Nintendo Switch 2 preview: Everything you need to know
9 months ago Benito Santiago
The Switch is Nintendo's best-selling home console of all time, and is widely loved for its rich library of games—a dramatic change from the middling Wii U that preceded it. But it's been seven years since the Switch launched, and fans are clamoring for Nintendo's next big thing.
Fortunately, it may not be far. Rumors and reports point to a successor to the Switch that will be more powerful than the original while still maintaining the winning home console and handheld functionality. We'll call it Switch 2 for now.
Reports suggest that major game developers have previewed the new hardware, which – if true – could point to a release window that isn't too far off. Here's everything we've heard so far about Nintendo's next handheld gaming console, so stay tuned as we regularly update this story with new details and future official announcements.
What is Nintendo Switch 2?
Nothing has been announced yet, but information and reports from major publications point to a more powerful gaming system. Nintendo's current Switch is essentially a portable console that can be plugged into a dock and played on your TV, although the Switch Lite variant is handheld only.
Bloomberg In May 2023, display manufacturer Sharp reported that it was working on screens for the upcoming handset. Sharp has worked with Nintendo in the past, and Nintendo is still the biggest player making portable devices focused solely on playing video games — though Sony has a new one. PlayStation Portal Capable of playing PlayStation 5 games from the dock, Valve's Steam deck is also popular among PC die-hards.
And Nintendo is clearly thinking about what's next. In response to a fan question in June 2023, Nintendo's president Shuntaro Furukawa said.“Regarding the transition from the Nintendo Switch to the next generation machine, we want to do everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible for our customers using the Nintendo Account.”
But for now, it looks content to let Nintendo focus on the original Switch and hold details on the next piece of hardware until it's good and ready. In November, Furukawa said on an earnings call that “rumors are being spread mainly on the Internet as if they were public information, but they are wrong.”
Interestingly, several developers have admitted to working on Switch 2 games, although they have refused to name them yet. In the year To the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC) State of the Gaming Industry (by VGC), released in January 2024, about 8% of the 3,000 respondents admitted they are currently working on games for Nintendo's next console.
This is about 250 people, but we do not know what their role is or how many different studios they work for. Even so, it should come as no surprise that the number of releases and reports is on the rise.
When is the Nintendo Switch 2 coming out?
Nintendo hasn't officially announced the next-gen Switch, but reports point to a late 2024 release target—which would be about seven and a half years after the original.
July 2023 report from VGC Citing multiple sources familiar with Nintendo's plans, the second half of 2024 is suggested as a release target for the new hardware. The report suggests that Nintendo is looking to avoid the kind of hardware shortages seen in the past several console launches, and that the Switch successor could see strong demand given the popularity of the original.
In October 2023, the leaker, who claimed WCCF Tech had previously shared reliable information, said the next-gen Switch was being targeted for release on September 24, 2024, although Nintendo said November 3, 2024 was another potential date.
At CES 2024, peripheral maker Altec Lansing announced a new version of its GameShark cheat code software tool called AIShark and said that “the official launch is planned to coincide with the Nintendo Switch 2 September 2024″.
Unsurprisingly, this has set off some alarms among gamers and the gaming press. Altec Lansing gave it a more vague “Fall 2024” when asked about digital trends, and the company told Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier that they were “guessing the date” with the word. But even industry players think a fall release is now possible.
Adding fuel to the fire is a Nikkei report on Nintendo's share price, a report that investors seem to be drawn to “expected to launch a new video game console following the Nintendo Switch megahit.”
That aforementioned Laker price point for Switch 2 is $449 for the base model and $400 for fully digital cartridge support. In contrast, The original Switch launched in 2017 for $300, with a pure handheld Switch Lite releasing in 2019 for $200. With some premium upgrades (including a bigger, bolder screen), the Nintendo Switch OLED model ships in 2021 for $350.
of VGC The report suggests that Nintendo may use LCD screens instead of OLED panels to keep costs down, but it doesn't indicate what price point Nintendo is targeting for the next console. Nintendo's last three console systems have avoided using the latest technology to keep prices down. Will that be true again this time?
In the year In a Nikkei interview posted in October 2023 (via VGC ), Furukawa confirmed that Nintendo will continue to support the original Switch with new software at least through the fiscal year ending in March 2025. In the year Set to release in late 2024, we'll continue to see new Switch games for years to come. But Nintendo itself could quickly switch gears to the new hardware as third-party publishers continue to bet on the Switch's large audience.
What will the Nintendo Switch 2 look like?
Hints and rumors have mostly pointed to a similar handheld-meets-home-console approach for the Switch 2, but there's still room for significant design changes in such a model.
A Nintendo patent application filed in November 2022, but only officially published in October 2023 (and first reported by Game Rant), suggests a dual-switchable device reminiscent of the company's earlier Nintendo DS and 3DS handhelds.
However, there's a different angle here—it allows players to choose to use the device with one screen, two overlapping screens, or disconnect and use them separately. Being wirelessly connected could open up the possibility of two-player games using a single piece of hardware.
Of course, the patent application doesn't mean Nintendo will definitely go this route for the next-gen Switch. who knows? Perhaps Nintendo is thinking of reviving the sensationally popular DS line. Or maybe it's just an idea that never gets used, like many tech giants' patent applications over the years.
How powerful will the Nintendo Switch 2 be?
Continuing the above thread, reports suggest that Nintendo will not really be trying to compete with the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X as standard bearers for home consoles and instead offer a slightly more faithful gaming experience. Still, it looks like a significant improvement over the Switch.
In September 2023, documents from major game publisher Activision revealed that the company was reviewing its hardware by the end of 2022, eventually assuming that the Switch's successor would have the same power as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One hardware.
Even though those are 10-year-old home consoles, it's still a significant step up from what the original Switch was capable of. The Switch's hybrid home-plus-handheld model also means Nintendo has to consider slim form factor and battery life expectations, so it's doubtful we'll see a Switch-like device with high-end specs even at a reasonable price. . VGC The Switch 2 is also expected to feature a cartridge port for physical games.
Eurogamer Nintendo has reportedly shown private tech demos for the Switch 2 to developers at the Gamescom conference in August 2023, and used 2017's remastered The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a demonstration of the new hardware's capabilities.
VGC Backing up that report, Nintendo added that Epic Games' The Matrix Awakens tech demo for Unreal Engine 5 used activations such as ray tracing (realistic lighting effects) and AI-driven visual enhancements. Another rumor suggests using a less hardware-intensive way to deliver AI-assisted ray tracing results with Nvidia's DLSS 3.5 tech.
Although it doesn't match the specs of the current gen PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, this could actually mean more capable hardware than the PS4 or Xbox One. RAM, however, with legendary leaker Felipe Lima suggesting the device has 12GB on board—10GB more than the Xbox Series S console.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furakawa suggests that you shouldn't believe everything that is said about the Switch successor, but in 2015, He said reports that the hardware was shown to developers in November 2023 are “false”. But Coy may be playing catch-up until Nintendo is ready to really show its hand.
What games will Nintendo Switch 2 have?
You can bet we'll be seeing Nintendo's tried-and-true franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, and more before too long. And there's already buzz about other big games heading to Switch 2.
Nintendo is developing a major new 3D Super Mario game to launch with the Switch 2 in 2024, says Zippo, a leaker who says Tom's Guide has a “reasonable track record” with previous points. Super Mario Odyssey on Switch or something entirely new? We don't know yet.
Zippo claims that Nintendo will launch a new Mario Kart game in 2025, which will be called 10 Mario Kart X. Wait it's said to be called “X”. Mario Kart 8 was the last major mainline entry on the Wii U and then ported over to the Switch, arguably the ninth entry in the mobile gaming Mario Kart tour. Zippo has described New Mario Kart as “one of the most expensive games Nintendo has ever produced,” so there's likely to be a lot riding on it.
The same leaker previously claimed that Nintendo's EPD Tokyo studio is working on a new Donkey Kong game planned for the company's next console. In September 2023, leaker and independent journalist who goes by “Necro” Felipe Lima claims that the yet-to-be-announced Far Cry 7—the rumored next entry in Ubisoft's popular open-world shooter series—will be released on the Switch. At the same time as other platforms. Insider Gaming pegs the release of Far Cry 7 at Fall 2025, so it could be after the Switch 2 is already released.
After Rockstar Games' official announcement of Grand Theft Auto 6, which is now available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, it begs the question: Will it be coming to Switch 2? And maybe pressed further, will the Switch 2 have enough power to run it?
There's no official word for now, and there won't be until Nintendo actually reveals the next console. But in the meantime, the techies at Digital Foundry are skeptical that the Switch 2 will have enough power to handle Rockstar's next big game — at least according to the leaks so far.
“I'd love to say it will. I really don't think it will,” Digital Foundry founder Richard Leadbetter said in a YouTube video (via IGN). “It's a mobile chipset. We saw a lot of amazing things on the Switch 1. The Switch 2 is much better, a real generational jump and forward-looking in many ways. But it's what it looks like. The release for GTA 6 could be more than that.
“It seems like a step too far and out of character with what we know about Rockstar's MO,” he added.
As mentioned above, Nintendo is said to be using the updated version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to demonstrate the system's technological capabilities to developers.
But it begs the question of whether the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with the original Switch games, and if so, whether they'll benefit from the increased power of the new hardware. Imagine if you popped in your Wild of the Wild cartridge and saw a gorgeous rendering of how PC games are scaled to match your hardware.
It's a lot of speculation for now, but for those who followed the original Switch's development before its release, many of the early hints and reports proved to be true – and finally a triumphant return for Nintendo after the Wii U flop.
We'll be following the Switch 2 story over the coming months as more and more details emerge, so watch this space.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on September 19, 2023 and was last updated on January 19, 2024.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa
