This year will herald the final year of Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals as we know them. With Nintendo Switch 2 all but officially confirmed for 2025, many players are gearing up for the start of a new generation next year. If you're yet to get your hands on a Ninty console, though, that can make it difficult to work out whether you should buy a Nintendo Switch this Black Friday.
As of June 2024, the Nintendo Switch has sold 143.42 million units in its lifetime (Nintendo financial results, Q1 2024), putting it second in historical records behind the PS2's 155.1 million. That's a figure in decline, though. Far fewer Nintendo Switch consoles were sold this year, as the device enters its eighth year on the market. That's a natural drop in interest, especially with the new device around the corner. Still, there are still people out there who haven't yet had their hands on the device - as evidenced by the 2.1 million consoles sold between April 1 and June 30 this year.
That means anyone who hasn't yet played through some of this generation's classic titles still have every reason to pick up a console. It's likely going to be cheaper, easier to get hold of, and more readily bundled than the Switch 2.
Not only that but the original, OLED, and Lite consoles share a massive catalog of first and third party titles to explore and enjoy. It's still one of the most popular items on the shelves, and continues to hold its MSRP in the US and its slightly reduced RRP in the UK.
That's why we're working out exactly whether you should buy a Nintendo Switch over Black Friday or not. It's important to note that everything we've heard about the rumored Switch 2 is just that - a rumor - so it's well worth staying grounded in fact when considering your purchase.
Is a new Nintendo Switch coming in 2025?
Back in May, Nintendo officially confirmed that the Switch 2 exists and will be announced within the fiscal year. That year runs up until March 2025 - which coincides nicely with another of Ninty's announcements - that a new console shouldn't be expected before April 2025. That's already pushed back from a late 2024 release date being rumored earlier in the year, which has been credited to an internal push to ensure manufacturing will be able to keep up with demand at launch. That means we can be all but certain the Nintendo Switch 2 will hit the shelves in 2025 - if Nintendo's own plans come to fruition.
What do we know about Nintendo Switch 2?
If you're considering holding out for that mysterious launch window, you'll want to know exactly what you're waiting for. Unfortunately, that's not possible at this time. We know nothing about the next Ninty console for sure, but you can bet the rumors are floating around. There are a few easy assumptions to make. We would expect the system to run on Nvidia tech again, and with the increase in battery life with each new Switch iteration we would expect a boosted charge under the hood as well. Rumors surrounding the actual SOC pit it at an Nvidia T239, which will run similarly to that of PS4 / Xbox One - some have likened docked performance to an Xbox Series S. We can also say with some confidence that the Switch 2 will offer backwards compatibility with existing titles.
Beyond that we're at the mercy of leaks and rumors. The display is one point of contention on the web right now. It seems that, rather than continuing down the OLED path, the Switch 2 will drop back to an LCD panel. Further rumors suggest an FHD resolution and an 8-inch screen size.
Should you buy a Nintendo Switch on Black Friday?
With all that in mind, it's difficult to work out whether you should buy a Nintendo Switch on Black Friday or not. We'd like to simplify it, though. If you want to play Ninty's catalog of games for as little as possible, you might as well pick up a console in November. The Nintendo Switch 2 will almost definitely cost more than the current console, and bundles could well be few and far between. We'll stress that they're just rumors, but if true the lack of OLED display and the possible price increase inline with other companies like Sony and Microsoft could put you in good stead with a current console in hand.
However, if you want that $300 to work as hard as it possibly can for you - and you can wait for next year. It's worth holding off. Next year's model will be more powerful than the current handheld and, should backwards compatibility come to fruition, you'll still be able to enjoy the full catalog.
Black Friday gaming deals are truly going to ramp up in November thanks to Black Friday PS5 deals and Black Friday Xbox Series X deals filling the shelves with accessories and games. However, we're also looking to Black Friday gaming laptop deals and Black Friday iPad deals for even more portable play.
