Breaking Down THAT Nintendo Switch 2 Direct | Swing & a Miss?

So, read anything good on the internet today? People have a lot to day today about the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, and it doesn't seem like there was anyone that Nintendo made happy today. I don't think it was great, and I do think Nintendo was a little shady with a few things. But let's take a look at the highs and lows from the Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct from April 4, 2025.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
If there's one criticism everyone I've seen is throwing at the Switch 2 it's the cost, but you didn't get that information from the Direct itself! NIntendo did not disclose pricing during the direct, but when it was discovered, people were livid. The Nintendo Switch 2 will cost $449.99 at launch for just the system, while for $499.99 you can get a digital copy of Mario Kart World. I thought when I saw people claim that the system would be $349 they were crazy, but $449 is more than it should be even with inflation. You can get a PS5 Slim for that price, and with the pivot to digital games, if you don't care about Nintendo IP and want a better looking experience, the Switch 2 leaves something to be desired.

Welcome to 2009 Voice Chat!
Nintendo spent a lot of the early presentation discussing the Game Chat feature. Finally, Nintendo is joining PlayStation and Xbox with online chat via the system. They also have a camera attachment that feels a bit like an Xbox 360 Kinect if I'm being honest. The screen shots they showed looked very grainy and not very detailed to me, and it was more of a distraction than a feature for me.

1080P Handheld/4K Docked
Nintendo got this spot on with the specs, and you can even adjust to 720P/120Hz in handheld or 1080P/120Hz docked for a smoother game experience. The Switch 2 display is LCD and not OLED, so I'll be interested to see the differences in handheld mode, but it does support HDR which is nice.

Again With Minimal Storage!
The Switch 2 launches with only 256GB of onboard storage, and they also stated that you need to use high-speed microSD cards with the system. Could they really not just put 500GB in this thing? Like really?

New Cartridges that Aren't Really Cartridges
This made a lot of people mad, including me. Depending on the game, the Gamecard, not cartridge, will only be a key so you can download the game. That's right, Nintendo is going with the physical digital release deal which sucks.

Games
We did get a list of a lot of games, including a new Donkey Kong 3D game that looks amazing and I will buy day 1. We did also get information that there will be Switch 2 enhancements for existing games, but unlike Sony and Microsoft, you have to pay for the upgrade.

GameCube Coming to Switch Online
This had been speculated and I am glad to see it's legit as the GameCube will be coming to the Switch Online + Expansion Pass. They also revealed a new Gamecube controller which I think the Smash Community will love. But to be clear, GameCube is ONLY coming to the Switch 2 side of the Switch Online Service, NOT the original Switch.

I don't think Nintendo came off well in this Direct, in fact I think they came off horribly. Yes, everything is more expensive now, I get that, but real take-home pay has gone down while prices have increased. The pricing of the system and the games sucks in my opinion. But what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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