Industry sources have told VGC that the successor to the Nintendo Switch could be out next year, and that dev kits are already with key studios.
Whether it’s called the Switch 2, Switch U or Switchbox Series X/S, Nintendo’s next console could be with us around the middle of 2024. That’s according to “multiple” industry sources who’ve spoken to VGC, who add that the release window will be designed to ensure there’s plenty of units available for punters to buy ahead of next year’s busy festive season.
VGC’s lengthy report contains other tantalising details too, including word that dev kits have already been despatched to certain ‘key partner’ studios. Interestingly, this chimes with a rumour doing the rounds in early July, which suggested that a developer in Spain had received a dev kit for Nintendo’s next console.
It’s also thought that the Switch sequel will feature an LCD screen rather than an OLED panel, in order to reduce costs, and that the device will still use physical media, much like the Switch (whether it’ll be the same card format as Nintendo’s current console isn’t clear).
Anticipation has been building around Nintendo’s hardware activities in recent months; in May, Sharp – a company that has enjoyed a relationship with Nintendo that goes back to the Famicom era – said it was working on a new game console with an unnamed firm. This logically sparked theories that Sharp is quietly working on Nintendo’s next-gen system; Sharp later deleted its CEO’s comments from the company’s financial reports, which only fuelled speculation further.
The somewhat slender package of announcements made during June’s Nintendo Direct stream have also fed theories that the Big N is keeping back its big hitters – such as the hotly-anticipated Metroid Prime 4 – for the launch of a newer, more powerful console.
Beyond all the rumours and speculation, 2024 would certainly make sense from a strategic point of view. The Switch is already over six years old at the time of writing, and while games like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4 prove there’s life in the system yet, hardware sales have tumbled in recent months.
Assuming the reports of a Nintendo Switch successor are correct, then the word of dev kits and launch windows will be just the start of a wave of news, official or otherwise. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
