We’re expecting a new Nintendo Switch at some point – but what can we expect from a Nintendo Switch 2?
It’s long been rumored that Nintendo is working on a Nintendo Switch 2. But, even if there are plans for a follow-up to the original Switch, we know it won’t be coming in 2020 as it’s been confirmed no new consoles will launch this year. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a new Nintendo Switch eventually. After Nintendo released the streamlined and more affordable Nintendo Switch Lite in 2019, rumors of a premium Switch console—a Nintendo Switch Pro, if you will— offering upgraded hardware with improved graphics and processing power, began to look more credible. Nintendo says it isn’t worried about the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X which herald the start of a competitive new console generation. However, Microsoft’s foray into flexibility with mobile cloud gaming on Game Pass could potentially step on Nintendo’s toes and the development of digital-only devices like the Xbox One S All-Digital and the disc-free PS5, might prompt Nintendo to signal that it’s got something new and future-focused in the works. Despite a lack of official confirmations, rumors persist so while we wait for more definitive answers from Nintendo, we’re going to run through the likely (and unlikely) possibilities for a Nintendo Switch 2 below. In 2019, Nintendo released two new Switch devices: the Switch Lite and the Nintendo Switch with improved battery life. However, we’re still expecting the House of Mario to have yet another new Nintendo Switch up its sleeve. A Wall Street Journal report has suggested that – in addition to these new devices – there’s also a premium Nintendo Switch console on the way: potentially a Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2. While we’re taking these rumors with the requisite pinch of salt, the report did correctly predict the release of the Switch Lite, adding more weight to this speculation. But when could we see this new Switch? Several reports claimed that we would be seeing a new Switch in 2020, however Nintendo has officially shut down these rumors. Nintendo’s CEO Shuntaro Furukawa has said that there are “no plans to launch a new Nintendo Switch model during 2020” which is a fairly clear cut statement. That means we’re pretty much in the dark about when a Nintendo Switch 2 might arrive but we’re hoping for a release date sometime next year. Obviously redesigns cost money, and redesigns with improved hardware doubly so. We’re fully expecting the Nintendo Switch 2 (or Switch Pro), with its updated hardware, to cost more than the current Switch’s £279/ $299/AU$469 pricing. In addition, the Switch Lite isn’t exactly cheap. The handheld Switch costs $199.99/£199.99/AU$329.95, which isn’t too far off the original’s price – and that’s with fewer features than the original. Dr Toto suggested a price tag of $399, which seems a good estimate. After all, the PS4 Pro is $100 more than the PS4. The price mark up takes into account the improved hardware without being prohibitive. However, this is Nintendo we’re talking about, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2 cost a tad more than that. Nintendo may not have officially announced a Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2, but we’ve gathered all the biggest news and rumors surrounding the new Nintendo Switch right here for your perusal. Utilizing Nintendo Switch features In the 80th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (via VideoGamer), Nintendo stated that future consoles will harness the Switch’s unique elements and experience. “Our current generation game system, Nintendo Switch, has entered its fourth year since launch, but its momentum is increasing,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said. “We believe there are two factors behind this. First is the existence of two hardware configurations with different characteristics, in Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite. The second factor is that Nintendo’s development resources are concentrated on developing content for a single platform, Nintendo Switch. We want to extend the life cycle of Nintendo Switch while maximising such advantages. “From the perspective of playing with the image displayed on a TV, we believe that because consumers can play Nintendo Switch on a TV or the game console screen itself, it has greatly increased the opportunities for gameplay in various scenes in their lives, compared to previous consoles,” Furukawa continued.
