The Nintendo Switch 2 hasn't officially been announced but we could get news directly from Nintendo soon. After all, a company statement from president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that "an announcement about the successor to the Nintendo Switch" will be made "within this fiscal year." (running through March 2025).
Nintendo tends to introduce wholly new consoles that build on the features and power of their successors. Or, the company goes for something completely new (see the N64 to GameCube years). Generally, it has been more iterative with its handheld machines. As such, we’re confident that the next big game machine from Nintendo will be an improved version of the Switch concept. Though, it could have a new name.
We hope to see big improvements in power, an OLED display as standard, and the ability to output in 4K to keep up with the best TVs. With that in mind, here are all the rumors we've heard about the Nintendo Switch 2 and what we’d like to see.
Nintendo Switch 2 latest news (Updated Dec. 10)
- Is this our first look at Switch 2? A trailer for a new gaming accessory includes a device that looks very much like a refreshed Switch.
- Nintendo of America job listing may have hinted that Switch 2 will offer significantly faster loading times than its predecessor
- Leaker has tipped Switch 2 for launch in June or July with a price of more than $500
- Nintendo announced at its latest investor briefing that its upcoming hardware will be backwards compatible with existing Switch software.
- Nintendo has confirmed it will announce the "successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year." This is our first official word that Nintendo is making new hardware.
Nintendo Switch 2 potential release date and price
After expectations that the Nintendo Switch 2 might appear back in June, a source claims the Switch 2 has been delayed into next year. More specifically, Nintendo’s follow-up to its best-selling handheld/home console hybrid will launch in March 2025, at the earliest, according to that report, which comes from the popular Japanese media outlet Nikkei. It corroborates a widely-circulated rumor that revealed the Switch 2 has been shifted from its planned launch in 2024 into Q1 2025.
This original rumor suggested that Nintendo had moved the release date of its next console to ensure its launch lineup was as strong as possible (rumors of Switch 2 launching with a new 3D Mario game are persistent), but Nikkei also offers up another reason for the delay.
According to the publication, one of the primary reasons that the Switch 2 will arrive a little later than initially expected is because Nintendo wants to ensure it can meet the expected demand at launch. The company is clearly keen to avoid its own PS5 restock nightmare.
When the Switch 2 finally arrives, it might actually be easier to get your hands on a Switch 2 than on its predecessor. During a call with investors, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the company plans to beat scalpers by producing enough systems to meet demand (as translated by IGN). “As a countermeasure against resale, we believe that the most important thing is to produce a sufficient number to meet customer demand, and this idea has not changed since last year,” said Furukawa.
The latest Nintendo Switch 2 release date rumors come courtesy of Christopher Dring of GamesIndustry.biz, who claims, “No developer I’ve spoken to expects [Switch 2] to be launching this financial year. In fact, they’ve been told not to expect it in the [current] financial year. A bunch of people I spoke to hope it’s out in April or May time, still early next year, not late." So we may not have our hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 until deep into spring, or maybe even the very early summer.
A new rumor from MST Financial senior analyst David Gibson suggests the Switch 2 is currently in mass production and scheduled to launch in March 2025.
Going flatly against the above suggestions, a Discord leaker who successfully predicted the launch of the PS5 Pro believes we'll see the device as soon as October 2024. But we'd be inclined to take that with a hefty pinch of salt.
The latest rumor comes to us from a mixture of Weibo and a Pokémon tipster who claim that Nintendo will have an announcement event for the Switch 2 in January with a true launch in March 2025. A fairly quick 2-month turnaround.
Nintendo Switch 2 specs
We can expect Nintendo to stick with a system-on-a-chip from Nvidia, likely some next-generation take on the aged Tegra X1 chip found in the current Switch. We’d not be surprised if Nintendo got a custom chipset from Nvidia as well, given the success and scope of the Switch.
But advancements by AMD, as seen with the Valve Stream Deck and Asus ROG Ally, could put Team Red with an outside chance of providing the silicon for a next-generation Switch. But we’d still err on the side of Nvidia.
In fact, after a chaotic rumor tipping a Tegra chip based on Samsubg's 5-nanometer process node, which was then refuted by the tipster it originated from, we feel that the Nintendo Switch 2 will have some form of Nvidia chip at its heart.
It would be difficult to guess at potential power or clock speeds. But we’d like to hope that Nintendo taps into enough CPU and GPU power to deliver a next-gen gaming experience.
However, a Switch 2 spec sheet leak could point toward a console that's not as next-gen as we'd hoped. According to RedGamingTech, the Nintendo Switch 2 will pack an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 10 streaming multiprocessors (SMs), 8GB of RAM and just 64GB of eMMC storage. That's an upgrade over the current Switch, but it's nowhere near enough power to compete with PS5 or Xbox Series X.
There were murmurs of a potential co-processor chip to live in the dock of a Switch 2 or the once-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro. This extra chip would be used to boost the console's power and video output when docked and connected to a 4K TV. Such a feature would be neat, but rumors around it have fallen quiet.
Onboard storage has been tipped at 512GB, which would be a significant upgrade over the 32GB and 64GB of the original Switch and Switch OLED respectively.
Nintendo Switch 2 display
On the display side, we can see the Switch 2 going for an OLED panel, much like that of the Switch OLED. But hopefully, a boost in refresh rates would be good, say taking the 60Hz display and boosting it to 120Hz; as seen in the best phones. There are no rumors to support this, but we’ve got our fingers crossed.
However, Sharp, which makes the current Switch displays, has said it's working on a new LCD panel for a "new gaming console" — that could be the Switch 2. If that is the case then it could be disappointing as the Switch 2 may come with more dated screen tech than the Switch OLED. There's a chance Sharp could be referring to another as-yet-unannounced console. But we're a little concerned the Switch 2 might not use OLED panels as standard.
Our fears have been further increased by a recent rumor suggesting the Switch 2 will launch with an LCD display to keep production costs down. And a new rumor from tipster NateTheHate further adds fuel to the rumor that the Nintendo Switch 2 could have an LCD display.
However, on the bright side, third-party controller maker Mobapad claims the Switch 2 will get an 8-inch screen with a resolution of 1080p. The current Switch has a 7-inch display and only supports 1080p when docked.
Nintendo Switch 2 features
There’s precious little in the way of hints about Nintendo Switch 2's features, but we can apply some educated guesswork.
If the Switch 2 sticks to the same control scheme as the Switch, we’d like to see it improve the Joy-Cons so they suffer less from potential stick drifting and have analog triggers for more precise control in the likes of racing games. Some tweaks to the ergonomics — if Nintendo does indeed stick with the Switch’s core design — would also be appreciated with the Switch 2.
Apparently, the new Joy-Cons will be larger and will attach to the Switch 2 magnetically. They're also set to add more buttons, according to reports.
We’d like to see a boost in battery life for the next-gen console, as the Switch tends to run out of juice in a handful of hours when running games like Breath of the Wild. A bigger battery would certainly help make it a more viable gaming machine for things like long international flights.
One other feature we'd like to see is improved WI-Fi connectivity for the Nintendo Switch 2. It might not be the first upgrade that springs to mind, but better Wi-Fi can be a dramatic upgrade when it comes to things like game streaming or simply downloading games at speed.
Nintendo Switch 2 games
A new Mario game has been tipped for the Nintendo Switch 2. And it'll apparently be created using the Unreal 4 engine. This initial leak has been given further credibility by a report claiming the system will launch with a new 3D Mario title. Plus, in the second year of its lifecycle, the console will get a new Mario Kart game, called Mario Kart X. It's believed to be the most "expensive game Nintendo has ever produced."
There are also reports that Final Fantasy 7 Remake "looks and runs" like a PS5 game on the Switch 2. The 2020 game could be a pretty excellent showcase of the device's power at launch and is definitely a game the current Switch couldn't handle.
A fresh report from a leaker known as Nash Weedle suggests that the Bayonetta Trilogy is heading to Switch 2. This collection would bundle together the three mainline Bayonetta games, and also upgrade them with enhanced visuals and performance as well as HDR features. This would be one seriously stylish package.
A recent Eurogamer report claims that select developers were given a behind-closed-doors look at the Nintendo Switch 2 at the Gamescom 2023 trade show in Germany. The website's sources suggest that Nintendo demoed a new version of Breath of the Wild to show off the Switch 2's power, but it's unknown if a refreshed port of the game will ever be released to the public or if it was just for demoing purposes.
We can likely expect to see big first-party games come to the Switch 2, say a new Zelda game at some point. But potential other games exist only in the realms of speculation and imagination at the time of writing. In the meantime, there are still new titles coming to the Nintendo Switch, some of which could rival the best Switch games we've played thus far: Metroid Prime 4, anyone?
Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility
Nintendo has confirmed the very first details about the Switch 2 (Which the company refers to only as "the successor to Nintendo Switch), and it's good news for Switch users who have built up a vast library of games over the years. Nintendo's next console will be backwards compatible it's now official.
Nintendo President, Shuntaro Furukawa, relayed this information via a recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing where it was confirmed "that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch." So that means you'll be able to bring all the best Nintendo Switch games with you to whatever hardware comes next from the Japanese gaming giant.
It was also confirmed at the same time that Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the Switch 2 (but that seemed almost a given). One thing that hasn't been detailed is whether this backwards compatibility feature will extend to physical games and digital games. We'd be hugely disappointed if our physical Switch game cards aren't also functional with Nintendo's new hardware.
We have also argued that backward compatibility will need to extend to the Switch Joy-Cons. Backup Joy-Cons can be an expensive extra for the current Switch, so if they are rendered moot with the Switch 2, that could be rather disappointing, And we’d hope other existing Switch accessories like the Ring Fit Adventure and external controllers will also be usable with the Switch 2.
For what it's worth, Mobapad claims there will be backward compatibility for both older Joy-Cons and games supported by the original Switch. We know that at least that second part is accurate now, so let's hope the first bit is as well.
Nintendo Switch 2 outlook
As explained, the Nintendo Switch 2 hasn't been officially announced so it's best to take everything written above with a grain of salt. That said, Nintendo has confirmed it is working on new hardware, it's just a matter of whether this new system is in the Switch family or something new. And while Nintendo's next console to offer power on par with Xbox Series X or PS5, its first-party offerings should make it a winner.
We could well be due to get our first look at the new system very soon, though, as insider Chris Dring has teased that 'something' about the Switch 2 is in the pipeline. Whether that means we'll get a full reveal or just a hint at what Nintendo's been working on (or if there's any truth to this rumor at all) remains to be seen, though.
We'll update this page with any Nintendo Switch 2 rumors we hear so be sure to check back often as rumors continue pouring in nearly every week.
