Nintendo is waiting to announce its next console. Its last console, the Switch, has been on the market for seven years, and with its first-party release calendar looking empty for the rest of 2024, it seems very much like the calm before the storm. However, even before Nintendo has officially announced the Switch 2/Super Switch (or whatever it'll be called) leaks from various sources have already started to set expectations for the upcoming console.
Here's everything we know about Nintendo's next console.
Nintendo Switch 2 Specs
It started last year when Eurogamer reported that Nintendo showed off the new hardware to developers behind closed doors. The console was reportedly shown running an enhanced version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild along with a real-time demo of The Matrix Awakens demo. The demo was reportedly using NVIDIA's DLSS technology to upscale image quality and improve frame rates.
A few weeks later, Digital Foundry reportedly confirmed with their sources that the Switch 2 will be using the NVIDIA T239 processor - not a confirmed, "real" GPU but a projected one. This along with some custom hardware would put the Switch 2 roughly in the same ballpark as the last-gen PS4 console, but with modern features like AI upscaling and faster storage.
Being on par with the PS4 is also what was hinted at in the publicized documents that came to light following the FTC vs. Xbox trial last year. An email from Activision CFO Armin Zerza to former CEO Bobby Kotick revealed that the next Switch was expected to be in "closer alignment to Gen8 platforms in terms of performance".
Nintendo Switch 2 Backward Compatibility
One major point of concern about the next console was backward compatibility, or lack thereof, for Switch games. Thankfully, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch successor will have backwards compatibility with Switch games, although we don't officially know exactly how that will work just yet.
One report from Mobapad claims that the Switch 2's cartridge slot will support original Switch cartridges. However, as expected, Switch 2 cartridges won't be compatible with the original console. The report also claims that it will extend to digital games as well, so your entire Switch library will be supported by the new console. The Switch's Joy-cons are also claimed to be supported in Bluetooth mode, but the new console will feature redesigned Joy-cons.
In the age of live service, with cross-generational games dominating the market, it wouldn't make sense for Nintendo to completely abandon the user base it has accumulated with the Switch. Of course, offering full backward compatibility also means that the Switch 2's "gimmick" may be an evolution of the current experience, rather than offering something new.
It's also claimed that like with the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, developers will be able to update existing Switch games to offer improved performance/image quality on the new console. Playing the new Zelda games or Pokémon at a consistent 60fps does sound exciting.
Nintendo Switch 2 Design and Features
The Switch 2 is rumored to launch with an 8-inch 1080p, but whether it will have an LCD screen or an OLED display is up in the air. Should it be the former, then it'll certainly be a step down from the Switch OLED's display as far as color accuracy is concerned, but the increased screen size and resolution should make up for it.
A report from Spanish outlet Vandal states that the console's new joy-cons will attach magnetically to the console. This would mean the original Joy-cons won't be physically supported by the console's design. As for joy-con drift, Nintendo filed a patent last year that has seemingly solved the problem by using hall-effect sticks.
That report also claims a new 'C' button has been added below the HOME button, though its function remains a mystery. The Switch 2 will include two USB-C ports at the top, and the new dock will get a minor redesign. These rumors got more validity following Dbrand's unveiling of the Killswitch 2 case.
The new dock reportedly supports a 4K resolution output, while its design with a damping bracket ensures it can be readjusted in more ways. It's worth noting that reputed Nintendo leaker Pyoro has claimed that there may be some truth to these reports, although they haven't been able to verify them with their sources.
Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Games
A console is nothing without good games. Nintendo knows that which is why the original Switch, despite its outdated hardware, sold like hotcakes. The Switch's first year gave us games that are still some of the best in the industry, let alone just throughout the console's life cycle. So what will Switch 2's launch lineup look like?
For starters, Xbox's Hi-Fi Rush was heavily rumored to launch on the Switch earlier this year but ended up only arriving on PlayStation. A port of the game may be in the works for Switch 2, given the many in-game hints of it happening. If the rumor of The Matrix Awakens demo running on the Switch 2 is true, then expect tons of ports of games made with Unreal Engine.
This would open up the Switch 2 to receive ports of games like Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Final Fantasy 7 Remakes, Persona 3 Reload, Lies of P, and more. Could Xbox's rumored Gears of War Remastered collection be making a debut on the next Switch? It's technically possible, though we wouldn't count on it.
Following that, there's the question of Nintendo's first-party lineup. We know that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is confirmed for an early 2025 release and would be a perfect candidate for a cross-gen release. Metroid Prime 4 would also make a big splash, as would a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey. Don't expect a Zelda game at launch, although who knows if Nintendo is cooking a remake of Twilight Princess? We're also due for another Animal Crossing game and after the wild success of New Horizons, a next-gen game could significantly improve upon the social simulation aspects of the franchise.
According to a post on a popular internet forum following the Switch 2, the console will also get a Mario Kart 9-themed bundle around launch.
Nintendo Switch 2 Price
It's hard to predict what the Switch 2 will cost consumers, but several industry analysts have predicted that it will be cheaper than the PS5 and Xbox Series X. One such analyst, Dr. Serkan Toto, predicts that the Switch 2 will cost $400.
"I believe the next hardware will drop next year for $400," he said in a recent annual predictions feature on GamesIndustry. "There is a high chance that games will cost more, too: $70. The next system is also likely to be an iteration rather than a revolution."
While not confirmed by any means, the company is expected to price its next console below that of the PS5, following the same pattern that led the Switch to become one of the most successful consoles of all time, following the PS2.
Nintendo will release the successor to the Switch home console in 2025.
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