The internal release date for the Nintendo Switch 2 has reportedly been pushed back, leaving Nintendo fans with what is shaping up to be a barren 2024 lineup of games.
While Nintendo has been denying any plans to step past the Nintendo Switch to media and waffling on the matter with investors, media and leakers have all said the same thing; the Nintendo Switch 2 was set to come out in Q4 2024 ahead of the holiday season. Now numerous media outlets are saying that this has changed, and not in a positive direction.
The news is now that the Switch 2 release date has been pushed back into 2025. This leaves Nintendo fans with several awkward months ahead with a barren release calendar.
What is the Nintendo Switch 2’s release date?
Fans can expect a Q1 2025 release for the Nintendo Switch 2, or whatever the next-gen Nintendo console ends up being named. This comes after previous reports indicated that the release would come at some point between September and December 2024. News of the change first came from Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe, with Eurogamer later corroborating the report.
Data regarding the development of a next-gen Nintendo console first leaked when a hacker group followed through on a ransomware attack on Nvidia. Nvidia manufactures GPUs for both PCs and various gaming consoles, including the Nintendo Switch. The leaked data included information regarding a new system on a chip that was intended for use with an unrevealed piece of Nintendo hardware.
In 2023, VGC reported that devkits for the Nintendo Switch 2 were shipped to and received by select developers and that the console was targeted for a late-2024 release. Notable leakers separate from these reports named Sega and Square Enix among the publishers whose studios received devkits. Though details regarding the specs and possible upscaling technology in the Switch 2 have varied to some degree based on the report, the consistent refrain was still a late 2024 release window until now.
Why was the Switch 2 release date pushed back?
The Nintendo Switch 2 release date was reportedly pushed back due to Nintendo looking to ensure a robust lineup of launch titles for its next-gen console.
There still aren’t any details regarding what titles will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day. Numerous leakers and reporters have suggested that ports for existing games like Persona 3 Reload, upcoming games like the Jet Set Radio reboot, and surprising names like Grand Theft Auto 6 are all planned for a Switch 2 release at some point.
The first-party front is completely murky as Nintendo has not yet officially confirmed the Switch 2’s existence despite court documents proving that the company discussed it with outside publishers. Metroid Prime 4 is the biggest confirmed first-party that is unaccounted for and there have been trademark filings that suggest a new Star Fox game could be in the works. Precedent also suggests that a new Pokemon game, most likely some sort of remake or spin-off based on Pokemon Black and White, will come out in November 2024.
Regardless, if these reports prove true, Nintendo Switch fans have a long wait ahead. Princess Peach: Showtime is the only major original first-party release on the calendar with a remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door also set to come out in 2024. Beyond that, pickings are quite slim.
