The Nintendo Switch has been a bonafide success since its release in 2017, but like every sports athlete, father time is undefeatable. Numerous third-party games are struggling to run on this lower-powered hardware. Considering that, it is time to look to the next step for Nintendo. Will there be a Switch 2? What will Nintendo’s next console be, and when could it release?
Is the Switch 2 the next Nintendo console?
As of the time of this writing, Nintendo has made no official announcements about the status of its next console. That said, there are growing conversations surrounding the topic following some leaks and speculation. Given the massive success of the Nintendo Switch, we see no other outcome than the Switch 2 being Nintendo’s next console release. The hybrid home and handheld console is a perfect place for the company to operate.
When will the Switch 2 be released?
As noted above, there have been no official announcements for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. With that in mind, you shouldn’t have to wait too much longer for that situation to change. President Shuntaro Furukawa has said that the fiscal year 2023 will have no hardware releases. That would mean we have no new console until the end of March 2024. Outside companies still expect the Switch 2 to release in 2024. VGC have reported that Nintendo is aiming for the second half of 2024.
What features will the Switch 2 have?
Again, we are purely speculating here since there are not many official statements on what features the Switch 2 will have. That said, there has been a lot of talk surrounding this topic. Take all of this discussion with a grain of salt.
- President Shuntaro Furukawa has said Nintendo wants to make the next transition as easy as possible. To do this, your Nintendo Switch Online account will likely transfer over, instantly giving you access to online, cloud saves, and the Nintendo Switch Online game libraries.
- During the FTC vs. Microsoft court case for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick said the next Nintendo console’s power is similar to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
- There have been multiple instances of new Joy-Con functionality being leaked. While the focus for many would be on improving the drift in these controllers, a possible scroll wheel could be placed near the trigger buttons.
- According to YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer, while we all think the Switch 2 should have backward compatibility with the original console, there are some technical hurdles to overcome.
- VGC have said that the console has a slot to take physical cartridge games, like the original Switch.
- VGC also reported that the screen on the console will be LCD instead of OLED to lower the price.
How much will the Switch 2 cost?
The current price of the Nintendo Switch OLED model is $350. Given the constant pressure of inflation and how we expect the Switch 2 to be more powerful, we would be surprised if the console costs less than $400. Of course, that is mere speculation. All of this will depend on the power of the console itself, the dock to the TV, and the battery situation.
We will update this article when more information and interesting leaks come out.
