According to reports, Nintendo is priming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as the last big Nintendo Switch game. This could be an indication that we'll see the Nintendo Switch 2 release as early as next year.
Nintendo is rumoured to be skipping E3 2023; allegedly its decision to skip the show is down to its light release schedule after the launch of the highly-anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. With nothing major planned for the Nintendo Switch for the rest of the year, is the company prepping for a 2024 Nintendo Switch 2 launch? This would line-up with the final year of the Wii U which saw Star Fox Zero release in April 2016, and the Nintendo Switch launching the following March.
According to a VGC source, Nintendo feels that it would struggle to fill the booth space on the E3 show floor, so has opted to skip the event. With fans tuning into the Nintendo Direct streams, it's not a huge loss in the grander scheme of things. A report from IGN corroborates VGC's sources and also states that Sony will be absent, while Microsoft's plans remain unconfirmed.
Previously, Nintendo has dedicated E3 booths to blockbuster titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate, so it's understandable the company doesn’t think the investment is worth it this year. Especially considering the only major Switch title left after Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is Pikmin 4 – a game that I’m very excited about, but one that doesn’t exactly hold the same weight as Zelda or Super Mario.
Switch It Up
Truth be told, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a bit of a weird one to talk about. Nintendo Switch production is set to skyrocket ahead of the launch of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, and last year, the Nintendo Switch outsold the PS5 and Xbox taking the title of the best selling console in the UK. And that's in spite of it being a six-year-old piece of hardware.
At the same time, more and more games are coming out with a litany of performance issues. Even Nintendo’s own IP – like 2020’s Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity – are falling victim to underpowered Nintendo Switch hardware. Breath of the Wild had framerate issues at the system's launch; my main concern for Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is just how it will perform, considering it looks to be a step up in scope from its predecessor.
While nothing is set in stone, I wouldn’t be surprised if we do see the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2024. We could even hear about it by the end of 2023 if Nintendo wants to launch it in March like the original system. Perhaps it'll be accompanied by the long-dormant Metroid Prime 4, or even a brand new Super Mario game. Top tier titles like those could really push those first day sales. Let’s just hope Nintendo does go with the simple naming convention of Nintendo Switch 2 lest we have another Wii U situation.
