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New Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Amiibo Arriving June 5
Alongside all the Switch 2 announcements today – and there were and continue to be a lot – Nintendo also snuck in an announcement for a collection of new The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom amiibo. Characters Yunobo, Tulin, Riju, and Sidon from the game are all getting Amiibos on June 5.
amiibo figures of Tulin, Yunobo, Riju and Sidon from The Legend of #Zelda: #TearsOfTheKingdom are releasing on June 5! Each one can unlock a fabric for Link’s paraglider, as well as weapons and materials for your adventure. pic.twitter.com/fG9dBiQftP
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 2, 2025
Nintendo also promised but has not yet shown, a Mineru's Construct Amiibo for the future. Presumably, the Mineru's Construct Amiibo will be a little like Breath of the Wild’s Guardian Amiibo, which was oversized and a little different.
Though it didn’t overtly say as much, Nintendo has confirmed that Switch 2 will be Amiibo compatible. Street Fighter 6 is getting a Switch 2 release and with it will also come alongside a collection of Amiibo and Amiibo cards.
Here's How To Pre-Order A Nintendo Switch 2
Update 4/4/2025: Due to uncertainty regarding tariffs in the US, Nintendo has delayed the Switch 2 pre-order date until further notice. The article below has been updated to reflect this change.
The long-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct aired today, and it was jam-packed with announcements, including hardware specs, new Mario Kart, Kirby, and Donkey Kong games, and a long list of third-party titles coming to the console. The one thing it didn't detail, however, is the pre-order process, which is a little convoluted.
Pre-orders at participating retailers will go live at an undetermined date, due to concerns around tariffs in the United States. A number of retailers have online product pages, which you can expect to be updated closer to the pre-order date. The time of day each site will launch the product will likely vary by retailer. Here are some you can bookmark now:
That said, based on how recent console launches have gone, it will likely be a fairly frantic process with scalpers attempting to buy up stock to resell at a higher price. Once we learn specific launch times, you'll want to be right on the webpage the moment it goes live to maximize your chances.
To avoid that scramble, you can try to grab your console directly from Nintendo, but there's more to that process than meets the eye. If you head to Nintendo's website, you'll be able to sign up to indicate interest in purchasing a system once they're available. To be clear, this is not a pre-order, but a sign-up list to indicate who might want to pre-order, so there's no payment information required. You will, however, need an active Nintendo account – more on that below. Once you sign in, you can choose between a base system for $449.99 USD or a bundle including a digital version of Mario Kart World for $499.99 USD.
The timeline here is different, however. Invitations from Nintendo won't arrive until a month or so after, on Thursday, May 8. They'll also come in waves, with additional invites sent out to eligible accounts until the store is open to the general public. Invitations will also only go to account holders that meet the following "priority criteria":
- The account must be the one that purchased a Nintendo Switch Online Membership.
- That Online Membership must have been active for a minimum of 12 months.
- You must have opted to share gameplay data and played at least 50 hours of games.
If your account fits all three of those criteria, you'll be able to order a console to be shipped to your address – no Nintendo Store pickups are allowed. The link will be active for 72 hours, so it will be less intense than the mad dash on other sites. It also specifies that launch day delivery is not guaranteed and that purchases will be limited to one system per account, though you can also buy accessories for the system.
For more Switch 2, check out the reveal of Kirby Air Riders, read about the console's hardware specs and new GameChat feature, and see which Switch 1 games are getting enhanced editions on the new platform.
Everything You Need To Know About Switch 2
Nintendo rolled out the red carpet for the Switch 2 in a big way this week with a dedicated Nintendo Direct that showed off the console’s features and release date. Then, Nintendo shared the console’s price in a press release. We also learned of several new Switch 2-exclusive titles, a bevy of third-party software, and even enhanced upgrades for Switch 1 games. After that, we spent a full day going hands-on with Switch 2 and a few upcoming first-party titles. A lot has happened over the past couple of days.
Need an easy refresher on the biggest Switch 2 updates this week? We’ve gathered up each announcement (divided them into categories) for a quick and dirty recap of Nintendo's biggest week of the year thus far.
Hardware News
Switch 2 Gets June Launch Date And Price
Nintendo answered the most burning questions for Switch 2: when does it release, and how much does it cost? It also revealed a separate bundle that includes the new Mario Kart. | Read More
Switch 2 Features and Hardware Details Revealed
From 120 FPS gameplay to HDR, here are all the hardware bells and whistles the Switch 2 has to offer. | Read More
Switch 2 Pre-order Details
We’ve outlined the steps you need to take to reserve your Switch 2 in advance | Read More
Nintendo Reveals C-Button Functionality in the Form of GameChat
The Switch 2 has native voice chat and a separate camera peripheral. | Read More
New First-Party Game Reveals
Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World Arrives To Switch 2 At Launch
The ninth entry and the first open-world Mario Kart arrives on Switch 2 for launch day. | Read More
Donkey Kong Bananza Is Coming This July
The next mainline Donkey Kong platfomer is on the way. As opposed to Donkey Kong Country, Bonanza is a 3D platformer more akin to Donkey Kong 64. | Read More
Kirby Air Riders Revives The GameCube Favorite Racer
A sequel to 2003’s Kirby Air Ride is flying to Switch 2 with Kirby/Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai in the director’s chair | Read More
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Announced
The next Zelda Musou game is another prequel within the Tears of the Kingdom universe, and may potentially only star Zelda. | Read More
Drag x Drive is a Mouse-Controlled Competitive Basketball Game
As wheelchair-bound players, two teams of three compete in motion-controlled basketball bouts. | Read More
Third-Party Game Announcements
The Duskbloods
From Software Reveals The Duskbloods As a Switch 2 Exclusive
The next big From Software game is a multiplayer title coming only to Switch 2 next year. | Read More
Every Third-Party Game Update
A round-up within a round-up, you say? That shows just how much news came out of this thing. There were so many third-party software updates that we gathered them neatly into this own list, which includes a release window for Hollow Knight: Silksong and Switch 2 ports of Elden Ring, Hades II, Cyberpunk 2077, and many more. | Read More
Other Switch 2 Updates
GameCube Games Are Coming To Switch 2
Arguably the most requested Nintendo console library will finally become available on Nintendo Switch Online, and the first line-up of games were revealed. | Read More
Several Switch 1 Games Are Getting Enhanced Switch 2 Editions
From Metroid Prime 4 to Breath of the Wild, some of the biggest Switch 1 games either already released or on the horizon will have improved versions on Switch 2. | Read More
Game Sharing Between Switch 2 and Switch 1 Owners Detailed
A new social feature allows owners of both Switch generations to share a single game between them. | Read More
New Tears of the Kingdom Amiibos Are On The Way
Nintendo has unveiled a fresh batch of Zelda Amiibos arriving alongside the Switch 2 on launch day. | Read More
Switch 2 Hands-On Impressions
We spent a whole day playing the Switch 2, and you can read our thoughts on how the hardware and its features stack up. | Read More
Mario Kart World Hands-On Impressions
After hitting the tracks in Gran Prix, Free Roam, and Knockout Tour, we're impressed with how the open-world entry is shaping up.| Read More
Donkey Kong Bananza Hands-On Impressions
We explored two areas of DK's wildly destructible 3D platformer. | Read More
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Hands-On Impressions
We got to try Metroid Prime 4's Switch 2-specific mouse features and get a sense of how it runs on the more powerful console. | Read More
Everything Announced At The Switch 2 Nintendo Direct
New GameShare Feature Allows Nintendo Switch And Switch 2 Users to Play Games With One Copy
Announced during today’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, GameShare is a new social feature coming to select titles when the highly anticipated game console releases on June 5, 2025. The tool allows the game’s owner to temporarily share the title with up to three other systems simultaneously to enjoy select multiplayer experiences. First-generation Switch games are available to share between Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, and Switch Lite consoles. However, titles exclusive to the new handheld are unavailable to share with previous generations.
Nintendo confirmed the following games support GameShare during the presentation:
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Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
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Club House Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
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Super Mario Odyssey
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Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
“Between Nintendo Switch 2 systems, GameShare can also be used along with GameChat for online play, so that players can chat with others while all of them play the same game,” an official press release states.
The new GameChat feature allows players to voice and video call together (with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Camera) and is free to use with any Switch 2 console through March 2026. A Switch Online membership is required to use the feature after its free period expires.
Notably, GameShare is an entirely separate feature from the recently announced Virtual Game Card system, which allows users to lend and borrow virtual game copies between friends or members of the same Switch Online Family.