Nintendo confirmed on X that the Switch 2, the successor to the highly popular Nintendo Switch, will be announced this fiscal year. The original Switch went on sale seven years ago, in March 2017, making it one of the oldest consoles currently on the market. Although Nintendo updated the Switch with the Switch OLED in 2021, it was technically the same console, but with a larger 7-inch OLED screen and bigger storage.
Despite its aging hardware, Nintendo has released some great exclusives on Switch in recent years, allowing it to remain competitive despite nearing the end of its life cycle. These include Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020), Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022), and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023).
In contrast, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launched in 2020, with a newer, slimmer version of the former coming out in 2023. We also reported on a leak of the PlayStation 5 Pro specs in March, as many expect it to come out this year. Furthermore, the recent launch of portable Windows gaming consoles like the ROG Ally and MSI Claw could add pressure on the company, especially as Asus plans to launch the ROG Ally 2 later this year.
Because of the new rival consoles on the market, Nintendo may feel hard pressed to release the next-generation Switch. However, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said on X, “We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during the presentation.”
If Nintendo launches new exclusives for the current generation Switch in June, it won’t make sense for the company to pre-empt any last-minute sales of the old console by announcing the Switch 2 soon after. The original Switch was first announced in March 2015, with the handheld arriving two years later in 2017. So, if Nintendo sticks to this schedule, it will probably announce the Switch 2 in March 2025.
However, we don’t have any news on when it will hit store shelves. It took Nintendo two years to bring the original Switch to market, but we hope that it won't take Nintendo to give us the Switch 2, as we want to get it by late 2025. By then, the first-generation Nintendo Switch would have had a full eight-year lifespan.
The company hasn’t released any official specifications for the next-generation console yet. However, Nintendo Switch 2 rumors indicate that the new handheld will use a more powerful Ampere-based Nvidia chip, with eight times as many CUDA cores as the current Switch. It will also likely take advantage of DLSS, allowing gamers to enjoy higher-quality visuals without suffering from reduced battery life or poor game performance.
