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While some of us were anticipating news from the White House, gamers had their eye on a different hyped-up Wednesday announcement: Japanese gaming giant Nintendo unveiled details about its new Switch 2.

It’s the successor to the now eight-year-old Switch, which is among the best selling video game consoles of all time. The release is set for June 5, and there’s a lot riding on it, in a stalled gaming industry with booms and busts that can depend on new hardware. 

This time five years ago, Nintendo was having a moment. The company’s profits tripled between March and September of 2020. 

“We saw a massive influx of new players, hours and dollars into gaming,” said Mat Piscatella, an analyst at research group Circana.

He said Nintendo and other gaming companies have held onto most of those players, but they’ve got a lot more competition for their hours and dollars. Now that we can, y’know, go outside. 

“Getting back to that growth has been a big priority and a big challenge,” Piscatella said.

So the industry is looking for a jump start. The hour long video preview of the Switch 2 shows off new video chat and game-sharing features. 

Audrey Chee-Read, an analyst at Forrester, said the industry wants us to think of gaming as social.

“It’s about entertainment not just for yourself but how you can share that experience with your friends and your family,” she said.

And turn the people around you into gamers who will also spend money on new titles and consoles. Like, a lot of money. 

“The announced price point of $450 is, I think, pretty rich,” said Joost Van Druenen, a video game expert at New York University, who had predicted more like $400 for the new Switch. 

If you were hoping to get through one story without saying the “T” word, it’s time to cover your eyes. 

“I think that that has to do with tariffs,” Van Druenen said.

The Switch, like other major gaming consoles, is manufactured in China. 

Van Druenen said the higher price tag won’t keep diehards from standing in line on release day. But it could put off the more casual gamers the industry is really trying to reach.

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