Gaming’s Next Frontier: Exciting Prospects for the Nintendo Switch 2 and Beyond in 2025

Starting with the launch of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in January and culminating with Grand Theft Auto 6 at year’s end (which is already gaining recognition in anticipation), 2025 appears poised to be thrilling for gamers. There’s also expected to be a major advancement in console design with the introduction of Nintendo Switch 2, an upgrade of the popular 2017 version, recently previewed in a stylish video trailer last week.

From new gaming systems to major studio and indie titles, here’s what to anticipate in the upcoming months.

Consoles

The original Nintendo Switch brought much enthusiasm and rivalry into the portable console market in 2017 – at a time when the future of gaming consoles was uncertain. This was evident in Microsoft’s Xbox strategy during that period, which was gearing up for a future devoid of consoles, allowing games to be played on various screens through streaming subscription services – akin to the transitions in television and music.

Eight years post-launch, sales of the Switch have gradually plateaued. Nintendo has attributed this to the aging console and a deficiency of significant game releases in 2024 similar to what was witnessed in 2023 with the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

However, the announcement that Nintendo intends to release a new model has sparked considerable enthusiasm within the gaming community – reminiscent of the excitement surrounding the original eight years ago.

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According to “unofficial” hardware leaks as well as Nintendo’s recently launched trailer and mock-ups showcased at the latest CES trade fair, the Switch 2 is set to feature a larger display. Additionally, it will come with redesigned hardware, featuring rounder corners, and will support both physical and digital games.

Several other captivating handheld models are expected to launch later this year, including The Lenovo Legion Go S (a lighter version of its predecessor); the enhanced MSI Claw 9 AI+ and the humorously oversized Nitro Blaze 11 from Acer, which boasts an 11-inch display.

AAA games

If the “most awaited game” category at The Game Awards 2024 indicates anything, 2025 will be a significant year for AAA games (those with substantial budgets and high production quality).

It is hardly surprising that the most anticipated game of the year is the sixth installment of the Grand Theft Auto series, which has been active since 1997.

Following a development leak in 2022, excitement surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 has skyrocketed. Fans have had to wait over a decade since Grand Theft Auto V (2013) — a title that has sold over 200 million copies and which, through its online platform, has generated more than £6.9 billion.

Grand Theft Auto 6 returns to Vice City (previously the backdrop of 2002’s installment), a fictional adaptation of Miami, featuring a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired narrative centering on couple Jason and Lucia, the series’ first playable female character.

But this is merely one of many anticipated sequels for 2025.

There is genuine excitement for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, the star-studded follow-up to Hideo Kojima’s 2019 horror/science fiction open-world game.

world trekking simulator. Little information is available so far about the game aside from the cast. Norman Redis will reprise his role as the game’s central character, Sam Porter Bridges, with Léa Seydoux and Troy Baker also returning. The cast will see the inclusion of Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna.

Another title to anticipate is Ghosts of Yōtei, a follow-up to the captivating Ghost of Tsushima. The sequel is located in Hokkaido, Japan, 329 years after the events of the original game, which unfolded during the Kamakura period amid the Mongol Empire’s invasion of Japan.

In preparation for the launch of the new Switch console, Nintendo is delivering the newest chapter of the Metroid series, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, to its supporters. The Metroid Prime titles have historically been viewed as a gem in Nintendo’s portfolio since their debut on the Gamecube in 2002, praised for their exceptional world-building and groundbreaking 3D gameplay.

For PC players, there’s the highly anticipated Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, the historical turn-based strategy empire simulator that challenges players to build a civilization throughout various eras. For the first time, the series permits the selection of a leader who is distinct from your civilization, which should introduce some variety.

Indie Games

While sequels characterize the most-coveted AAA games of 2025, the indie realm is marked by simulation titles—a genre that replicates real-world tasks (such as farming or managing a business). Wanderstop appears to be an intriguing spin on the charming farming simulator, where you oversee a tea shop in an enchanted forest. Paralives, on the other hand, centers on home design and daily life, reminiscent of earlier entries in the life simulation category (like Second Life and The Sims).

Apart from simulation games, Usual June offers a clever interpretation of the third-person action genre, leading its protagonist into a web of conspiracy. Hyper Light Breaker and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, meanwhile, expand on beloved franchises with much-anticipated sequels.

Lastly, skating intertwines with the dark fantasy of Dark Souls alongside the ethereal vibe of Sayonara Wild Hearts in Skate Story, where you embody a demon armed only with a skateboard, tasked (by the devil) with skating to the moon so he can consume it.