Coliseum

In this week’s episode of The Game Informer Show, Alex returns from MagicCon: Las Vegas to share his experience spending the weekend playing and learning about upcoming Magic: The Gathering card sets, Charles dives into his Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight preview, and Marcus finally gets the chance to talk about the black-and-white boomer shooter, Mouse: P.I. For Hire! The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Friday for chats about video game reviews, news, and exclusive reveals alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Support the show by subscribing to our physical video game magazine! Sponsored: Logitech G just changed the game again with the new PRO X2 Superstrike. This isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a total reimagining of the mouse click. Stop playing fair and start playing faster. Go to LogitechG.com and enter code GAMEINFORMER25 at checkout to save 25% off Logitech G products.

Watch or Listen to the Podcast:

Listen to “Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight + Mixtape Review” on Spreaker.

Follow our hosts online:

• Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken)
• Charles Harte (@chuckduck365)
• Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction00:45 – MagicCon: Las Vegas Recap11:19 – Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight22:30 – “GI Oughta Know” Trivia: Lego Batman Edition41:53 – SPONSOR AD: Logitech G PRO X2 Superstrike43:44 – Mixtape Review56:13 – Mouse: P.I. For Hire

Call of the Elder Gods, like its predecessor Call of the Sea, is a Lovecraft-inspired narrative puzzle adventure. The game features dual protagonists, Evangeline Drayton and Professor Harry Everhart, as they embark on a globetrotting journey to get to the bottom of their horrific, supernatural visions. Ahead of the game’s launch next week, editors Marcus Stewart and Kyle Hilliard took an exclusive look at the game’s second chapter to see how this puzzling adventure is shaping up. 

We did it, everyone. We made it through Star Wars day unscathed. They said it couldn’t be done. They said it shouldn’t even be attempted. Some even said, “Why are you wasting all this time rewatching Star Wars again when you could be watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for the first time!?” But persist we did, and now we’re better for it. And I guess we’re all excited for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, a movie I would confidently describe as one I can technically go see when it’s in theaters if I happen to have nothing better going on.

Anyway! Happy Friday. Here are a number of pieces we’re proud of this week before moving on to the games we think would be a good idea to check out this weekend.

• Mixtape Review – A Night Of Greatest Hits
• Takashi Tezuka Was The Heart Of Nintendo And Deserves To Be Mentioned Alongside The Industry Greats
• Mortal Kombat II Movie Review – Faithfully Fatal
• Sam Reich Jokingly Told Us He’s Too Involved With Game Changer Board Game: ‘Please, For The Love Of God, Help Me’
• Our Favorite Star Wars Features
• InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories Review – Inadequate Convenience

Oh! Also! Important follow-up to promises made last week: I did, in fact, get the Saros Platinum Trophy. I hope Housemarque is already working on DLC.

I finally feel like I can move on with my life (and on to other games).

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— Kyle Hilliard (@kylehilliard.com) May 3, 2026 at 12:47 PM

Mixtape

Charles Harte

I love coming-of-age stories, but Mixtape stands out even among my favorites for how well it nails its earnest, whimsical tone, treating life milestones with grave sincerity. Its stellar writing, concise runtime, and inspired use of its licensed soundtrack make it an instant classic and a heartfelt trip down memory lane. Mixtape has an incredible atmosphere, and like my favorite coming-of-age stories, makes me nostalgic for a life I never lived. I do not often finish reviewing a game and immediately contemplate my next playthrough, but I am certain I will be replaying Mixtape for years to come. Rockford and her friends are right to feel emotional at this story’s bittersweet ending, but as the player, I’m lucky enough to add this game to my rotation to play again and again.

Read Game Informer’s Mixtape review right here

Dead As Disco

Matt Miller

If you always enjoyed the way the Batman: Arkham combat formula had a rhythmic quality to it, Dead As Disco should be an easy pick-up. Even though the game just entered early access, there’s already a good indication of where the project is headed. Players control band member Charlie Disco as he fights his way past his previous bandmates (and their cronies) in a stylish button-tapping martial arts throwdown. The distinction here is that everything is tied in to the beat of the music, so timing your attacks and blocks with the tunes gets better results. As you get into the groove, it’s one of those “flow” experiences that is quite unlike other melee combat systems in other games. The early access version includes the beginnings of the story as well as several songs, but you can also input your own songs and fight to those.

Resident Evil Requiem: Leon Must Die Forever

Kyle Hilliard

A free update released for Resident Evil Requiem yesterday that adds a free-if-you-own-the-game action-focused mode to 2026’s best survival horror game (so far). The mode is called Leon Must Die Forever, which has some real Suda 51 Romeo is a Dead Man energy, at least in its title. In the mode, you play a number of Leon’s sections from the base game, but go after a high score and choose from various upgrades rewarded during individual sessions, giving it some rogue game energy. Leon can also apparently wear a miniature version of his car as a hat? It looks odd and I admit I haven’t touched the mode yet, but I am eager to try it out this weekend.

Read Game Informer’s Resident Evil Requiem review right here

Mortal Kombat 1

Brian Shea

Mortal Kombat 1 was maligned by the community when it came out in 2023, thanks in large part to its microtransaction-heavy modes, but the fighting mechanics are solid and the visuals remain extremely impressive. With Mortal Kombat II in theaters now, some might be looking to carry on the brutality of the film at home, and Mortal Kombat 1 just added some skins from the movie for Johnny Cage, Scorpion, General Shao, Sub-Zero, and Kitana. While you will need to purchase them, it’s worth noting that the game itself already looks great, and the main story mode is a fun reboot storyline to play through. Mortal Kombat 1 may not be the most beloved version of the franchise, but it’s an enjoyable way to scratch that itch after emerging from the theater.

Read Game Informer’s Mortal Kombat 1 review here

When you think of Nintendo, you likely think of Shigeru Miyamoto. And rightfully so. Miyamoto is widely credited for the creation of such properties as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and other beloved franchises. In fact, if you asked even the most clued-in gamers to name a Nintendo developer, names like Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Masahiro Sakurai, and the late Gunpei Yokoi likely come to mind for many before Takashi Tezuka. While they are all deserved legends in their own rights, Takashi Tezuka has been perhaps as, if not more, consequential to the history of Nintendo (and, as a result, the greater gaming landscape) as any one of them.

Establishing Excellence

Joining Nintendo in 1984, Tezuka hit the ground running, debuting as a designer on the game Devil World. Devil World didn’t come to North America until it finally arrived on Nintendo Switch Online in 2023, but it’s notable for being the first console-exclusive title of Miyamoto, who had primarily made a name for himself in the arcade space. But I would argue its legacy is more important for introducing us to the greatest trio in gaming history. Joining an assistant director and designer, Tezuka kicked his career off by collaborating directly with Miyamoto and composer Koji Kondo on some of their earliest works. 

From there, the trio continued working together, with Tezuka helping Miyamoto create Super Mario Bros., one of the most foundational pieces of 20th-century media. The notion of Super Mario Bros. as an expansion of the concepts laid out in the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros., which Miyamoto directed just prior to Tezuka joining Nintendo, was largely Tezuka’s brainchild. After presenting his idea of a larger hero running around in a colorful environment, Tezuka began brainstorming with Miyamoto and the rest of the team. The result was Super Mario Bros., which effectively altered the course of entertainment history.

However, in 1985, it was much more difficult for developers to receive feedback, and Tezuka had no idea the team had created anything important. “Not long after its release, I did have a bit of an impression that people were enjoying Super Mario Bros.,” Tezuka told me during a 2015 interview. “There wasn’t any place like the internet for people to exchange information, but I could hear feedback from my friends. I didn’t think we did anything groundbreaking, but I definitely felt happy to hear that feedback.”

During that time, Tezuka also began working with Miyamoto and Kondo on another ambitious title: The Legend of Zelda. This time, Tezuka stepped into the director role for the first time in his career, joining his longtime collaborator in the role. And as we all know, The Legend of Zelda came to be nearly as iconic and influential as Super Mario Bros.

While these games were hardly developed solely by these three now-legends, it’s fair to say that their consistent collaboration and, even beyond the trio’s work together, Tezuka’s consistent involvement with some of Nintendo’s biggest franchises has led to unrivaled results. And Tezuka would go on to direct what are considered today some of the greatest video games ever made, including Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, and serve as assistant director of Super Mario 64. 

Following that run, which arguably hasn’t been matched to this day, he transitioned to primarily a producer and supervisory role, but continued to have a hand in many of Nintendo’s biggest titles, with a specific focus on the Yoshi and Mario series. To call Tezuka a titan of the games industry would be a vast understatement, as a career spanning 42 years at a single company yielded one of the most legendary resumés we will ever see.

An Enduring Legacy

Earlier today, Takashi Tezuka announced his retirement from Nintendo. The 65-year-old designer, director, producer, supervisor, and creative executive worked at Nintendo for more than four decades, having a direct hand in some of the greatest video games ever created. Here is just a sampling of some of the games Tezuka worked on during his 42 years at Nintendo:

• Super Mario Bros.
• The Legend of Zelda
• Super Mario Bros. 2
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Super Mario World
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
• Super Mario All-Stars
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
• Super Mario 64
• Star Fox 64
• Yoshi’s Story
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Mario Tennis
• Paper Mario
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
• Luigi’s Mansion
• Pikmin
• Animal Crossing
• Super Mario Sunshine
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
• Mario Kart: Double Dash
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
• Pikmin 2
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• New Super Mario Bros.
• Yoshi’s Island DS
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
• Super Mario 3D Land
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• New Super Mario Bros. 2
• New Super Mario Bros. U
• Super Mario 3D World
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
• Yoshi’s Woolly World
• Super Mario Maker
• Super Mario Run
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Arms
• Yoshi’s Crafted World
• Super Mario Maker 2
• Pikmin 4
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Super Mario RPG (Remake)
• Princess Peach Showtime
• Mario & Luigi: Brothership
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Meetup in Bellabel Park

But beyond that, Takashi Tezuka has always come across as a delightful human being. I’ve interviewed him four times since 2015, and in each interaction, he was not only extremely pleasant but also very humble, playful, and appreciative of any time spent speaking with him. When people ask me what Shigeru Miyamoto is like in-person, I always tell them, “He’s the exact kind of person who you hope would have created Mario.” The same could be said of Takashi Tezuka. He never stepped into the spotlight as much as Miyamoto, Koizumi, or Aonuma, but he didn’t have to. Tezuka was content creating influential title after influential title from behind the scenes, only stepping into public-facing roles when it was asked of him. But behind the scenes, he was mentoring subsequent waves of developers, including during one of his final major releases, Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Director Shiro Mouri with Takashi Tezuka in 2023

“When looking at creating a new Mario title, we actually went ahead and brought in a lot of younger people into our staff,” Tezuka told me in a 2023 interview. “There are people who hadn’t made a Super Mario game before; they’re our target audience. They’re, of course, developers, but they’re also people who enjoy playing games, and so they wanted to create something that they themselves would enjoy as gamers. […] We never, ever, ever ignore the feedback that we get from our new staff members. And when I present an idea myself, they really are quite honest in saying, ‘Yeah, I don’t like that,’ or ‘I do like that.’ I think that’s a really beneficial environment that we have.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a major creator leave a company after what seems like an impossibly long tenure, but this one hit me harder than I expected. Tezuka’s departure is a stark reminder that these legendary developers won’t be doing this forever, even though it feels like they already have been. We can’t stop the flow of time or the progression of people’s lives, but we can cherish them while we have them, and we can continue to honor their legacies long after they stop creating by enjoying the works we were lucky enough to receive from them.

And for Takashi Tezuka, his impact will continue far beyond the length of his career. As long as video games exist, the legacy of Takashi Tezuka will as well.

Hot off the heels of Nintendo announcing a Switch 2 remake of Star Fox 64, now is a good time to revisit the original Nintendo 64 adventure from start to finish. Join us today live on Twitch and YouTube starting at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET as we revisit Fox McCloud’s most celebrated adventure.

First released in the US on June 30, 1997, to critical acclaim, Star Fox 64 is the second entry in the Star Fox series that sees Fox and his crew battle t defend the Lylat system from the villain Andross.  Star Fox 64 is also kind of a reboot of the original Star Fox, and that’s only the beginning of this game’s strange trajectory. It has been remade for the 3DS, was remixed and reimagined for Wii U as Star Fox Zero, and is being remade again for Switch 2. Why makes Star Fox 64 worthy of so many reiterations? We’re going to find out. 

Join me, Marcus Stewart, alongside editor Brian Shea as we soar through a complete playthrough of Star Fox 64.

Developer IO Interactive has released the PC specs and requirements for its upcoming James Bond game, 007 First Light, which launches on May 27. As you might expect, in order to play the game at the highest resolution and frame rate, you’re going to need a beefy PC, but the minimum required specs don’t ask for too much power. 

Alongside the PC specs, which will be detailed below, IO Interactive has highlighted exclusive PC features like uncapped framerate, Nvidia DLSS 4.5 dynamic multi-frame generation and super resolution, path tracing, and DLSS Ray Reconstruction (though this isn’t coming until sometime this Summer), and additional in-depth customization options. Plus, the studio has detailed the global accessibility options for 007 First Light, and the options will include different audio profiles, subtitled with customization options, input remapping, input adjustments (sensitivity, deadone, invert), audio output options, menu narration, input activation options, and autocomplete for certain actions and quick-time events. 

Below, we’ll list the various PC specs and requirements needed to play 007 First Light: 

007 First Light PC Specs and Requirements

Minimum

• Performance: 1080p at 30 FPS
• Settings Preset: Low
• CPU: Intel Core i5-9500/AMD Ryzen 5 3500
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660/AMD Radeon RX 5700
• VRAM (Minimum): 6GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Recommended

• Performance: 1080p at 60 FPS
• Settings Preset: Medium
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13500/AMD Ryzen 5 7600
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060Ti/AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
• VRAM (Minimum): 8GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Enthusiast 1

• Performance: 1440p at 60 FPS
• Settings Preset: High
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13500/AMD Ryzen 5 7600
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070/AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
• VRAM (Minimum): 12GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Enthusiast 2

• Performance: 4K at 60 FPS
• Settings Preset: High
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13500/AMD Ryzen 5 7600
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080/AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
• VRAM (Minimum): 16GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Ultra

• Performance: 4K at 200+ FPS (DLSS 4.5)
• Settings Preset: Ultra
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K/AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• RAM: 32GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
• VRAM (Minimum): 16GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

IO Interactive says DLSS is not enabled for Minimum, Recommended, or Enthusiast. 

007 First Light hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on May 27. It will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 sometime this Summer. 

In the meantime, check out this exclusive video interview with IO Interactive about the differences between the studio’s Hitman games and 007 First Light, and then read about how the team crafted its young version of James Bond. After that, head to Game Informer’s 007 First Light hub to read our cover story about the game and all kinds of other exclusive articles and more. 

Are you picking up 007 First Light on launch day? Let us know in the comments below!

Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino has called AI a “powerful tool” in the company’s aim to make PlayStation “the best place to play” and “the best place to publish” during Sony’s latest earnings call. Throughout the call, both Nishino and Sony Group president and CEO Totoki Hiroki discussed the various ways the company is using AI in film, music, and gaming. 

Despite evidence from various entertainment industries showing that the use of generative AI and related technologies has led to layoffs, Hiroki said, “human creativity must remain at the center,” while adding that “AI is a powerful tool, [but not] a replacement for artists or creators.” He instead called it an amplifier for human imagination and a catalyst for new possibilities, as noted by Variety. 

Sony Pictures (movies) has invested more than $50 million in AI across production planning, content protection, enterprise productivity, data analytics, innovation, and 3D conversion, while Sony Music has invested in pursuing industry-wide labeling of AI-generated content across platforms. Sony’s video arm is collaborating with Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco to research how generative AI can help creators in video production. 

After Hiroki’s portion of the earnings call, Nishino explained how PlayStation is using AI. He said, “Our goal is always to be the best place to play and the best place to publish,” adding, “We see AI as a powerful tool to help us in this mission.” 

As noted by Kotaku, Nishino explained how first-party studios are using generative AI and related technologies in game development today, including a proprietary generative AI program called Mockingbird, which “quickly [animates] 3D facial models based on performance capture.” Studios like Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet developer Naughty Dog, San Diego Studio, and others are using Mockingbird and other tools, according to Nishino. 

“Importantly, we are not replacing human performers, but rather optimizing how we process the data from these live captures,” Nishino said. “With Mockingbird, animation work that would have taken hours can now be completed in a fraction of a second.” Nishino pointed out another example in a tool PlayStation built for animating hair, stating, “This is often a labor-intensive process given the volume of strands that must be created. 

“Our teams have accelerated this process by taking videos of real hairstyles and having an AI tool output a 3D model with hundreds of strand models. These practical applications allow our teams to spend less time on manual, high-effort tasks, and to instead reinvest their time into building richer worlds and gameplay for our players.” 

Of course, Nishino is the PlayStation CEO and at this moment in time, investors across various entertainment mediums love to hear executives state companies are using AI; it’s not surprising Nishino waxed poetic about how (apparently) beneficial generative AI and other AI-based programs have been for first-party studios, but there are a lot of questions around the use of AI like this: Whose work are the models trained on? Will humans actually retain their jobs in the long term? Are developers happy to use these tools, or are they doing so because of mandates from above? 

During the call, Nishino continued to explain that AI-powered payment routing tools have generated more than $700 million in revenue over the past few years. He said Sony is creating machine-learning programs aimed at personalization for consumers, systems that could one day recommend a player’s next game, subscription, accessory purchase, or merchandise buy based on their interests – yippee, who needs a brain? 

AI is also responsible for memory product shortages around the world, but Totoki said during the call that he expects PlayStation’s hardware business to contain the cost impact within the current fiscal year due to ongoing (seemingly positive?) supplier negotiations, as noted by Variety. 

Meanwhile, one of PlayStation’s primary competitors, Nintendo, is raising the price of the Switch 2 later this year, following a move PlayStation made with the PS5 back in March. 

For more, read Game Informer’s Saros review, and then check out the latest trailer for Insomniac Games’ Wolverine ahead of its September launch. After that, watch the latest Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet trailer. 

[Source: Variety, Kotaku]

How do you feel about Sony’s thoughts on AI? Let us know in the comments below!

Capcom has revealed Leon Must Die Forever, a brand-new minigame challenge that’s now available in Resident Evil Requiem, which launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC on February 27. The mode unlocks after you beat Resident Evil Requiem and will take players through various areas they visited during the campaign to work against the clock as they battle through hordes of zombies and more. 

“Fight your way through areas you’ve visited previously throughout the game and defeat the final boss, all with stronger enemy variants, five increasingly difficulty ranks, and a race against the clock,” a press release reads. “Fill your enhancement gauge by defeating enemies in order to unlock Leon’s ‘enhancer abilities’ exclusive to this game mode.” The order and progression of each area, as well as the options for Leon’s enhancer abilities, differ from each run, making each play-through of Leon Must Die Forever unique. 

Get a look at Leon Must Die Forever in the trailer below: 

Alongside the addition of Leon Must Die Forever to Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom has added PC support for the PlayStation DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and motion sensor features. It has also deployed various bug fixes across platforms where the game is playable. 

Resident Evil Requiem hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC on February 27, and the Leon Must Die Forever minigame is available in-game right now. In case you forgot, Capcom is working on story DLC for Resident Evil Requiem, too. 

For more, read Game Informer’s Resident Evil Requiem review to find out why it’s one of our favorite games of the year, and then check out the Resident Evil Requiem amiibo releasing on July 30. After that, read Game Informer’s reviews for Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. 

Are you going to check out Leon Must Die Forever? Let us know in the comments below!

Nintendo has announced it will be raising the price of the Switch 2, citing “changes in market conditions.” The new prices will take effect in Japan first, then extend to other regions in the coming months.

Japan

On May 25, the new prices for the Switch 2 and models of the original Switch will be as follows:

Nintendo Switch 2: ¥59,980 (currently ¥49,980) *The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 Multi-Language System available from My Nintendo Store will remain unchanged.

Nintendo Switch (OLED): ¥47,980 (currently ¥37,980)

Nintendo Switch: ¥43,980 (currently ¥32,978)

Nintendo Switch Lite: ¥29,980 (currently ¥21,978)

On July 1, the price of Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions will increase in Japan. Nintendo is planning to do the same in South Korea at an unknown date, but has not announced that these new price tiers will extend to other regions. You can read more about these pricing changes on Nintendo’s website. 

US, Canada, And Europe

In the US, Canada, and Europe, only the Switch 2 is going up in price, effective September 1.

US: $499.99 (currently $449.99)

Canada: $679.99 (currently $629.99)

Europe: €499.99 (currently €469.99)

It’s worth noting that the new price of the standalone Switch 2 in the US is now the same as the Mario Kart World bundle, which Nintendo stopped making last December and is now available in limited quantities (if at all).  Nintendo also states that price revisions are planned for other non-specified regions, but has not confirmed details. Today’s news comes after Nintendo announced Switch 2 sales are nearing 20 million units sold, though the company expects sales to decline in the next fiscal year. 

Given that the Switch 2 launched globally on June 5, 2025, Japanese players will have to contend with a more expensive console less than a year into its lifecycle, with other regions following suit a few months later. If you’re an American, Canadian, or European who has been planning to purchase a Switch 2 but hasn’t pulled the trigger, you now have roughly four months to grab the system at its current price.

The Switch 2 was the last holdout in the wave of video game hardware price raises occurring over the last year. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S have risen in price more than once over the last 8-10 months, and the original Switch became more expensive in the US last year. PC players have had to contend with price hikes and shortages for RAM and other components, which have been some of the primary culprits for video game hardware going up in price across the board, among other economic factors. 

For more recent Nintendo news, legendary director Takashi Tezuka announced his retirement from the company today, and earlier this week, Nintendo revealed a remake of Star Fox 64 is coming to Switch 2 this June. 

Nintendo has released its latest financial report for Fiscal Year 2026, revealing that it has sold through nearly 20 million Switch 2 units. Despite what Nintendo calls a launch year where “sales reached a level we had not experienced with any of our previous hardware systems” (due to high interest in the Switch console), it expects a decline in year-over-year sales for Fiscal Year 2027, which ends in March of next year. 

Officially, 19.86 million Switch 2 units have been sold in the console’s first fiscal year, but for its second fiscal year, Nintendo is forecasting 16.5 million units sold. “For our hardware systems to date, sales units have generally tended to be higher in the second fiscal year after launch than in the launch year,” the fiscal report notes read. “Nintendo Switch 2, however, launched at a time when many consumers were continuing to enjoy Nintendo Switch. Against this backdrop and amid many other factors [Editor’s Note: likely an allusion to rising memory costs resulting from AI buy-up worldwide, alongside tariffs enacted by the U.S. President], launch-year sales reached a level we had not seen with any of our previous hardware systems. 

“In light of strong sales performance in the first year following launch and price adjustments, we expect unit sales for the fiscal year ending March 2027 to decline year over year. That said, we view this as a healthy level of sales for Nintendo Switch 2 in its second year after launch, and we continue to anticipate further growth in the installed base.” 

As you can see, despite the expected decline in Switch 2 sales, Nintendo still views the console’s growth as healthy. If you look back at how the Switch performed in a similar time frame, Switch 2 outpaces it. Switch 2 sales have exceeded the fiscal-year sales of the Switch’s March 2018 and March 2019 fiscal years, the two full-year periods immediately following the Switch’s launch. In other words, the Switch 2 is performing better than the Switch so far.  Today’s news comes alongside the announcement that Nintendo plans to increase the price of the Switch 2 in various regions, including the US, due to “changes in market conditions.” 

Elsewhere in the fiscal report, Nintendo has detailed the sales numbers for various games released this fiscal year. They are as follows: 

• Mario Kart World: 14.7 million units
• Donkey Kong Bananza: 4.52 million units
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition: 3.94 million units
• Pokémon Pokopia: 2.41 million units
• Kirby Air Riders: 1.87 million units
• Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen: 4 million units
• Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream: 3.8 million units

For more about Nintendo, read Game Informer’s reviews for Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Pokémon Pokopia, Kirby Air Riders, and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. After that, read about how The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario World director Takashi Tezuka is retiring from Nintendo in June. 

How do you feel about the Switch 2’s first year of life? Let us know in the comments below!