The Nintendo Switch turned 7 years old in 2024, so it should come as no surprise that reports are indicating that a successor – potentially called the Nintendo Switch 2 – could launch in the near future.
It was previously believed that the Nintendo Switch 2 would launch in the latter end of 2024, but fresh reports via VGC now indicate that Nintendo has pushed back the next-gen console to the first quarter of 2025.
Previous reports from VGC have also reported that the Switch 2 could be based on a similar hybrid design as the original, allowing you to play it as both a portable and home console. However, the successor will likely get a big performance boost thanks to an upgraded chip.
We’ve detailed all of the reported new potential features for the Nintendo Switch 2 below.
Release date
The Nintendo Switch 2 is now expected to launch in the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report by VGC.
The original Switch first launched in March 2017, so there’s a good chance that its successor could launch in the game month, only 8 years after.
The Switch 2 was previously touted for a 2024 launch, but VGC reports that Nintendo has since pushed back that release date, potentially to ensure the company has time to complete a healthy offering of first-party games.
Price
Nintendo has been tight-lipped about how much this new console will cost. With the original Nintendo Switch priced at £279/$299 and the Switch Lite costing £199/$199, we expect a sequel to cost over £300/$300.
VGC reports that the Switch successor could launch with an LCD screen, instead of an OLED screen, in a bid to bring down costs. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Switch 2 will be more affordable than the £299/$349.99 Nintendo Switch OLED, since the former is expected to have more powerful specs.
We will update this article when we know more about the pricing.
Specs
The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to boast improved specs over its predecessors, although we don’t have any concrete details on the internals yet.
Reuters has reported that the Switch 2 will be powered by a new Nvidia custom design processor, although there’s no official word on what kind of performance we can expect from it. Since the original console is powered by the Nvidia Tegra X1 processor, it’s no surprise that Nintendo and Nvidia could be working together once again.
The next iteration of the Nintendo Switch 2 has long been expected to support a 4K resolution. Bloomberg has also reported that the future console will support Nvidia’s DLSS technology. Put simply, DLSS uses artificial intelligence and clever upscaling technology to boost the frame rate of a game without impacting the visual quality. DLSS is currently used by Nvidia’s high-end graphics cards like the RTX 4000 and RTX 3000 series and has been well received by gamers.
DLSS would make sense on a console like the Switch as it could help to make up for the limited hardware and boost the frame rate high enough to make 4K gaming possible.
Taking a closer look at the 4K rumours, Bloomberg alleged that the company is asking developers to make new Nintendo Switch games 4K ready in docked mode. Bloomberg also claims that up to 11 game studios have had access to an official development kit that featured 4K support. Although it’s possible that this was for the rumoured Nintendo Switch Pro which was seemingly shelved in favour of the Nintendo Switch OLED.
This means it’s difficult to know whether these scrapped plans will be re-used for the eventual successor of the Nintendo Switch. It’s entirely possible that Nintendo decides to go in a different direction altogether.
VGC also reports that the Nintendo Switch 2 will support ray tracing, allowing it to generate realistic lighting effects, which the PS5 and Xbox Series X are capable of.
Nintendo has also filed for a patent on new Hall Effect-style joysticks, which could possibly eradicate the existing Joy-Con drift issue on current Switch consoles. This is because the joystick’s physical mechanisms would move to a magnet-based system, removing the chance of erosion over extended periods of time.
VGC reports that Nintendo could boost the storage for the Switch 2 in order to keep up with the inflating sizes of modern games, and will likely retain the cartridge slot in order for it to continue running physical games.
While it’s possible that the Switch 2 will support a higher 4K resolution, VGC suggests that Nintendo will stick with an LCD screen rather than an OLED. This will apparently be done to keep down costs, although we suspect an OLED iteration could launch a few years after.
Games
Since the new console has yet to be announced, there are no official games for the Switch 2 yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate on what could be arriving.
Nintendo has been suspiciously quiet about a potential follow up to Super Mario Odyssey. Odyssey was released fairly early into the Switch’s life cycle, and there’s no sign of a sequel to Mario’s globe-trotting adventure which might indicate it as being earmarked as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title. Fans have also been clamouring for a new Mario Kart game, since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was the last iteration and launched back in 2017.
A report from website Universo Nintendo suggests that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible, allowing you to play your collection of physical and digital games on the next-gen console. What’s more, it’s possible that older games could benefit from the performance boost, potentially improving the visuals and loading times.
That’s everything we know about the potential Nintendo Switch 2 so far, but we’ll be updating this article as soon as we hear more.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
