Nintendo’s next-gen console is slowly coming into focus

Nintendo’s next generation console is slowly coming into focus. The Switch successor is slated to release in the second half of 2024, according to a new report from VGC, citing anonymous development sources. Some “major partner studios” reportedly already have development kits for Switch’s successor.

While details on Nintendo’s next-gen hardware are scarce, it will reportedly be playable as a handheld device, just like the Nintendo Switch, and will support cartridge-based games. The system will reportedly have an LCD display, not an OLED display, which is consistent with reporting from Bloomberg that Sharp makes LCD screens for a ‘new game console’.

The latest report on what is popularly known as “Switch 2” is in line with Nikkei AsiaMay’s reporting, which said a new Nintendo console is in the works and could be ready next year. VGC editor-in-chief Andy Robinson said in a video discussion to complement his story that he expects “the floodgates to open” as more studios get their hands on Nintendo’s next-gen development kits.

Nintendo has not formally announced its next console and has effectively ruled out one being released before April 1, 2024. The company said earlier this year that it wants to boost Switch sales with new games and add-on content. Nintendo’s current lineup includes new games and DLC for some of its biggest franchises, including Super Mario Bros. Miracle, Detective Pikachu returnsa Super Mario RPG redo, WarioWare: Move It!a new Princess Peach game and a few add-ons for it Pokémon Scarlet And purple called The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. Most of these games have a 2023 release date, but the Princess Peach game and a remake of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon are scheduled for 2024.

What has Nintendo said about its next-gen console?

In June, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa spoke obliquely about the company’s next-gen hardware, saying it hoped to provide a smooth transition from the Switch to a new platform. “As for the transition from Nintendo Switch to the next-generation machine,” Furukawa said in translated remarks at an investor meeting, “we want to do as much as we can to help our customers transition smoothly, while using the Nintendo Account.”

Nintendo is in the somewhat unenviable position of repeating its success with the Switch – which has sold more than 125 million units since its launch in 2017 – with a new platform. Furukawa’s comments about Nintendo accounts being tied to digital purchases may have suggested some level of backward compatibility. With over a billion Switch games sold, backwards compatibility for Switch 2 seems crucial. But VGC reports that some third-party publishers have “raised concerns that legacy support for Switch games could negatively impact sales of next-generation titles.”

When is Nintendo Switch 2 coming out?

Unlike the original Switch, which came out in March 2017, Nintendo appears to be aiming for a late Summer or Fall launch for its next-gen console. VGC reported that Nintendo hopes to have enough stock for the Switch’s successor to avoid shortages, especially around the crucial holiday shopping season.

For historical context, Nintendo unveiled the Wii U in June 2011 at E3 that year, but didn’t release that console until 16 months later. For the Switch, Nintendo announced the system’s codename, NX, in 2015, but didn’t reveal the console’s form factor and capabilities until October 2016. The Switch was eventually released five months later. In other words, Nintendo’s official rollout of next-gen news might be months away – or even nearly a year, if the system launches after July 1.

Is Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatible with the original Switch?

That is still unclear. Nintendo has offered backward compatibility across multiple consoles (Wii, Wii U) and handhelds (Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS), but support for Switch games on its successor is not guaranteed.

VGC’s Andy Robinson reported that some publishers are supposedly skittish about launching games on a new console with a library of thousands of existing titles from the previous generation as day one competition. But Nintendo chooses not porting Switch owners’ libraries to a new console generation would certainly be a sign against the new system. Of course there are technical hurdles to overcome, and Nintendo might find the technical effort unfeasible.

Plus, Nintendo has made it a comfortably profitable business to re-release older games on new hardware. Wii U game mario kart 8 ultimately the Switch’s biggest success – Nintendo’s repackaged and expanded version of the kart racer has sold over 53 million units on Switch.

When will Nintendo reveal more about its next-gen console?

That is almost impossible to say. But after events like the Tokyo Game Show in September, the company may start talking more about the system. It’s possible that Nintendo won’t say anything until 2024, in an effort to keep up sales of Switch hardware. But unlike the WIi U era, Nintendo isn’t obligated to announce its next system at events like E3 (which may not even happen in 2024).