As part of its marketing campaign for the Nintendo Switch 2, company executives on Wednesday announced new details about its next video game console, whose initial lineup will include fresh entries in popular franchises like Mario Kart.
The Switch 2 will be released on June 5.
The new console will include a microphone to chat with other players, screen-sharing and the option to add a separate camera for streaming. The service known as Game Chat will eventually require a subscription and include parental permission controls.
Along with a bigger screen measuring 7.9 inches long with higher resolution, the Switch 2 will have the ability to run games at 120 frames per second for smoother gameplay. It will have 256 gigabytes of internal storage.
Mario Kart World, a new game in the racing series, will feature up to 24 players and allow drivers to explore off track in an open world.
Fortunes rise and fall in the gaming industry depending on the success of new consoles, which companies often sell at losses to keep prices lower and make money on software. Even so, companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have sometimes struggled to convince players to leave their previous technology behind.
The original Switch was released in 2017 and revived Nintendo’s financial prospects after the disappointing release of the Wii U five years earlier. A gamble to combine its markets for home and hand-held gaming devices was ultimately successful, with the Switch selling more than 150 million units.
On Wednesday, Nintendo announced a new game called Drag x Drive that uses new mouse controls in a game combining elements of skateboarding and basketball. Previously released games that will be coming to the Switch 2 include Elden Ring, Hades II, Hogwarts Legacy and Split Fiction.
Some developers also promised original games. Eon Productions said it would produce a new game in the James Bond universe for the console.
During Nintendo’s latest earnings report in February, executives discussed a decrease in net sales that saw gross profits decline by more than 27 percent year-to-year to 565.5 billion yen (about $3.8 billion).
Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, noted that the Japanese yen had still not recovered from last year’s market crash, affecting the country’s exchange rate and hurting profits. He also noted the continued rise of gaming on smartphones.
“It is true in recent years that many people’s first game platform has changed from being a Nintendo dedicated video game system to a smart device,” he said.
Mr. Furukawa also said that Nintendo would adjust its production plans for the Switch 2 based on reactions to the console’s unveiling.
“As was true with Nintendo Switch, we believe it will not be easy to rapidly increase production capacity, so based on our prior experience, we are making preparations to be able to respond as quickly as possible,” he said, referring to shortages in 2017.
The Japanese company that began by manufacturing playing cards in 1880s Kyoto has transformed into a global entertainment brand with several revenue streams.
