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There are few upcoming Nintendo Switch games as anticipated as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which has been the better part of a decade in the making. With the Switch 2 announcement due in the coming months, we could be a step closer to the fabled Metroid Prime 4 release date. Until then, all we’ve been given is a release window of 2025, which means it could be any time within these 12 months.
It remains to be seen how Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will stack up against the best Nintendo Switch games, but all signs point towards an excellent first person shooter despite the apparent developmental issues it has (seemingly) had since it was first revealed. Techopedia covers all the latest Metroid Prime 4 news, including analysis of its trailers, gameplay, story, characters, and more, all in one place.
Key Takeaways
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is coming in 2025; the exact release date is still TBA.
- The game was first teased as Metroid Prime 4 back in June 2017.
- It is being developed by Retro Studios, who made the Metroid Prime trilogy.
- You again play as Samus Aran, a legendary bounty hunter in space.
- It will be released for Nintendo Switch and possibly the Switch successor, too.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Release Date Predictions
While the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond release date is yet to be confirmed, we know that the franchise’s latest game will arrive at some point this year. While the game could be released as far in the year as Q4, the busiest time for games, it’s more likely that the Japanese gaming company could reveal the date alongside announcing its new console hardware.
Crucially, Nintendo could be saving the Metroid Prime 4 release date for the announcement of the Switch 2, which we know is coming during the company’s current fiscal year, ending in March 2025. That means we could only have to wait another handful of months until we’ve received concrete details on the latest game in the series.
Nintendo typically employs a similar strategy when revealing its big game releases as cross-generational with its hardware. This has been the case for decades, as early back as the launch window of the Nintendo Wii (in 2006), which shared some of its launch lineup with the GameCube. This was evident with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. However, this trend continued far more recently with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017, released simultaneously on the Wii U and Switch.
While unconfirmed, there’s a strong possibility (given the install base of Switch users) that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be released on the Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2 successor hardware simultaneously. We already know that the Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with the existing game lineup (much like with the PS4 and PS5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X). Whether this means two versions of the game will be released or an “upgrade” package will roll out for the newer hardware remains to be seen.
What is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the long-awaited sequel to the trilogy of games that spanned the GameCube and Nintendo Wii generations. Instead of the traditional 2D maze-like levels and exploration, this spin-off franchise is billed as a first person shooter. You get to play as series mainstay Samus Aran from a whole new perspective, blasting away all manner of threats found while exploring the deep reaches of outer space.
Unfortunately, little is known about the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond story other than the fact that events should follow in the wake of the previous title, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. As its name implies, the third entry saw Samus infected with Phazon by her evil doppelganger, Dark Samus, in a bid to corrupt her. This sequel should start relatively fresh after that game, as all three trilogy titles were tight-knit.
In terms of Metroid Prime 4 gameplay, while little has been showcased, we know that it will be an FPS game and see Samus Aran take on familiar foes, such as the Space Pirates, in intense action. She’s unlike your typical shooter protagonist, as she has access to a wide range of space-age power-ups, like the Missle Launcher and Morph Ball, for added versatility when out on combat missions.
Expected Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Price
If Nintendo’s previous flagship game release, Tears of the Kingdom, is anything to go by, then we could see the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond price as high as $69.99 at launch. This is nothing new for the video game industry in 2025 as it’s since become the industry standard; many of the best Xbox Series X games and best PS5 games (especially from first-party developers) have adopted this mantra in previous years. However, Nintendo has yet to confirm this.
The Metroid Prime series made its way to the Nintendo Switch in February 2023, with Metroid Prime Remastered debuting for $39.99. We are not expecting the latest franchise entry to be priced as lowly, but there’s a slim possibility that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond could come under the standard practice of $70. Some Nintendo Switch games are released at $59.99, including Mario & Luigi: Brothership and Super Mario Party Jamboree, so it’s not entirely out of the question. We estimate a final MSRP between $60 and $70.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Platforms
The only confirmed Metroid Prime 4: Beyond platform is the Nintendo Switch. This is not surprising considering how fiercely protective the Japanese manufacturer is over its IP. However, given that we are so close to a Switch 2 announcement, we could see the company’s new hardware lineup receive the game as a launch title. This is unconfirmed, but likely, given the fact that the new system should run the game at its best instead of relying on the aging hardware.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Trailers
Since the game was first announced to be in development in July 2017, there have been two Metroid Prime 4 trailers. The first is nothing special; it is merely a logo reveal that was supposed to get fans excited about the prospect of a new franchise entry after 10 years of dormancy. However, it’s the second trailer that sparked the gaming public’s interest.
The official Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trailer from June 2024 offered up more than just the finalized name of the game but also the launch window of 2025. In just under two minutes, the video sets the scene as being in the year 20X9 at the Galactic Federation Research Facility, aboard a familiar-looking starship as Samus triumphantly leaps out and starts running and gunning through a rocky wasteland.
We get a good look at the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gameplay here as the bulk of the trailer is spent in Samus’ first person perspective. As touched upon above, the Space Pirates make their return, as do some of the series’ trademark weapons and abilities. We briefly see the lock-on system in action, as well as the Missle Launcher firing, before Aran makes her escape in the Morph Ball form. This confirms the shooting and exploration gameplay from the previous trilogy will be present and accounted for here.
Interestingly, the trailer ends with a reveal that Sylux (an antagonist from Metroid Prime Hunters) is also returning. How this will impact the narrative remains to be seen, given how the ending of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, wrapped up, but there looks to be enough lore present for fans of the Metroid series. Sylux was last seen in the 3DS spin-off title Metroid Prime: Federation Force which was released in 2016. It’s been the better part of a decade since then.
Latest Metroid Prime 4: Beyond News
There was a period of time when it looked like the trilogy of Metroid Prime games was all we were going to get after years of radio silence following the Metroid Prime 4 announcement in 2017. Two years later, Nintendo released a Development Update on Metroid Prime 4 expressing that the game in its current state was being scrapped and the studio was beginning again. This was because the game had: “not reached the standards” the company sought in a “sequel to the Metroid Prime series.”
The better part of five years would then be without a word on Metroid Prime 4’s development until the brand-new trailer surfaced, confirming the release window in June 2024. We now know that the game is coming at some point in 2025 despite the fact that the title had been jumpstarted only a few years earlier. Everything we’ve seen from the CGI trailer is promising, but we won’t know how it plays until we see more for ourselves.
The Bottom Line
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is one of the most anticipated Nintendo Switch games in 2025 and one that fans of the series have been patient with. The game was first announced all the way back in 2017 before the development was halted in 2019, and the process began again. The announcement trailer from June 2024 showcases a confident mix of gameplay and CGI, and the 2025 launch window is now here, even if we’re no closer to knowing exactly when it will be. Nintendo could be waiting until the reveal of the Switch 2 before giving us any concrete information.
