Nintendo just dropped a bombshell, and they didn’t even wait until the end of their livestream to do it. A third of the way through the event, they casually revealed what everyone had been waiting for—the release date of the Nintendo Switch 2. And it’s coming a lot sooner than most people predicted.

Mark Your Calendars: June 5, 2025

That’s right. In just over two months, the Nintendo Switch 2 will officially hit the market, skipping the typical holiday season release strategy. This means Nintendo is confident they don’t need the holiday shopping frenzy to push massive sales—because they know this thing is going to fly off the shelves regardless. What we don’t have yet, though, is an official price tag. The prevailing rumor suggests a $400 price point for the base model, but Nintendo is keeping that detail under wraps for now.

Eight Years in the Making

It has been more than eight years since the original Nintendo Switch launched on March 3, 2017. Since then, we’ve seen mid-gen upgrades like the OLED model, but the core hardware has remained largely the same. That’s finally changing. The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to deliver a much-needed power boost, bringing it up to speed with modern gaming expectations.

A New Era for Nintendo—And The Industry

This launch places the Switch 2 somewhere in the middle of the current PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S generation. While Sony and Microsoft are gearing up for their next-gen consoles in the coming years, Nintendo is once again playing by its own rules. Microsoft, in particular, is rumored to be working on an Xbox handheld, which could be a direct competitor to the Switch 2. But in the grand scheme of things, Nintendo isn’t really competing in the same race. The original Switch has already cemented its place in history, becoming the third best-selling console of all time, trailing only the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2.

For context, the Switch has sold a staggering 150 million units worldwide. If it sells just 5 million more, it will surpass the DS. Another 10 million, and it overtakes the legendary PS2. But with the Switch 2 just around the corner, it remains to be seen whether those milestones will be reached or if the momentum will shift to the next generation.

Will The Switch 2 Be Another Massive Success?

The original Switch was an anomaly—a hybrid console that changed the way people played games, whether at home or on the go. The question now is whether the Switch 2 can capture that same magic. Nintendo has a track record of following up wildly successful consoles with mixed results. The Wii sold like crazy, but the Wii U stumbled hard. The DS was a juggernaut, but the 3DS, while successful, never quite reached the same heights.

That said, the hype around the Switch 2 is undeniable. With Nintendo’s first-party lineup, potential third-party support, and whatever new innovations they have in store, it’s almost guaranteed to be a hit. But will it reach the same stratospheric numbers as its predecessor? That’s a question only time can answer.

One thing’s for sure: in just two months, we’re about to enter a new era of Nintendo gaming. And if history is anything to go by, it’s going to be a wild ride.