It is widely expected that Nintendo will announce a new games console this year, with a next-gen "Nintendo Switch 2" having been rumoured for quite some time.
However, it might not be the all-singing, all-dancing PS5 rival that some are hoping for. There's a new report that we might just be getting an iterative update on the existing Switch.
That's according to games industry analyst Dr Serkan Toto, of Katan Games. He predicts that Nintendo will add some "bells and whistles to the device", but it will be "similar to the current" model.
It'll certainly be portable again, he claims: "Because there is Pokémon, and Pokémon is associated with handheld gaming, there is no way on Earth Nintendo will drop the portability feature for their next big thing," he told Gamesindustry.biz (via VGC) as part of the site's annual analyst predictions feature.
Perhaps more alarming is that Toto expects Switch 2 to be priced at $400 – $100 more than its predecessor at launch. Games will "cost more, too – $70".
Thankfully, his fellow analysts are a little more positive in their predictions. Tom Wijman from Newzoo not only thinks that we'll get a Switch 2, but it will be accompanied by a new "3D Mario game".
He also told Gamesindustry.biz that Nintendo will allow users to switch their digital store accounts across to the new console – there will be "no more building your games library from scratch," he claims.
As for other games, we previously heard from an online leaker that one of the launch titles will actually be a remastered bundle of the Bayonetta Trilogy. We might also get an upgraded version of Super Mario Wonder.
However, the game that we'd most like to see appear is Super Mario Kart 9 – although there's not a peep about that at present. Still, we can dream.
If the Nintendo Switch 2 is planned for release later this year, it's most likely to be announced this summer – at least after the financial year ends in April. That allows for existing Switch sales to remain strong up to April, in order to fulfil Nintendo's estimates.
