The reported 2025 release for the Nintendo Switch 2 console will reportedly break a frustrating record for the Japanese tech giant.
Following more than seven years on the market, the life of Nintendo's first Switch hybrid console seems to be ending.
The Nintendo Switch (released in March 2017) has sold nearly 140 million units (via IGN); however, rumors indicate Nintendo is prepping the release of its new technically superior next-generation console.
[ Nintendo Switch 2: Release, Leaks and Everything We Know ]
Switch 2 Primed To Break Nintendo Record
If new reports are to be believed, the Nintendo Switch 2 will break a Nintendo record, making it the longest between new home consoles for the company.
According to reporting from Eurogamer, the Switch 2 - which was assumed to be coming out this fall - has been pushed to release in Q1 2025.
The move is supposedly an effort by Nintendo to better set the new console up for success in its launch window, ensuring the Switch 2 has a packed launch lineup filled with a diverse catalog of games.
If this Q1 2025 release timing bears out, it will have been over eight years since the Switch's release. This breaks the record for the longest time between home console releases for Nintendo since it entered the market in 1985.
The previous record holder was the gap between the Wii and the Wii U, which took 5 years, 11 months, and 30 days to release.
Much like the Wii, this extended gap between the two consoles likely has something to do with the incredible success the Switch has enjoyed. The Nintendo Switch is the third highest-selling console ever, trailing only the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS.
Here is a list of the gaps between Nintendo home consoles based on US/Worldwide release date:
- NES - October 18, 1985
- SNES - August 23, 1991 (5 years, 10 months, 5 days since NES)
- Nintendo 64 - September 29, 1996 (5 years, 1 month, 6 days since SNES)
- GameCube - November 18, 2001 (5 years, 1 month, 20 days since Nintendo 64)
- Wii - November 19, 2006 (5 years, 1 day since GameCube)
- Wii U - November 18, 2012 (5 years, 11 months, 30 days since Wii)
- Nintendo Switch: March 3, 2017 (4 years, 3 months, 13 days since Wii U)
- Nintendo Switch 2: Expected Q1 2025 (~8 Years)
Will the Switch 2 Miss a 2024 Release?
Despite previous reporting, the Nintendo Switch 2 will likely not be released in 2024, much to the dismay of many Nintendo fans.
Gamers were convinced Nintendo's new console would make a fall 2024 release; however, a push to 2025 might not be the worst thing for the Japanese gaming company.
Reporting has stated the Switch 2 is still set to come out sometime within the fiscal year, meaning it has to hit store shelves sometime before March 2025.
While setting up a stacked release lineup might be part of the equation, another variable that has to be considered is Nintendo potentially trying to avoid the stock shortages that have plagued console launches for years.
Recent console launches, such as the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, saw many gamers trying to pick up the new next-gen machines only to find they were sold out.
According to a Japanese language report from Nikkei (via The Verge), Nintendo is hoping to avoid scarcity of "initial stock of successor machines," which is the main reason the Switch 2 launch was ultimately pushed:
"[Nintendo] prioritized securing initial stock of successor machines and the lineup of popular software at the time of release."
Those budgeting hoping to grab Nintendo's latest gaming machine by the end of 2024 might have to wait a bit longer.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is reported to be released sometime in Q1 2025.
