Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2 is coming, but what can we expect? Here are the rumours about the price, specs and suspected launch titles
Ever since the Nintendo Switch first launched in 2017, fans have been obsessed with what the next version of the console will be, whether it’s the Switch 2, New Nintendo Switch, Switch Pro – or something else entirely. The latest news is that the Switch successor will be backwards compatible.
Of course, the Switch has already been updated several times already. We’ve had a slightly tweaked version of the original with improved battery life, but also the portable-only Switch Lite and the Switch (OLED) with an upgraded display.
The OLED version is the console that many thought would be a 4K-capable Switch Pro, but it wasn’t to be. That doesn’t mean that Nintendo doesn’t have a bigger upgrade in the works though, and there are already reports that another Switch is on the way.
Here’s what we know so far, and our hopes for the features Nintendo might pack in. When will the Nintendo Switch 2 be released?
Nintendo Switch 2 rumours have been popping up persistently since the original Switch first launched in 2017, which makes it hard to put too much stock in any that tout specific dates.
However, Nintendo has revealed (below) that the announcement will happen by the end of this fiscal year, which means that we could be waiting until the end of March 2025 for a name, specs and more, and even longer for the console to hit shelves.
It seemed like the announcement might have happened by the end of October. The news (with no reference source) came from a supposedly credible leaker on YouTube, PH Brazil, (via Notebook Check) who pointed out that the firm has an investor call on 5 November and they, to paraphrase, might want something substantial to present.
However, this didn’t happen with the firm instead confirming that the upcoming console would be backwards compatible with existing Switch games.
We could see the console unveiled in 2024 but Nintendo vaguely said “Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date.”Previous release date rumours
In May 2023 the company warned investors of an expected slowdown in Switch hardware sales over the next year, and noted specifically that it had no plans for new hardware within the upcoming financial year.
In January 2024, Bloomberg published a story based on information from Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase that the new Switch would launch this year. This was further corroborated by a leaked press release from Altec Lansing and leaks from SoldierDelta on Discord (via Laptop Mag), both of which pointed towards a September 2024 release.
In February 2024, Video Games Chronicle reported that Nintendo had reportedly briefed third-party game companies that the release date of late 2024 had been pushed to the first half of 2025. This is allegedly so Nintendo could prepare better launch titles for the new console.
MoneyDJ reports that mass production could kick off no later than September, which would track with a mid-2025 release.
Nintendo itself has also acknowledged that there’ll be new hardware eventually. During a shareholder meeting in June 2023, president and CEO Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about the company’s transition to its next generation of hardware, and answered that the company will try to take advantage of the 290 million Nintendo accounts to make a “smooth transition” to the new hardware.
As for Nintendo’s official word on the launch of the Switch’s successor? It’s launching in ’20XX’. So that’s only a 77-year window then. That comes from an investor presentation given in late 2021 – but it is at least a little more confirmation that Nintendo does have more hardware on the way, in case you weren’t sure.
For reference, the Switch Lite launched in September 2019, with the Switch (OLED) following in October 2021. How much will the new Nintendo Switch cost?
While we don’t know for sure, it’s most likely that the Switch 2 or Pro would see a price increase from the existing Switch models.
The regular model is priced at £259/$299, while the OLED version is £309/$349. If an upgrade comes with features like 4K support or more powerful graphics, expect it to cost more than either.
Hideki Yasuda, a well-known Analyst of Toy Securities, suggests that the Switch 2 will cost under $499.
If this is true, that is a big price increase – but it still undercuts some other handheld rivals such as the Asus ROG Ally and the Steam Deck. What will the 4K Switch be called?
One obvious question is what the next Switch will be. Many expected the Switch (OLED) to be called the Switch Pro, and it’s still possible that Nintendo could use this name, or something similar, to indicate that the new model is more powerful, but still a part of the same console generation. Like the Switch (OLED), it could also simply nod directly to its key new spec and go by the name Switch 4K.
A more likely name harks back to the company’s previous naming convention: the New Nintendo Switch. The company has used the ‘New’ branding on a few of its 3DS upgrades, so could repeat the trick here.
If instead Nintendo sees this as a whole new generation, it could of course simply be called the Switch 2. Another classic Nintendo move might be to call it the Super Nintendo Switch, but that feels a little unlikely to us.
Finally, with Nintendo’s past, it’s just as likely that the company will drop the Switch name entirely and go for something totally new. The SNES and the Wii U are the only two home consoles that have borrowed their predecessors’ names, and only one of those worked out.
That final option is now looking like more of a possibility. Reddit user Keiyatom (via NME) shared a screenshot of a YouTube survey, which asks which product users are likely to buy.
