A new Nintendo system is widely reported to be on the way in the near future, building on the success of the Switch.
2024 will mark seven years since the release of the Nintendo Switch and a successor is likely to take Nintendo into the next generation of gaming, which is an exciting prospect for fans.
Plenty of details have been teased and leaked for Nintendo’s next console and you can see a round-up below.
All Nintendo Switch 2 hardware details
The Nintendo Switch 2 is rumored to utilize an updated Nvidia SoC (system-on-chip), which would lead to significantly better performance than the current-gen system and could support features like DLSS.
An upgraded RAM is also rumored to be used on Nintendo’s new system, leading to a massive boost in overall performance, while storage is expected to be embedded into the motherboard of the console.
At Gamescom 2023, Nintendo reportedly showed off its upcoming console playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at 60 FPS with 4K resolution, and it’s expected that an OLED display will come as standard.
What will Nintendo Switch 2 be called?
While Nintendo has recycled names previously with the likes of the Gameboy Advance SP and the Wii U, we never saw a direct named successor for the likes of the GameCube and Nintendo 64, so it is anyone’s guess what approach Nintendo takes this time around.
It may be that Nintendo sticks to a generic approach and releases a new console under the name of Nintendo Switch 2, or it could come up with something entirely new. At this stage, it’s all just guesswork and we’ll have to wait for official news.
Potential Nintendo Switch 2 release window
Widespread reports have penned the Nintendo Switch 2 for a Q4 2024 release date, which would align nicely for Nintendo ahead of the festive season and fits into a schedule that has regularly been adopted by console developers for the release of a new system.
However, it would represent something of a change for Nintendo, which released the Switch in March 2017 and the 3DS in February 2011. It’s not completely new to the company, however, with the Nintendo DS launching in November 2021.
It’s been claimed the Nintendo Switch 2 could arrive around the same time as Sony’s PS5 Pro, though there have also been suggestions that Nintendo is prioritizing a release earlier in the year in order to combat PlayStation’s sales momentum.
Regardless of what happens with the next piece of hardware released by Nintendo, the current Switch will continue to be supported until 2025.
Potential Nintendo Switch 2 release games
Nintendo has an embarrassment of riches it can launch as release games alongside Nintendo Switch 2, though the fact that 2023 will see Zelda: TOTK and Super Mario Wonder release may remove both heavy-hitters from the equation—although not completely.
Prominent leaker Zippo has claimed a new Super Mario title could launch with Nintendo Switch 2, though it’s unclear whether this would be a traditional platformer, like Wonder, or whether it would just be another game featuring Nintendo’s iconic plumber.
Top of the wishlist for many gamers would be a new Mario Kart title, with it now nine years since Mario Kart 8 launched and six years since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In the meantime, we’ve had new tracks and characters added with the Booster Course Pass—with the sixth and final wave releasing before the end of 2023.
A new Pokémon title could also come at launch, though we’re unlikely to see Generation 10 until 2025. We could, however, see a successor to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, or a remake of Black and White—which are next in line in that regard.
