Big question on social this week: Is Nintendo Switch 2 coming out or not? Our best guess: 2024/2025.
There’s been a lot of movement in the portable gaming industry in the last several years. From the Steam Deck’s painfully delayed release to the retro-styled Analog Pocket, there’s a race in the gaming space for durable and fun handheld devices. A race Nintendo is still winning, mind you.
In 2017, Nintendo gave us Zelda: BOTW and an incredibly robust portable gaming device. In 2018, Nintendo upped the ante by adding Fortnite to their library, a move that has contributed to the 6-year-old device’s explosive popularity.
Last month it was announced that Microsoft signed a 10-year deal with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to the portable gaming platform. Though just this week EU regulators questioned whether the Switch could handle the technical requirements associated with running the monster FPS.
Which begs the question: with so much behind-the-scenes action between Nintendo and premium game developers, will the Switch be able to adapt to the growing technical needs of modern games?
Or more importantly: Is the Switch 2 coming out this year or not?
Related: No Fortnite On Luna Today, But Could It Come In 2023?
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Is Nintendo Switch 2 coming out this year?
That’s a tough question. Nintendo is notoriously secretive about new releases (remember the Switch Pro?). However, we can look to the tea leaves for more information; here’s what we know.
As of this writing, there is no official confirmation or announcement from Nintendo regarding the release or development of a Nintendo Switch 2. However, there have been rumors and speculations floating around the internet about the potential features and improvements that the next-generation console may bring.
Some rumors suggest that the Switch 2 may have a more powerful processor and graphics capabilities, a larger and higher-quality display screen, improved battery life, and additional functionalities such as virtual reality support. It is important to note that these are all just rumors and speculation at this point, and we will have to wait for an official announcement to know for sure what the Nintendo Switch 2 will entail.
We also know that Nintendo’s supply lines were strained significantly in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic, which could throw more cold water on the possibility that a Switch 2 could hit the market in 2023.
History of Nintendo console releases
Nintendo is anything but consistent. Unlike Microsoft and Sony, who’ve released a new generation of their signature console every few years or so, Nintendo has been much more agile, adjusting to trends and their ability to fill a need rather than keep a schedule. Here’s a brief history of the Nintendo console releases since the 1980s:
- 1983: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is released in Japan and North America.
- 1990: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) is released in Japan and North America.
- 1996: Nintendo 64 (N64) is released in Japan and North America.
- 2001: Nintendo GameCube is released in Japan and North America.
- 2006: Wii console is released in Japan and North America.
- 2012: Wii U console is released in Japan and North America.
- 2017: Nintendo Switch is released in Japan and North America.
- 2019: Nintendo Switch Lite is released in Japan and North America.
- 2021: Nintento Switch OLED is released in Japan and North America.
- 2023: Is Nintendo Switch 2 coming out?
As the data tells us, from the classic NES to the modern-day Switch, Nintendo continues to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing market. But the company is anything but responsive to customer demands and timelines (posting more Tweets about it will not move Nintendo either – we’ve tried).
Bottomline: Is Nintendo Switch 2 coming out in 2023 or not?
We don’t think so. Eventually of course, we have no doubt the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming to markets, that’s true. But supply lines and contracts indicate we’ve got to wait a bit longer for a new device.
In fact, Nintendo’s deal with Microsoft may give us our most solid clue about the Nintendo Switch 2.
While many expect Zelda: BOTW 2 to usher in a new portable Switch, that is probably not the case. BTOW 2, even if it was released in tandem with a new Switch model, will likely still run very smoothly on existing Switch devices (why would Nintendo build a game 114 million loyal customers can’t play?).
In the alternative, it is much more likely that EU regulators are correct that existing Switch models will not have the capacity to run Call of Duty – which means Nintendo has to put a little more oomph in their next device.
Given that Sony’s contract to license Call of Duty ends in 2024, possibly the same year that Nintendo’s 10-year deal begins, we anticipate customers are much more likely to see a Nintendo Switch 2 Call of Duty bundle drop late in 2024 or early 2025.
In other words, BOTW 2 might be all we get this year. Still, have you seen that BOTW promo?