A New Nintendo Switch May Be Coming Next Year. Here's Why Everyone Is Hyped
The next Nintendo Switch iteration was supposed to be launched this year.
By Syazwan Bahri - 19 Feb 2024, 01:51 AM
Cover image via The release of Nintendo's new handheld home console may be arriving later than initially expected
Amid widespread anticipation and optimism for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 — unofficially named — later this year, recent reports suggest that launch of the highly awaited console has been postponed until early 2025.
Sources cited by Bloomberg, VGC, and Eurogamer indicate that Nintendo initially informed game publishers of the initial plan to launch the new Switch by the end of 2024, but it is now projected to be delayed until at least March 2025.
Image via Polygon
2025 is poised to be a pivotal moment for the new console, and here's why:
1. We're getting a couple of new games
Image via VG247
The confirmed titles so far are Princess Peach: Showtime, slated for release on March 22, along with Luigi's Mansion 2 HD and the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake scheduled for later this year. Observing the pattern with these upcoming games, there's speculation that Nintendo might focus on remakes and remasters of beloved franchises for the Switch 2.
Fans are particularly hopeful for HD versions of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, both previously available on the Wii U, to make their way to the new Switch.
2. With the delayed release, developers have more time to refine and polish launch titles
Image via Polygon
This includes the highly anticipated Metroid Prime 4. Initially announced in 2017, the game underwent a reboot in 2019, and there haven't been any significant updates in the five years since. Some speculate that Nintendo might be saving it for the launch of their new console.
3. The Nintendo Switch 2 will have many technological improvements over the original console
According to sources quoted by Reuters, the Nintendo Switch 2 will run on a custom Nvidia chip, a detail first noticed in May 2022.
The report suggests that the Switch will utilise a custom Nvidia SoC called the T239, also known by the codename DRAKE, which will be an ARM-based chip like the original Switch. With an Ampere-based GPU, the Switch 2 could leverage modern rendering techniques such as DLSS 2 super-resolution and DLSS 3.5 ray reconstruction. However, frame generation features are not expected on the console. Sticking with an ARM SoC could potentially enable the Switch 2 to support backwards-compatibility.
Fans are eagerly waiting for an official announcement, which might be just around the corner
Nintendo is set to host a new Nintendo Direct presentation on Wednesday, 21 February, showcasing upcoming Switch games for the first half of 2024. You can catch the Direct on Nintendo's official YouTube and Twitch channels.
We're expecting the presentation to shed more light on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
