Despite no official announcement, the Nintendo Switch 2's release is closer than ever.
After more than seven years on the market (and over 141 million Switch consoles sold via Statista), Nintendo is about to introduce its next generation of gaming hardware with what many colloquially call the Nintendo Switch 2.
The device has long been rumored, reportedly keeping the same hybrid form factor that has made the Switch a success but making a few key changes under the hood.
[ Nintendo Switch 2: Release, Leaks and Everything We Know ]
When Will the Nintendo Switch 2 Be Released?
No public release date for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been announced, but rumors indicate when the new device could hit store shelves worldwide.
According to Chinese investment site MonkeyDJ (via Tom's Guide), production on the Switch successor has long been underway. This was reportedly set to peak sometime in mid-2024, indicating the Japanese console manufacturer is prepping for an incoming hardware launch.
This new gaming machine is reportedly set to look similar to the original Nintendo Switch; however, some things will be different about the console.
In April 2024, Spanish gaming site Vandal (via GamesRadar) spotted information regarding the Switch 2's design, including the mention of new Joy-Con controllers that latch magnetically to the sides of the device, as well as the backward compatibility of the current Switch Pro Controller.
This means Nintendo may be innovating on its slide-on, slide-off rail and clip system for its screen-adjacent Joy-Con controllers and instead incorporating magnetic locks into the new console.
So, while gamers may be able to keep their Pro Controllers around for another few years, it seems those collections of Joy-Cons in the closet are about to get a whole lot bigger as the peripherals that were built for the original Switch will not be compatible with the new device.
It has also been reported that the "Successor to the Switch," as Nintendo has called it, will use the same online Nintendo Switch account system.
In a May 2024 earnings call, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa made the online account announcement (via Laptop), insinuating that it will be fairly easy for Switch owners to transfer their digital games libraries over to the Switch 2 (something Nintendo has been largely against until now).
Furukawa also reassured physical game collectors that Nintendo would continue to sell its titles physically for those who want to purchase their games that way.
With production well underway, Nintendo may be stockpiling the supply of its new hybrid console to curb the scalping market upon its release.
And if recent release rumors prove true, it still could have a sizable chunk of time to build up that supply.
After months of working under the assumption that the Switch 2 would be released in 2024, it was reported in February 2024 that that would not be the case. Per Brazilian journalist Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe (via VGC), the new console would instead debut sometime in Q1 2025.
This is in line with what Nintendo has said about its Switch successor as well.
President Shuntaro Furukawa told investors in May 2024 that the Japanese tech giant would announce the new Switch "within this fiscal year" (running April 1 -March 31):
"This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo. We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015. We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation."
Based on this, it seems likely the Nintendo Switch 2 roll-out plan will look quite similar to that of the original Switch.
The Nintendo Switch was officially shown off for the first time in Fall 2016, followed by a full-on software showcase in January 2017 and a release in March of the same year.
If the Switch 2 were to follow suit, its announcement would come sometime this fall before officially being released before the end of March 2025.
For those who cannot wait for the new console, the Nintendo Switch is available worldwide now.
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