The Nintendo Direct 2025 presentation Wednesday gave us plenty of new details on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console, along with tons of new info around new games we can expect. From an exciting new open-world Mario Kart to a Switch-exclusive FromSoftware game called The Duskbloods, there’s so much to be excited for. But there were many things that Nintendo didn’t talk about during its hour-long livestream and we’re left scratching our heads wondering about those stones that remain unturned.
Here, then, are the biggest things that Nintendo didn’t give us.
Read more: What Time Do Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders Go Live?
No new Super Mario game
Super Mario Odyssey was a wonderful addition to the Switch when it launched back in 2017. From its colorful open worlds to its inventive hat-throwing gameplay, Odyssey was warmly received by fans and critics alike. And while it didn’t quite manage to be a launch title for the original Switch, it did come out only around six months later.
While Nintendo did show off gameplay for its upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza, a new main Super Mario game was nowhere to be seen. Sure, the ageless plumber did get plenjty of screen time during footage of the new Mario Kart World, which Nintendo has evidently put most of its efforts into, but those of us (myself included) who loved the fun gameplay of Odyssey will have to go wanting.
No new Zelda game
Given that Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched in 2023, it’s perhaps not surprising that Nintendo isn’t prepared to launch a new main Zelda game yet. But Tears of the Kingdom shared so much of its map — and the game engine — with Breath of the Wild, that it sort of felt like Breath of the Wild 1.5 rather than a fully fledged sequel. As a result, I had kept my fingers gently crossed for at least a teaser trailer for an all-new Zelda game.
What we got instead were Switch 2-optimized versions of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, along with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a hack-and-slash game that will function as a prequel to Tears.
No new Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the world by storm when it launched in March 2020. Arguably, much of its incredible success was down to the pandemic, forcing everyone to stay indoors and instead look to Nintendo for gentle island escapism. New Horizons sold more digital copies in its first month than any other game in console history, according to Statista, going on to sell over 46 million units as of November 2024.
Big numbers, and maybe it’s why Nintendo appears keen to continue milking New Horizons’ success for a bit longer rather than replace it with a new game. Nintendo did wait eight years between Animal Crossing: New Leaf and New Horizons, so perhaps we won’t see Tom Nook and chums again until 2028.
No information on internal console specs
Aside from games, Nintendo did keep pretty quiet about what’s inside its new console. While it talked about the console’s larger 7.9-inch, 1080p display and its 256GB of internal storage, we’ve not heard about what’s powering the games themselves. The first Switch ran on a quad-core Nvidia processor with 4GB of DDR4 RAM, which certainly started to feel a tad underpowered when playing recent games like Tears of the Kingdom.
Nintendo stated that the Switch 2 will be capable of playing 4K games at 60 frames per second, so there’s clearly been a significant boost in its processor, GPU and RAM. When this information eventually becomes available, we expect to see an octa-core chip and, almost certainly, a more generous portion of faster DDR5 RAM.
No color options for the console or Joy-Cons
The Nintendo Switch has always stood out as looking more fun and family-friendly than its Xbox and PlayStation rivals. The original blue and red Joy-Cons have become an almost iconic color combination and you could buy official Joy-Cons in a wide variety of vibrant hues. That’s to say nothing of the multiple color options of the Switch Lite.
The Switch 2 evidently takes itself a bit more seriously. It’s almost entirely black, with only tiny rings of color seen around the thumbsticks — or on the edges of the Joy-Cons when you detach them from the console’s body. The new Switch 2 Pro controller remains black, like the first model. While Nintendo may well release more colorful options in time — likely along with versions skinned with graphics from various games — those of you planning to buy the Switch 2 on Day 1 will have to make do with a rather demure aesthetic.
