According to a few key partner studios, the Nintendo ‘Switch 2’ we’ve all been waiting for may arrive in the second half of 2024. Development kits have been sent out to these studios and while information is currently very limited a few of the details have been leaked to VGC.
By the sounds of things, ‘the Switch 2’ will remain a dual platform, meaning we can play it on the go or have it docked for that couch console experience. The console itself will probably feature the standard LCD over the OLED to try and keep costs down while Nintendo attempts to boost the internal storage of the device.
While it is said that the new console will have a cartridge slot, backwards compatibility details have not yet surfaced. Of course, this would help get people onto the new-gen console, since a Nintendo game costs half as much as groceries for a month, but some 3rd party developers claim this will hamper the console’s next-gen game sales.
Industry experts say that an end-of-year 2024 release for Nintendo’s new console makes sense. It lines up with its previous release schedules, around 3 to 4 years after PlayStation and Xbox, and the current Switch sales are starting to decline. According to Tokyo-based industry consultant Dr Serkan Toto, “…looking at Nintendo’s financials, it seems clear that it’s time for a new piece of hardware in 2024. Hardware is already projected to fall 16.5% year-on-year in the current fiscal, while the minus for software is expected to hit 15.9%.
Hopefully, an end-of-year release means Nintendo will have some banging titles in store for us for Christmas, otherwise, the new console might just not make it out of its infant stage.
The rumoured launch date is just around the corner and now that we have some credible-sounding leaks out there we can expect to see a lot more information on the ‘Switch 2’ pretty soon.