Everyone hopes that Nintendo throw the Switch 2 —or whatever its next console is called— in the second half of 2024, and the president of the company has provided new clues that seem to confirm it.
In an interview with the Japanese edition of Nikkei (via VGC), Shuntaro Furukawa detailed Nintendo’s plans for the original Switch for the current and upcoming fiscal year. And although he did not directly mention the hardware that will replace it, he did emphasize when the model launched in 2017 will no longer be at the center of the scene.
Asked if it would be possible to extend the useful life of the Nintendo Switch after more than 6 years on the market, Furukawa stated that his intention is keep focus on it until the end of the current fiscal yearwhich ends on March 31, 2024.
The executive assured that they intend to maximize interest in current hardware during the end-of-year holidays. Thus, they aim to seduce not only those who come to the console for the first time, but also those looking for a second unit or a replacement. Anyway, he didn’t specify too much about how they plan to do it. Will Nintendo take the opportunity to lower prices and give Switch sales a final push? For now, it is impossible to know.
This would pave the way for the next generation console from the Japanese appear on the scene during the second half of next year. If so, the rumors that have been circulating for a long time about the arrival of the long-awaited Switch 2 would be fulfilled.
Nintendo’s plans for the Switch 2
The president of Nintendo also referred to the software of the original Switch. He stated that the intention is to continue working on it during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. This means that users They can continue waiting for games for the current console, even if its successor is already available.
Nintendo has not yet made a public statement about the Switch 2. However, as we mentioned at the beginning, in the industry it is already assumed that the new console will arrive during the second half of 2024. This is not only based on rumors arising from the supply chain, but even Microsoft mentioned it during the lawsuit against the FTC for the purchase of Activision Blizzard.
The Japanese would have shown the new hardware to trusted developers during Gamescom. As it became known at the time, a lucky few were able to see it in action with a special version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Although what caused the greatest surprise was his ability to execute The Matrix Awakensthe Unreal Engine 5 demo.
Some studios have already received the development kits for the Nintendo Switch 2, to work towards a launch next year. It is rumored that will support NVIDIA DLSS technology with ray tracing and that it will offer performance similar to that of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
If the latter is confirmed, it would imply a jump of performance notorious. Let’s keep in mind that players have been complaining for a long time that the Nintendo Switch reached the limit of its technical possibilities. A more powerful and modern specs table would open the doors to more third-party AAA games, such as Call of Dutyand could bring interest in the device to an even broader audience.