Given the success of the Nintendo Switch — which recently became the third bestselling system of all time — it’s practically inevitable that we’ll see some sort of enhanced iteration in the future. Sure, the Switch OLED was released in 2021, but could the Nintendo Switch 2 be next in line? The company hasn’t announced plans for a new console yet, but considering the plethora of Nintendo Switch 2 leaks and rumors, it’s possible the new system is currently in the works. Here’s what we know about the supposed Nintendo Switch 2 system.
Is Nintendo Switch 2 in Development?
The Nintendo Switch 2 has yet to be officially announced, so there’s no easy answer here. But various leaks and rumors indicate that Nintendo does have plans for something, likely the Switch 2. Of course, if Nintendo is working on a follow-up, it’s unclear what the system will be called.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa didn’t comment on the new console when asked during the latest earnings call. “I cannot say anything specific about a next-generation platform at this time,” he told investors. However, he hinted at the possibility.
“We are always working on various projects aimed at the future by asking ourselves what kind of fun proposal we can make, which can possibly provide new and unique entertainment.”
After Nintendo announced the OLED model, Inverse reached out to analysts about the Nintendo Switch 2. “I believe we will see a stronger upgrade than this one along the line before Nintendo releases an all-new console,” Serkan Toto of Kantan Games said. This statement did come with the caveat that the upgraded console was “several years” away at the time. Even in 2023, there’s no official sign of a Switch 2.
Taking Toto’s plural year description into consideration, this upgrade won’t be available until later in 2023 at the earliest.
Nintendo Switch 2 Leaks and Rumors
Assuming a Nintendo Switch 2 is in the works, when will it be revealed? An insider source told Nikkei Asia that consumers would have to wait at least another year for a new console.
“Development seems to be progressing well,” the source told Nikkei. “But a product launch won't happen before next spring at the earliest.” If the source is right, that means Spring 2024 is the earliest that the Switch 2 could come out.
Another leak came from Redditor “Factory Uncle,” who apparently worked at a Nintendo production line. Factory Uncle said that a “next gen Switch” was in the works, before they were permabanned from Reddit by Nintendo, with the thread deleted as well. For context, this is the same person who leaked the Splatoon 3 Switch OLED system. The fact that they were permabanned could lend credence to the validity of this claim.
Nintendo Switch 2 Cost
Nintendo Switch 2 has yet to be announced, but experts like Matthew Kanterman of Bloomberg Intelligence and Serkan Toto have landed on some range of price. On multiple occasions, these experts have suggested that the Nintendo Switch Pro would cost at least $100 more than the current model. That would place it at $400.
Seeing as the slightly upgraded Nintendo Switch OLED model costs $50 more than the base Nintendo Switch, these assumptions were likely not far from the mark.
Potential Nintendo Switch 2 Features
At this point, it’s impossible to say for sure what sorts of features the Switch 2 will have, but there are a few safe bets we can assume. For starters, the new Switch will almost certainly boast more power than the Switch OLED, with the capability to play modern titles with higher fidelity. It’s unclear to what extent, but perhaps 4K isn’t an outlandish expectation. Currently, the Switch struggles to run many third-party AAA games, so performance will likely be a priority with the Switch 2.
It’s also highly likely the Switch 2 will be backward compatible with the original Switch — a feature that Nintendo tends to implement with console successors.
Likewise, Grubb mentioned that it’s possible some original Switch games will feature upgrades, potentially giving them improved performance on Nintendo’s newest system.
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait to see what Nintendo has up its sleeve. Of course, the company has at least started thinking about its next console, but what it ends up looking like is still a mystery.
