The Switch 2 rumour mill has reignited after months of quiet with a tantalising new reveal.
According to the latest rumours, Nintendo plans to announce its new console in January 2025 and release it in March.
The information comes from two online posts shared at the weekend by what appear to be separate accounts on the Famiboards gaming forum (a site devoted to Nintendo chatter and leaks) and the Chinese social media platform Weibo, respectively.
For its part, Nintendo has revealed little about the successor to its megahit Switch console. However, it has confirmed that it exists and will be released during the firm’s current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2025.
If the rumours are accurate, then the Switch 2 won’t launch until the tail end of Nintendo’s stated timeframe — and we won’t get a glimpse of it until next year. While disheartening, the news may not shock fans, who have already weathered a string of Nintendo Direct presentations with no word on the new hardware.
To add to the intrigue, gaming content creator Stephen Georg recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) about an email he received regarding an upcoming game, which included the line: "Rolling out Q1 2025 on PC (Steam), Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and...Nintendo Switch(es)!"
Just got an email about an upcoming game that includes this line:
— Stephen Georg (@Stephen_Georg) November 22, 2024
“rolling out Q1 2025 on PC (Steam), Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and...Nintendo Switch(es)!”
That Switch 2 is right around the corner, man. Very curious when Nintendo will tell us about it.
In the Famiboards post, the user refers to the Switch 2 by its codename “Ounce”, originally revealed during an earlier data leak from Pokémon developer Game Freak.
The individual also states that the upcoming console will support a new version of Pokémon HOME, which lets you store and manage your collection of Pokémon across various games.
Meanwhile, the Weibo post delves into the shipment details for the new Switch. Based on a Google translation of the Chinese text, Nintendo plans to manufacture and distribute 650,000 Switch 2 units in the first month to various regions (compared with 2.74 million for the original Switch).
That seems like a shockingly low figure considering the hype around the new device, a successor to the second-bestselling console of all time behind the PS2.
Switch 2’s release appears imminent as Nintendo has increased production of key components, including the NVIDIA T239 chip expected to power the new device.
The Standard has approached Nintendo for comment.
The last official tidbit we heard about the Switch 2 was earlier this month when Nintendo revealed that it would be backwards compatible with Switch games and support Switch Online.
Several upcoming games are expected to be cross-compatible with both systems, including Pokémon Legends Z-A; an additional Pokémon game (codenamed “Gaia”); My Time at Evershine (the follow-up to cozy RPG My Time at Sandrock); and remastered platformer Yooka-Replaylee.