After what feels like forever, we finally have a confirmed release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

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First announced all the way back in 2017, the game has had a choppy development cycle, shifting developers from Bandai Namco to Retro Studios and being restarted back in 2019.

But we're finally in the home stretch, and one of the most highly anticipated games around is releasing later this year – but when exactly?

For everything you need to know about the return of Samus Aran, here's the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond release date, gameplay, news and more.

When is the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond release date?

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases on 4th December 2025 for the Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch.

For a long time, all we had to go on was a vague 2025 release window, and at one point, banners spotted on the London Underground advertised the game as "Out Now".

This bizarre mixup was quickly corrected, however, with new posters going up a few days later with the same old 2025 release date we already knew about.

Thankfully, all that speculation is now dead and buried, with Nintendo confirming the official release date in their September 2025 Nintendo Direct.

Can I pre-order Metroid Prime 4?

Official screenshot of Metroid Prime 4 depicting a close-up of Samus Aran's helmet with a reflection of baddie Sylux in her visor
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Nintendo

Yes! Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is now available to pre-order.

Nintendo Switch 2 owners can purchase the game digitally from the Nintendo eShop for £58.99 / $69.99 / €69.99.

Alternatively, you can get it for slightly cheaper on the Nintendo Switch 1, again from the eShop, for £49.99 / $59.99 / €59.99.

Later on, you can pay £7.99 to upgrade to the superior Switch 2 version if you choose to.

As for physical copies, it doesn't look like they're available to pre-order just yet, but we'll keep an eye out for them, so be sure to check back!

Which consoles and platforms can play Metroid Prime 4?

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch.

Despite the Nintendo Switch 2 having already been announced, the game strangely wasn't confirmed for the console for a while, though that has now been resolved.

That being said, it is interesting that the game is receiving a cross-platform release, with other first-party Nintendo titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza releasing as Switch 2 exclusives.

Metroid Prime 4 gameplay and story details

Official screenshot of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond showing Sylux flanked by two Space Pirates on either side and two Metroids
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Nintendo

Thanks to its official reveal trailer, we now know a little bit about the gameplay in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Surprise, surprise, it's first-person again.

The famous scanner is back, as is the Morph Ball, which looks like it shares the physics and controls of the earlier Prime games.

We also know that the Missile Launcher and Standard Blaster are back – as you'd expect. It's developed by Metroid Prime studio Retro Studios, and if you've played any of the previous three games you should know what to look forward to.

For the story, details are also thin. We know that it's set in the Cosmic Year 20X9 and Sylux is involved as an antagonist, leading an attack on a Galactic Federation Research Facility along with Space Pirates and, of course, Metroids.

We did get a bit more information in March's Nintendo Direct, which confirmed that the game takes place on the planet Viewros where Samus is stranded and has to find a way home.

Strangely, she also now has some psychic abilities which look like they'll largely be used for solving puzzles dotted around the game.

Is there a Metroid Prime 4 trailer?

Yes! There is a Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trailer, which reveals the game's new logo and name, shows off some gameplay, teases the story and gives us a good look at the game's gorgeous visuals.

Check it out below:

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Authors

Toby SaundersFreelance Writer

Toby Saunders is a freelance writer specialising in Video Game journalism. He has a wealth of experience in the field and is published on many different websites including PCGamesN, Nintendo Life and Pocket Tactics. He has a degree in Film Studies (he gets to write about Film and TV occasionally, too).

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