Nintendo Switch 2 Direct live: the latest Switch 2 reveals from the event as they come in

It's the big day folks! The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is just around the corner and the anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. We're expecting to learn loads about the Nintendo Switch 2, the successor to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo's next major console, in a tell-all presentation that lasts for a confirmed duration of roughly 60 minutes.

This is going to be a massive day in gaming history, with millions of fans tuning in. Our live coverage will be your one-stop shop for all the major announcements and reveals as they happen. Whether you're watching the stream alongside us or can't tune in, we're going to have everything that you need right here.

Join me as I count down the last few hours until the event, keeping you updated with a steady stream of Switch 2 leaks, rumors, news, and updates as they come in. I'll even be squeezing in a few last-minute predictions here and there, as we draw nearer and nearer to the official start time.

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct start time

Here's a quick reminder of when the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is set to begin. It takes place place today on April 2, 2025 at 9AM ET / 6AM PT / 2PM BST.

Nintendo confirmed that it will be "approximately 60 minutes long" in a recent social media post, so make sure that you have about an hour free if you want to follow along as it all happens.

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct live countdown

Knowing the start time is all well and good, but here's a live countdown showing you exactly how many hours and minutes are left to go.

How to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct

As is the case with most official Nintendo streams, the most reliable and popular to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is via the official Nintendo YouTube channel.

It will also be streaming on Twitch if that's your preference.

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct final predictions

With the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct almost here, I'm very keen to lock in some final predictions.

Starting with a safe bet, I think that the next Mario Kart will be shown in detail and is very likely to be a launch title. I suspect that it will be joined by some other major Nintendo franchises, most probably a new 3D Super Mario game.

Third-party games will also be shown, likely an Elden Ring port or a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake if those persistent rumors are accurate.

I believe that the Nintendo Switch 2's features will be detailed too, with a breakdown of what exactly the Switch 2 can do. This could include showing off the rumored mouse mode, which seems all be officially confirmed at this point.

I would also put money on both a pre-order and release window being announced, plus pricing information for each region.

What kind of prices are we expecting? TechRadar Gaming predicts that the Nintendo Switch 2 will cost $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$699.95 - though this is just careful speculation for now.

Hello and welcome to the beginning of my Nintendo Switch 2 Direct live coverage!

I'm going to guide you through the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct as it happens, keeping you up to date with a steady feed of all the latest news just as it comes in.

The presentation is only two hours away now, so I would really start getting prepared. If you haven't already, consider bookmarking the official Nintendo YouTube page for easy access once the broadcast goes live.

What's the fuss all about?

If you're a little out of the loop and want to know what today's Switch 2 event is all about, here's a quick recap of events so far explaining exactly why I'm so excited.

Nintendo first unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2, the upcoming successor to its hugely popular Nintendo Switch console, in a surprise reveal trailer posted almost two months ago on January 16, 2025.

It showed off the new system officially for the first time, with a slick 3D animation paired with cute music and cool sound effects.

Although there were plenty of small hints throughout, the video confirmed very few new features and didn't explicitly mention any games (though what looks like a new Mario Kart was shown briefly on screen).

It did plainly state that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be able to play most Nintendo Switch games though, but that's basically all we know for sure right now.

The video ended with a date: April 2, 2025, which the company then confirmed would be the day of a dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.

I expect this imminent broadcast to be a detailed breakdown of the system, outlining its features and revealing some of its launch games. I also think we're likely to learn a release date, with pre-orders potentially opening too.

If you need a quick reminder about the broadcast's length, Nintendo has previously confirmed that it will be "approximately 60 minutes long".

This is a bit longer than your average 40 or so minute Nintendo Direct and about the same duration as the original Nintendo Switch reveal event.

I'm optimistic that this will be more than enough time to have all our most pressing questions answered.

Speaking of reminders, now would be a fantastic time to refresh yourself on the Switch 2 with the original first-look trailer.

It was our first official look at the console's design and shows some physical differences between it and the original Nintendo Switch.

Will mouse mode finally be official?

I think we're definitely going to see the long-rumored mouse mode in action very soon.

This has been the subject of many leaks and was even hinted at by that console reveal trailer (which showed the Joy-Con darting around a flat surface like mice).

The idea is that the new Joy-Con controllers will be able to be used on their sides thanks to an optical sensor that lets them detect movements to control things on-screen.

It sounds a bit silly at first, but the practical applications of this idea could be huge. It would allow for much better precision in shooter games like Nintendo's own Splatoon, or be a blessing for navigating the complex interfaces of titles like Super Mario Maker.

I would also bet money on the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct given us our first glimpse at the console's user interface. Hopefully it's going to be a bit more exciting than the relatively plain Nintendo Switch UI.

I've personally got my fingers crossed for the addition of colorful system themes.

This was a big feature for the Nintendo 3DS (though it was not around at launch) but conspicuously absent from the Nintendo Switch for the entire of its life. There was a dedicated themes menu, but it only showed two basic options: black and white. That's just taunting us!

One of my major hopes is that the Nintendo Switch 2 will bring back themes in a big way. I want to be able to show off my love for certain franchises on my home screen once more, complete with custom icons and music.

I'll always have a soft spot for my Nintendo 3DS, in no small part thanks to the adorable Hatsune Miku artwork (and accompanying song) that greeted me every time I turned it on.

Nintendo always shies away from talking in concrete numbers, but I do think the company will still manage to find some way of showing us just how much more powerful the Nintendo Switch 2 is than its predecessor, too. Perhaps we'll see some of the more intensive Nintendo Switch games running smoothly on the new machine...

Nintendo Treehouse: Live could be huge

Yesterday Nintendo confirmed two new Nintendo Treehouse: Live streams after the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. The first will take place on April 3, with the second following on April 4.

Both will kick off at 7AM PT / 10AM ET / 2PM BST and give us a live hands-on look at some Nintendo Switch 2 games in action.

If you're not familiar with Nintendo Treehouse Live, the format has been used by the company frequently in the past. It basically involves a room filled with various presenters, who you watch play with some of the latest hardware and/or games.

These two streams could prove very insightful, giving us a relatively unfiltered look at the Nintendo Switch 2 in action, so definitely tune in if you get the chance.

President & COO of Nintendo of America weighs in

Doug Bowser, president & COO at Nintendo of America, has posted something on X / Twitter about the upcoming event earlier today.

As you might expect, there's no real new information here, but his enthusiasm is infectious.

The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is big concern and one area where we don't even have any real rumors to work with.

So, we took to our WhatsApp community to ask our audience how much they think the upcoming console will cost. Here's what they thought:

44% - so nearly half - think it's going to cost more than $450 which would be a hefty price tag to come out of the gate with.

At the other end of the spectrum, and the next largest response, 23% think it will be less than $400 which would keep its price broadly in line with the Switch OLED.

Jostling in the middle of the pack, 19% of folks think it'll be $400, and 14% are going for $450.

What do you think?

More on that price...

I'm going to be talking about the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 a lot, because it's going to be really important.

If Nintendo gets the price wrong, it could be a disaster - with the Nintendo Switch 2 failing to match the success of its more affordable predecessor.

To give you a good idea of what to expect in the pricing department, I've called on skilled savings finder and Senior Deals Editor James Pickard for some expertise.

"Rumors have the Nintendo Switch 2 priced at somewhere around $399.99 / £349.99, and while this feels like a fairly logical prediction I wouldn't be surprised if the price crept up slightly higher - especially in the US," he said.

"Still it would be a risk, as anything above those current rumored prices puts it even more closely in direct competition with the PlayStation 5, which can be picked up for as little as $399.99 with the latest Digital Edition Astro Bot Bundle. Because of that, I think Nintendo will be trying to stay as close to those rumored prices as possible and stop heads from turning to Sony."