There are many rumors and speculations about a possible successor to the popular Nintendo Switch. But what can already be said about the price, release, appearance, and features of the console? We summarize.
The Nintendo Switch was launched in March 2017 and, despite its comparatively low power, has become a real bestseller over the years due to its innovative concept. The great success of the Nintendo Switch is still standing in the way of the release of the Switch 2 or the Switch Pro. Nevertheless, it’s now clear: Nintendo is already working on a new console, and we shouldn’t be far from the first official information. Here you’ll learn everything we already know about the Nintendo Switch 2.
Release of the Nintendo Switch 2: When will the Switch successor appear?
As early as 2021, there were rumors that a Switch 2 or an improved Switch Pro could be released soon. In fact, the Switch OLED came to market shortly after, which, apart from the screen and speakers, held back on technical innovations.
At the end of 2021, Nintendo President Shundaro Furukawa then announced that the Switch had only reached half of its lifespan. Following this statement, a Switch 2 would only be expected in 2026. However, there are now clear signs of an earlier date. Instead of continuing with a Switch Pro, Nintendo seems to want to move directly to the Switch 2.
2024 was long speculated as the release year. A well-known leaker hinted that the console could hit the market in September 2024. Other sources also assumed a release in the second half of the year. But that no longer seems to be the case: In May 2024, Furukawa spoke out on the official account on X and announced that the company wants to present the successor to the Switch by March 31, 2025.
Release of the Nintendo Switch 2: No shortage like with Xbox Series X and PS5?
When Microsoft and Sony brought the current generations of their consoles to market, they were sold out for months. This led to a real boom among scalpers who resold the game consoles for horrendous sums.
According to reports, Nintendo wants to avoid such conditions when releasing its new product and produce over ten million units by 2025. This is likely to be one of the reasons why the release won’t take place until 2025. Nintendo needs sufficient lead time to produce enough consoles. This means missing out on the Christmas business, but not running into bottlenecks like other console manufacturers.
What will the Nintendo Switch successor be called?
In this article, we refer to the Nintendo Switch 2 for simplification. However, there is still no official name for the Switch successor. Nintendo is much more creative in naming its products than Sony with PlayStation 1 to 5, for example. In an initial leak, gamers discovered the name Switch Attach. However, this has not yet been confirmed – and met with rather mixed feedback from fans.
It’s also possible that the new Switch will end up being called “Switch Pro” after all, but ultimately be equivalent to a Switch 2 due to a larger performance leap. Internally, it’s allegedly being worked on under the project name NG. However, another leak via Famiboards has also revealed another code name. The term “Muji” can be found in the code of the developer kit. This translates to “simple” or “plain”.
Price: How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?
With its previous consoles, Nintendo has always positioned itself below the price segment of Xbox and PlayStation. It’s very likely that this will also be the case with the Switch 2. Nevertheless, the new console is likely to be priced somewhat above its predecessor, if only due to inflation and stronger technology. According to Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games – a marketing consultancy specializing in the Japanese gaming market – the new console is expected to cost around 400 US dollars. Rumors suggest that it will be available in two variants (similar to Xbox and PlayStation): a standard model for 449 dollars and a purely digital console without a card slot for 399 dollars.
The current Nintendo Switch (OLED model) currently costs between 300 and 330 euros. The Switch Light is available for about 200 euros. It should be noted that Nintendo has had little reason to lower the price of the Switch so far, given the strong sales figures. This would be another lever to keep sales constant, which could push back the release of the successor console.
What will the Nintendo Switch 2 look like?
There were few hints about the appearance of the new console for a long time. Finally, images circulated on X (formerly Twitter) that allegedly show the packaging of the Switch 2. PCGames initially reported. However, the images should be taken with caution, nothing is officially confirmed yet. If the Switch 2 really looks like this, it would differ significantly in appearance from its predecessor.
First insiders also reported that the Nintendo Switch 2 will get new Joy-Cons. Instead of using a rail system like the current console, the new Joy-Cons rely on magnets. Accordingly, the current controllers would not be backward compatible.
Nintendo Switch 2 could become divisible
At the end of October 2023, it became known that Nintendo had filed a patent that suggests a divisible console. It could have two screens similar to the Nintendo DS – with the difference that both screens could be decoupled, allowing two players to play against or with each other. However, the patent application does not necessarily mean that such a device is actually being developed – or that it is the Nintendo Switch 2.
How powerful will the Nintendo Switch 2 be?
In addition to a higher resolution, the Nintendo Switch urgently needs more power and storage space. Even though there have been games on the Switch that you wouldn’t have thought technically possible at first glance, the console is now quite outdated.
Given Nintendo’s previous business policy, you shouldn’t expect a high-end console like the PS5, but a technical upgrade would definitely be necessary. At least 4K – and thus similar graphics power to a PlayStation 4 – should be expected. Because by now, the chips for mobile devices have also advanced significantly. However, there are no exact details on this yet.
The console’s performance has allegedly already been presented in a secret Matrix demo and roughly corresponds to that of a GeForce RTX 3050. There’s also speculation about a system-on-chip of the Nvidia Orin type, which is said to be based on up to twelve ARM processor cores and 2,048 CUDA compute units. Thanks to Nvidia DLSS 3.5, higher frame rates should also be possible without additional hardware hunger. This is probably necessary, as the Nintendo Switch 2 is also said to support ray tracing, thus enabling particularly realistic in-game lighting.
What kind of screen will the Nintendo Switch 2 get?
Nintendo had given its last console an OLED screen. Rumors for the Switch 2, however, point to an LCD screen from manufacturer Sharp. There are also recurring speculations that the console should be able to deliver 4K resolution – but when connected to a TV and not via the built-in display.
According to initial leaks, the handheld’s screen is said to have a Full HD resolution. However, it is said to have a maximum refresh rate of only 60 frames per second. Other handhelds – like the Steam Deck – offer refresh rates of up to 90 frames per second. Whether the difference is noticeable when gaming on the go remains to be seen. It’s certain that the lower frame rate should save the battery a bit.
What information is there about the battery of the Nintendo Switch 2?
To improve the battery life in handheld mode of the Nintendo Switch 2, the console is said to be heavily throttled without the dock. This comes from rumors from insiders. However, Nintendo must ensure that the games remain playable. It’s conceivable that developers can lift the performance limit to guarantee this.
An interesting phase also lies ahead for the future of the Nintendo Switch 2. According to EU regulations, gaming handhelds must have a replaceable battery installed from 2027, as reported by Gamesmarkt. While this change is unlikely to affect the first version of the Nintendo Switch 2, if the company plans an OLED version like its predecessor, it would probably fall under the regulation.
Will Nintendo solve the Joy-Con problem with the Switch 2?
The Joy-Cons of the first Switch batches are known to suffer from controller drift. This causes inputs to be registered by the system even though players don’t even have their hands on the console. With the Nintendo Switch 2, the company could eliminate these problems, as reported by Dexerto.
According to this, Nintendo is working on so-called Hall Effect controllers. These do not register inputs via potentiometers that can wear out. Instead, magnets are used. These can withstand much more movement and should eliminate Joy-Con drift. However, these controllers are also somewhat more expensive to manufacture, which could be reflected in the price of the console.
What about my Nintendo Switch account?
As CEO Shuntaro Furukawa announced at the Nintendo general meeting, they want to make the transition from the current to the next console generation as smooth as possible. There should be no account chaos like when switching from the Wii to the Wii U. Users should therefore be able to use their Nintendo Switch account on the Switch successor without major adjustments.
How expensive will the games for the Nintendo Switch 2 be?
There is no official information on this yet either. Nintendo insider Zippo assumes that prices of around 70 euros for AAA titles could become the new standard. Similar prices had recently been tested for particularly large Switch titles. Since these already cost 59.99 euros otherwise and games generally tend to become more expensive rather than cheaper, the price speculations should not be too far from reality.
Will there only be exclusive games for the Switch 2 at release?
There is no concrete information on this topic yet. However, Nintendo faces a big challenge. If the company decides to make a clear cut and quickly move to releasing new games exclusively for the Switch 2, it could alienate many fans. Sony, for example, still continues to serve the PlayStation 4 and only gradually brings games exclusively to the PS5.
For Nintendo, such a fluid transition might be less easy to implement. Because the technology of the current Switch is outdated. If the Switch 2 comes to market, it would have to make a much bigger leap in terms of performance and graphics than was the case from PS4 to PS5. This would make the parallel development of new titles for “Switch 1” and Switch 2 much more complicated.
Backward compatibility: Are Switch games playable on the Nintendo Switch 2?
Given the enormous success of the Nintendo Switch and its games, Nintendo should make them playable on the Switch 2 as well. If only to provide another selling point for the new console.
Initial rumors at least speak for this approach: In a job advertisement, about which PC Games among others had initially reported, Nintendo is looking for developers for future Nintendo platforms and explicitly mentions “cross-platform development” as one of several activities for the position.