At long last, details of a next-gen Switch are starting to emerge and fans have an idea of when the next Nintendo console will be released.
The Nintendo Switch first came out on March 3, 2017 and has enjoyed enormous success. The console-handheld hybrid has sold over 125 million units and boasts a long list of games that moved over 10 million copies. The consistently strong sales for the Switch and its biggest titles have seemingly made Nintendo reluctant to release a next-gen console.
According to reports, the time has come. VGC is reporting that a number of studios have received development kits for a new Nintendo console. If true, this is the first gauge of what the Switch successor will be capable of and when it might come out.
When will the next-gen Nintendo Switch come out?
A next-gen console similar to the Nintendo Switch will come out in Q3 or Q4 2024, according to reports. This lines up with previous statements and reports made to investors. Nintendo has not commented on the reports.
In May 2023 during a call with investors, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa directly stated that there were no plans to release a new piece of gaming hardware during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The fiscal year is set to end in March 2024, which aligns with reports of the next-gen Switch coming out in the second half of the year.
While there were rumors of a possible 2023 release for a Switch 2, Nintendo has a fairly dense launch schedule in the second half of the year. This includes Pikmin 4, the Super Mario RPG remake, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Hidden Treasures of Area Zero DLC. Odds are that Nintendo will want to have some space between that many major releases and the launch of its next-gen console.
Will the next Nintendo console be portable?
The next-gen Nintendo console will have portable features similar to the Nintendo Switch. Not all features are confirmed to be returning, though.
Reports indicate that the new Nintendo console will have a built-in screen that allows for portable play and will also have the ability to connect to a television. VGC’s sources speculated it will have an LCD screen rather than OLED as a cost-cutting measure. One of the three models of Nintendo Switch has an OLED screen, while the other two are LCD. It is unclear whether the new Nintendo console will have detachable Joy-Cons like the Switch, or if it will have built-in controls similar to the Steam Deck portable PC.
Beyond the release window and having a degree of portability, no other information was given. It is unknown how much more powerful the platform is, how much it might cost, or what other features it will have. It is also unclear whether it will have backwards compatibility, but Nintendo has indicated that it wants to make the transition easy for players.
