Nintendo Switch 2 Gets New Features On June 5
Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, and from day one, some of the new console's capabilities will be tied to a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Nintendo charges $20 annually for the basic version of Nintendo Switch Online and $50 annually for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. As we enter the Switch 2 era, a subscription to one of these services increasingly looks like a necessity.
Currently, a subscription will net you access to online play for Nintendo Switch games and a game catalog that includes Tetris 99 and classics from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64 libraries. Here's a roundup of all the features being added to the service alongside Nintendo Switch 2.
GameChat
The biggest new Nintendo Switch 2 feature tied to Nintendo Switch Online is GameChat. By pressing the C button on the Switch 2's right Joy-Con 2, players can group up and chat with their friends in Discord-like calls. It's possible for each person on a call to stream live footage of the game they're playing to their friends. If someone owns a Nintendo Switch 2 camera, they can even stream a live look at themselves to those on the call.
GameChat will eventually require a basic Nintendo Switch Online subscription. However, a free open-access period for all Nintendo Switch 2 owners will take place between June 5, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The rest of these additions are for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. For example, Expansion Pack subscribers will get access to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Normally, those who own a Nintendo Switch game with a Switch 2 Edition will have to pay a fee to upgrade.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The upgrade pack that grants access to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo ...
