Nintendo is switching a few things up with its new console as it enters the next generation of gaming. The Switch 2 was unveiled Wednesday morning during a Nintendo Direct press conference, and Variety got a hands-on demo with the hardware and games launching on June 5.

Namely, the two most notable games I played were Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong: Bananza. The latter isn't a launch game, but they both made strong first impressions – not only as games themselves, but also as demonstrations of what the Switch 2 can do. Let's dig in.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on June 5, 2025. Nintendo will launch the Nintendo Switch 2 video game system on June 5 with a $450 starting price, the company said Wednesday.