handhelds).

How high-end will the TV docking graphics feel compared with the handheld mode? It’s possible that TV docking could flex 4K gaming, but handheld modes could reduce frame rates and be limited to what’s been reported to be a 1080p LCD screen. That makes sense: The Steam Deck, in comparison, still has only a 1,200×800-pixel resolution display, and it looks just fine for most games.

According to Digital Foundry and others, an Nvidia T239 processor looks to be the likely chip inside the next console. This chipset’s notable features include ray tracing and PlayStation 4-level or better graphics, along with the possibilities of faster load times, added AI capability and the ability to upscale to 4K or downscale as needed for more efficient handheld gaming modes.

More recent reports of what could show leaked internals of the Switch 2 motherboard suggest even more details: 12GB of RAM, 256GB of onboard storage and an ability to auto-upscale games to higher 4K resolutions on a TV using AI.

Nintendo hasn’t revealed any performance specs yet, but expect a big boost that could make this feel a lot more up to date for current third-party games. And AI upscaling should be a big part of the Switch 2’s feature set.

Expect other surprises

One thing I feel personally confident about, knowing Nintendo, is to expect the unexpected. Nintendo loves a good, weird surprise. No matter how seemingly normal the reported Switch 2 design leaks seem, history says Nintendo will throw curveballs.

This fall already prepped us: We got a surprise Nintendo alarm clock (!) and a streaming Nintendo music service. In the past, who could have predicted Nintendo Labo or Mario Kart Live or, going back further, the Wii’s odd controller design, the Nintendo DS’s dual-screen design or even the Nintendo 3DS’ glasses-free 3D? Whimsy is Nintendo’s calling card.

Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo of America, said as much in an interview with the AP in 2023: “One of the things we look at always is how can we surprise and delight. How can we introduce new, unique ways of playing. That’s always in front of our mind.”

The current-gen Switch had its own surprises baked in, like its infrared camera on one of the Joy-Cons that can measure heart rate and track finger movement. Will the Switch 2 have a new standout feature that’s equally whimsical and surprising? I’d be surprised if it didn’t.

That possible optical sensor on the Switch 2 could be one of the surprises. The optical sensor could turn one of the Joy-Cons into a mouse, similar to what Lenovo’s Legion Go has. It’s a clever idea, but for what exactly?

I’m still even more curious about what extra accessories the Switch 2 could support, either via its extra USB-C port or those new side Joy-Con slots.

We’ll know more April 2

The news is almost here, and we expect a lot. Besides the Direct April 2, through April and May Nintendo will be demoing the Switch 2 at a series of hands-on experiences around the world. I’d expect that Nintendo announces preorder information April 2 at 9am ET and then makes the Switch 2 available to buy before summer breaks kick in. May or June would allow Nintendo to have a head start getting supplies in order for the holidays (hopefully).

Right now, hold off on buying a new Switch, but buying Switch games should be fine. We’ll update with more news when we hear it, but for now consider the Switch 2 a very real and overdue upgrade from the Switches we’ve been playing for years.

Technologies

OpenAI chief Sam Altman outlines why the AI sector is urging a slowdown: risk of losing control

Sam Altman and Dario Amodei call for a measured pace in AI development, proposing safety frameworks and international coordination to avoid losing control, while U.S. and Chinese tensions underscore the urgency.

OpenAI’s Sam Altman offered the most thorough remarks to date on potential AI safety frameworks, following his alignment with Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Elon Musk in urging a temporary slowdown of the sector. Tensions surrounding AI safety have surged after an Anthropic researcher resigned last week, claiming that developers feared the technology could “cause humanity’s demise by the end of the decade,” a warning that spurred similar alarm among OpenAI staff and other lab members. The leaders of major AI firms have recently shown uncommon agreement, as Altman and Musk jointly endorsed Amodei’s essay calling for a measured pace in advancing the most powerful AI models. AI‑related stock prices fell on Monday as investors reacted to the statements, while U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the CEOs’ caution on Sunday, arguing that a slowdown would hinder America’s dominance in AI compared with China. Sam Altman outlines two potential disastrous outcomes for AI development. Altman stated in a late‑night X post that a federal framework establishing uniform safety standards for frontier AI is welcome, emphasizing that “no level of American competitive pressure can excuse reckless behavior.” He warned that AI advancement might lead to loss of control over future outcomes and could concentrate excessive power in the hands of a single individual or corporation. At the same time, Washington legislators are rushing to respond to demands for regulatory safeguards. The developments occur as Anthropic and OpenAI prepare for what could be historic initial public offerings, with Altman stating in a Fortune interview on Saturday that the companies will not pursue an IPO in 2026. Amodei’s three‑step plan. A primary safety concern involves models gaining the capacity to enhance their own performance, a process called recursive self‑improvement (RSI). He noted that since early summer AI has been progressing rapidly, largely because AI systems are now capable of creating the next generation of AI themselves. He warned that without oversight, the technology could outpace our capacity to comprehend and control it, making careful, possibly restrained, development essential. He outlined a three‑step approach designed to slow development while preserving commercial benefits and maintaining the United States’ competitive edge in AI. The plan calls for every frontier AI company to provide external evaluators with access comparable to that of employees — a commitment Anthropic has already made — and urges all such labs to adopt shared safety standards, curb uncontrolled AI acceleration, and coordinate globally. On Saturday, Altman posted on X that he concurred with Amodei’s call for AI firms to “pace the frontier,” adding that adopting independent evaluators with employee‑level access is a worthwhile step and that his company will follow suit. Altman said in a Monday post that consistent regulations to manage frontier risk — such as independent auditors — are valuable, but clarified that “pacing” does not equate to halting progress, which remains swift and ongoing. He concluded that the costs of pacing are justified, asserting that no level of American competitive pressure can excuse reckless actions that let capabilities outpace alignment and monitoring. He noted that governmental assistance will be needed for international coordination, but emphasized that the industry should first act independently. Coordinating AI safety measures and a sector‑wide slowdown with Chinese AI developers will present significant hurdles. The United States and China continue a rivalry for AI supremacy, with tensions rising as Chinese models become increasingly sophisticated and widely adopted. He added that the toughest aspect of his proposal is the possibility that rival nations may decline to adopt similar measures. He noted that the long‑term goal would be collaborative effort to impose a speed limit on AI progress, according to an interview with CBS News’ “Sunday Morning.” He acknowledged that achieving such a limit would be challenging due to strong incentives to get ahead and the military advantages involved, admitting uncertainty about feasibility but urging an attempt. The essay has attracted criticism in China, with state‑owned Global Times stating on Monday that “Amodei’s proposals aim to cast China’s legitimate AI development as a threat and exacerbate U.S.–China confrontation.” China’s Foreign Ministry responded on Monday, labeling the CEOs’ remarks as “fearmongering.”

Technologies

Novo CEO tells CNBC why drugmaker is rebranding, needs to ‘rethink’ obesity strategy

The Danish drugmaker called the changes the beginning of a new chapter for the company, which faces stiff competition from Eli Lilly.

Novo Nordisk

The Danish drugmaker called the changes the beginning of a new chapter, as it has been grappling with stiff competition from chief rival Eli Lilly

In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Novo CEO Mike Doustdar said the rebrand and culture shift are “part of the same package” for the company to evolve its strategy as it tries to win back customers from Lilly.

“I think there’s no secret that over the last four or five years, the external environment and what has happened to Novo Nordisk has really made us reflect how we need to readjust and rethink about the next decade to come and what shifts are needed in our strategic direction,” he told CNBC.

Doustdar said the “work is cut out for us,” adding that Novo needs to improve several aspects – from research and development and manufacturing to sales and marketing – to be able to compete in the obesity drug market.

Shares of Novo have dropped about 15% this year despite the successful launch of the oral version of Wegovy, which surpassed 3 million prescriptions as of June. The company recently scrapped three trials on an experimental cardiovascular drug. That challenge came as it continues to lag in the obesity space with 38.8% market share compared to Lilly’s 60.9% in the second quarter, according to a Lilly earnings presentation citing IQVIA data.

In a release, Novo also announced a broader company rebrand focused around the phrase “Lasting Health Starts Now,” which promotes the idea that patients should make progress toward long-term well-being immediately rather than later. The company said the marketing is a bid to build relevance and trust with the public and other stakeholders, and bring “breakthrough science closer to people’s daily lives.”

When asked whether the rebrand and cultural overhaul were driven by Novo’s recent market share losses in obesity, Doustdar said the changes were less about competitive setbacks and more about adapting to a dramatically different operating environment.

He said the rapid growth of obesity treatments has transformed Novo’s patient base and shifted the market toward a more consumer-oriented model, where patients move on and off therapies more frequently than in traditional diabetes care. As a result, Doustdar said Novo needs to become more focused on meeting patients where they are, while increasing the speed and clarity of its decision-making to keep pace with the evolving market.

“Our operating environment phenomenally changed compared to just 10 years ago,” he told CNBC.

Novo Nordisk will remain the legal name for the company, according to the release. That original name dates back to the 1989 merger of two competing Danish pharmaceutical companies: Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium and Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium.

The drugmaker said its corporate culture will be based on a new set of four principles that will help it gain advantages in an increasingly competitive market where more of its products have gone direct-to-consumer.

Those tenets are innovating with patients as the primary focus, raising the company’s performance to “create greater value for all stakeholders,” setting clearer priorities and simpler workflows and never compromising on patient safety and ethics.

“When you think about strategy, that’s really the the journey you’re taking and the direction you’re setting the company to go forward with,” Doustdar said. “But you also need behaviors. You need a cultural element that allows your colleagues and yourself to really make sure that a strategy gets executed.”

Despite its challenges, Novo has had one significant tailwind this year in the launch of the oral version of Wegovy. On top of its explosive launch, the pill had a head start over a rival weight loss pill from Lilly called Foundayo.

Doustdar said Novo has maintained “a lion’s share” of the oral market even with competition, noting that physicians find the Wegovy pill to be more effective than Lilly’s, with around 17% of weight loss.

Technologies

Iran Claims It Shot Down U.S. Advanced Drone Near Hormuz as Middle East Tensions Rise

Iran says it shot down an advanced U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions and stalled diplomacy. President Trump linked the conflict to potential oil control, citing the Venezuela deal and predicting lower gas prices if the war ends.

Iran’s military announced it had shot down a sophisticated American drone above the Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest volley in a cycle of warnings and strikes between Tehran and Washington that shows no sign of easing.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on Monday that its newly unveiled advanced aerospace defense system intercepted and destroyed an advanced MQ‑1 drone over the Hormuz strait, offering no further details about the drone’s mission. The MQ‑1, built by U.S. defense contractor General Atomics, has historically been flown mainly by the U.S. Air Force and the CIA.

The downing comes after a string of Iranian actions targeting U.S. unmanned naval assets in the Gulf, as the conflict, now in its seventh month, continues with little de‑escalation and diplomatic efforts over the vital waterway remain stalled.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the United States could keep pressing its campaign against Iran and seize control of its oil, comparing the situation to the agreement Washington reached with Venezuela earlier this year.

“We’ll ultimately get out (of the war), unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela,” Trump remarked at the Irish Open golf championship in Ireland. He added that the revenue the U.S. gains from the Venezuela deal — which gave Washington access to about one‑fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves — has “paid for the war many times.”

Under the August agreement, Venezuela handed over majority U.S. control of more than 65 billion barrels of oil reserves — more than twice the size of America’s own reserves — in exchange for $209 billion deposited into Venezuela’s state treasury. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the pact would also attract roughly $100 billion in private investment to help revive the Venezuelan economy.

Trump also said on Sunday that he expects the seven‑month Iran war to conclude this year, perhaps after the November midterm elections, and insisted that gasoline prices would “drop like a rock” once the conflict ends.

He stressed that he would only accept the “right deal,” noting that Tehran has been “calling constantly” for peace talks, a claim Iran has previously rejected.

**Stalled Hormuz talks**

A planned meeting in Oman between Gulf states and Iran to discuss possible arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz — the crucial conduit for global oil and gas shipments — was postponed, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X on Sunday, citing the need for “consensus.”

Iranian and Gulf officials had been slated to meet on Monday to sign an accord establishing an Iran‑Oman shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz, although no direct negotiations between the United States and Iran were underway at that time.

Since the war began in February, the Strait of Hormuz has been under an Iranian‑led naval blockade, later joined by U.S. forces, keeping global energy prices elevated.

A June agreement between Washington and Tehran collapsed over disagreements about the waterway, and a recent surge in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels — an ally of Tehran — has given that group leverage over another key chokepoint, the Bab el‑Mandeb.

Vessels deemed non‑compliant are routinely struck by Iranian forces, while the United States periodically launches strikes on the Iranian coast to challenge the Islamic Republic’s hold on the strait.

Oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel again for the first time since May and rose further on Monday after Saudi Arabia shut a major East‑West energy pipeline following damage from Iraqi drones.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures gained 2.3% to $102.39 per barrel, and Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 2.4% to $107.11 per barrel.