Nintendo Direct: Zelda, Pikmin and the future of the Switch

From Zelda, Pikmin and Mario, Nintendo Direct crammed in lots of new news about upcoming Switch releases.

The event is an opportunity for the video game company to show off all the new things that are coming out this year.

Nintendo Direct revealed a brand-new look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a Pikmin 4 release date, as well as an update to Splatoon 3 and Mario Kart 8.

However, with relatively few titles revealed for the second half of 2023, gaming experts are questioning how long the Nintendo Switch has left.

Here's what we found out from the event.

Pikmin 4

Nintendo pressed start on the event with a trailer for Pikmin 4.

If you've never played the Pikmin games, it involves the player controlling a horde of plant-like creatures called Pikmin, while avoiding obstacles and solving puzzles.

Fans of the Pikmin games have been waiting a long time for the fourth instalment and the big news is it's scheduled to come out this summer, with a release date of 21 July 2023.

Splatoon 3 expansion

Also during the event a paid expansion was announced for Splatoon 3, in what is a splat blast from the past.

It will allow players to hang out in Inkopolis which featured in the original Splatoon game, and even meet and interact with characters from the first game, like the Squid Sisters, who will perform during Splat Fests.

Mario Kart 8

Another eight racing tracks are coming to Mario Kart 8!

A trailer for downloadable content (DLC) shown during the Nintendo Direct livestream included Yoshi's Island - a brand new course - and returning character Birdo, who was originally from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Nintendo finished the event, showing a sneak peak of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, ahead of its release on 12 May.

The game is the follow-up to the hugely successful Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, considered to be one of the very best games on the Switch.

In the new footage, we see the evil forces that main character Link is going to have to face, as they start destroying the kingdom of Hyrule.

Video of the gameplay shows Link fighting giant rock monsters and using various mechanical vehicles such as a buggy, and a balloon to get around the game's huge map, either by land or air.

The game has received some backlash amongst American audiences in particular as it was revealed it will cost $70 - a $10 increase on the previous game, Breath Of The Wild.

However, there won't be the same increase in the UK, as it will cost £59.99, the same price as the first game, and although expensive, the price is in line with the cost of most new video game releases.

How long is left for the Nintendo Switch?

The Switch is the third highest selling console in history - 122 million have been bought worldwide. 5 million more than the Sony PlayStation 4.

But, released six years ago, the Nintendo Switch is getting old in terms of other newer consoles and the technology currently available.

Games such as Zelda: Breath Of The Wild have already pushed the Switch to its very limits, with players reporting more and more issues on the console with recent titles.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which came out in November, released with several bugs and glitches.

With so few future titles announced during Direct for the second half of 2023, industry experts are now speculating about what's next for Nintendo and the Switch's future.