A new leak indicates the Nintendo Switch 2 release date may be later in the year than initially expected.
As rampant leaks of Nintendo's new hybrid console begin to make their way online, fans have held out hope that a release date for the next-gen gaming machine is close on the horizon.
This comes as the console was initially rumored to hit store shelves sometime last fall. However, those reports ultimately proved false (whether because of changing plans or otherwise), and the focus is now on the first half of this year.
Switch 2 May Not Be as Close as Previously Thought
Fans should brace themselves, as the alleged Nintendo Switch 2 release window may be later than previously thought.
According to known leaker Nate the Hate (via Wario64 on X), the Switch 2 will be released in either May or June 2025.
This is slightly later than rumored. Many fans believed the new console would be released in March or April, around the time of the original Switch.
On a recent episode of his podcast, the Nintendo insider posited, "I know there have been some rumors out there suggesting maybe April," but "I would favor that May to June timeline" he previously reported in December 2024:
"The timeline I was given for launch remains the same as I had communicated back in December. It still sounds as if it is going to be in Nintendo's Q1, which would be April through June, and the timeline was May to June. That is what has been communicated to me. I know there have been some rumors out there suggesting maybe April, but I still think I would favor that May to June timeline. No to say April is impossible. It is definitely within play, but I have not heard anything to suggest April. Everything has been pushing me towards May and June."
Several leaks surrounding the console suggested the Switch 2 could be coming sooner, with the most recent information pinning March 3 as an alleged release date—along with a potential price, launch lineup, and reveal date (read more about the Switch 2 release rumors).
Nintendo has said only that the next-generation machine will be revealed "within this fiscal year," which ends on March 31. It has never specified whether it will be released before or around that date:
"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."
When Will the Nintendo Switch 2 Be Revealed?
Before a Nintendo Switch 2 release date, the new console must be properly revealed.
Nintendo remains tight-lipped, addressing recent leaks and rumors about the console but never offering further clarification for when fans can expect to see it for the first time.
However, in the same episode of The Nate the Hate Podcast, he addressed the console's potential release and mentioned that a reveal for it is imminent.
According to him, the Switch 2 reveal is reportedly set to come on Thursday, January 16 (via VGC):
"I can share with you that Nintendo Switch 2 will be revealed in the coming week… I have been told Switch 2 will be revealed on Thursday, January 16… just a few days from now."
He also specified that the reveal event will "focus almost exclusively on the console itself," offering little in the way of software news:
"I've heard that the reveal itself is going to focus almost exclusively on the console itself. There is not going to be any presence of games. There could be a game shown running on the screen, depending on how the trailer is put together, but software is not going to be a focus."
With only rumors about what the Switch 2's launch lineup will look like to go off of (likely including one hotly-anticipated Nintendo sequel), Nate the Hate seems to believe another event will occur before launch focusing exclusively on software, giving the upcoming console its time to shine before getting into the games.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to be released sometime in 2025.
