Everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2
Let's-a-go.
It's been seven years since the Nintendo Switch first launched with its game-changing hybrid design. During its lifetime the Switch revitalised Nintendo's fortunes following the poor sales of the Wii U, and has become one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
Latest figures show the Switch has sold over 139 million units, and is the third best-selling console of all time behind the Nintendo DS and PS2. But all good things must come to an end, and as the Switch celebrates its seventh birthday attention is shifting towards what Nintendo has planned next, with the console's successor - which is tentatively being referred to as the Switch 2 - expected to launch in early 2025.
If you want to know what to expect from the Nintendo Switch 2 then we're here to help. We've rounded-up all the latest rumours on Nintendo's next console, including leaks on the Switch 2 release date and specs, the expected price tag at launch, the console's rumoured design and the games that could be coming to it, plus much more.
Switch 2 release date and price
The Nintendo Switch 2 is currently targeting a March 2025 release date. That's according to the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, who warned the Switch 2 launch could get pushed back even further if Nintendo deems it necessary. The target release window for the Switch 2 emerged shortly after Eurogamer sources revealed that Nintendo's next console is expected to launch in Q1 2025. If the Switch 2 does end up launching in March 2025 it will be hitting shelves eight years after the original Switch, which debuted back in March 2017.
News of a potential 2025 release for the Switch 2 came after it had previously been reported that the console would launch in late 2024. It's thought Nintendo has moved the Switch 2 release window to next year so it has the strongest possible launch line-up. Third-party developers have reportedly been briefed on the plans as well. If you want to know more, check out our Newscast which discusses why the Switch 2 could now be launching in 2025 instead of later this year.
While the console's launch is reportedly happening later than fans had been expecting, when the Switch 2 does hit shelves it should avoid the type of stock shortages that plagued the PS5 and Xbox Series X when those consoles debuted, and in the aftermath.
According to Bloomberg's Takashi Mochizuki, Nintendo could have over 10 million Switch 2 units available to sell in the console's first financial year on sale. This level of stock would make the Nintendo Switch 2 "much easier" to buy than the PS5 and Series X during their first year.
In terms of a price tag, the Nintendo Switch 2 is predicted to cost $400 with games priced at $70. That's according to Dr Serkan Toto, a respected analyst and founder of the Tokyo-based consultancy firm Kantan Games.
Switch 2 specs
In the aftermath of Gamescom last year, we got an idea of what the Switch 2 will be capable of. Nintendo's next console was demoed behind closed doors at the event, according to our sources and a VGC report. The Switch 2 is believed to be capable of visuals comparable to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, supports ray tracing, and the ability to run Unreal Engine 5.
Games that were reportedly showcased running on the Switch 2 were an enhanced version of Breath of the Wild and The Matrix Awakens, an Unreal Engine 5 demo that was previously released to showcase the power of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
While the Nintendo Switch 2 may be capable of visuals comparable to the current generation of consoles, it doesn't mean the specs will be in the same ballpark. As VGC explained, the Switch 2 demo was believed to be running with Nvidia's DLSS upscaling.
This technology is expected to be a major feature of the custom Nvidia chip that leakers have said will power the Switch 2. Digital Foundry has taken a deep dive into this chipset and discussed how DLSS can be used to upscale native 720p visuals into 4K, among other things.
In terms of raw horsepower, it's thought on paper the Switch 2 could be closer to the specs of last-gen hardware like the PS4 than the current batch of consoles. Emails published during last year's FTC court case with Microsoft indicate Activision Blizzard's former boss Bobby Kotick spoke to Nintendo's Shuntaro Furukawa about the Switch 2 towards the end of 2022.
In the emails, Activision exec Chris Schnakenberg explained the next Nintendo console had "closer alignment to Gen 8 platforms in terms of performance". If that's the case, how could the Switch 2, as has been reported, be capable of ray tracing (even if it's used limitedly) and running Unreal Engine 5? As Digital Foundry explained, looking at just raw horsepower "factors out so much" of what makes a piece of hardware unique. And a clear example of that is the original Switch had similar horsepower to the Wii U and Xbox 360, and we've all seen what that system is capable of.
It's important to point out that, for their part, Nintendo has denied briefing external developers on the Switch 2, and showcasing their next console at Gamescom in 2023. The denial came after the publication of the Activision emails during the FTC court case, and following our report on the behind closed doors demonstration in Cologne. It's also worth pointing out that while what we've heard of the Switch 2 sounds impressive, expectations should be managed.
Switch 2 design and features
The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to be a hybrid console, that can once again be played in portable mode or docked. However, fans hoping the next-gen console will come with an upgraded display like the Switch OLED may be left disappointed. According to VGC, the Switch 2 could have an LCD screen instead of an OLED panel to help cut costs. Bloomberg also backed up these claims, and said the Switch 2 will have an eight-inch LCD screen. In comparison, the original Switch features a 6.2-inch LCD screen.
Opting for an LCD panel instead of an OLED will give Nintendo extra wiggle room in the budget, that could be set aside and used to add the additional internal storage the Switch 2 needs for modern games. In terms of what type of storage the Switch 2 could use, Digital Foundry thinks Nintendo could opt for eMMC storage, which is what the entry-level 64GB Steam Deck uses and offers faster load times than conventional hard drives (but not as speedy as an SSD).
Elsewhere, VGC also reports that the next Nintendo console will come with a cartridge slot for physical games. It was later reported that this not only means the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible, but developers will also be able to offer enhanced versions of older games. Besides physical games, it's thought digital games will also be backwards compatible.
In terms of other features, the Nintendo Switch 2 could come with upgraded Joy-Cons that make stick drift a thing of the past. As highlighted by Laura Kate Dale, last year Nintendo filed a patent for a new controller design which features Hall Effect joysticks. Unlike other setups, these sticks use magnets to detect movement and don't cause wear and tear on a stick's sensor. This type of stick has already appeared on the third-party Nyxi Wizard controller, and if it ends up being used on the Switch 2 it should mean the infamous stick drift issue doesn't cross over to the next-generation.
Switch 2 games
One key topic for the Switch 2 that hasn't received too many leaks is the console's potential games line-up. As previously mentioned, during the behind closed doors demo at Gamescom last year, an enhanced version of Breath of the Wild was showcased along with The Matrix Awakens. The souped-up version of BoTW could just be a demonstration of the enhanced backwards compatibility Portugese website Universo Nintendo previously claimed the Switch successor is capable of. The Switch 2 being capable of running Unreal Engine 5 is of particular interest though when considering the console's potential games line-up. It give us an idea of what type of third-party games could be heading to the console in the future, and should open the door to a whole host of UE5-powered games crossing over to Nintendo's new system.
VGC has reported that dev kits for the Switch 2 are already in the hands of key partners, so UE5 games could already be in the process of getting ported over. Speaking of Unreal, it's also been claimed that a PS5-quality version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is powered by Epic's UE4 engine, is up and running on a Switch 2 dev kit. Another Unreal Engine game that could make its way to the Switch 2 is Hi-Fi Rush, which is one of the first few Xbox games to go multiplatform.
Speaking of Xbox, it looks like the next mainline entry in the hugely popular Persona series could be heading to the Series X/S and the Switch 2, along with PlayStation. That's according to industry insiders Nate the Hate and Midori, who claimed Persona 6 will be multi-platform.
While the wait goes on to find out more about the confirmed games coming to the Switch 2, a survey conducted by GDC, that was released in January 2024, revealed hundreds of devs said they're working on projects for the Switch 2 at the moment. Out of 3,000 people polled, 240 respondents said they were currently developing for the Switch successor. While 32 percent of those polled for the report said the Switch 2 is the platform they are most interested in developing for. Only the PS5 (41 percent) and PC (62 percent) were ahead.
Elsewhere, in terms of potential first-party releases, if we had to gaze into our crystal ball one contender for the Switch 2 that jumps out is Metroid Prime 4. Samus' highly anticipated new adventure was announced during the original Switch's first year, but news on the project has gone quiet ever since Nintendo announced development had been rebooted. Retro Studios, the makers of the original trilogy, have taken the reins of the project which originally was helmed by Bandai Namco. We previously discussed the possibility of Metroid Prime 4 coming to the Switch 2, along with what we know about the console, in a Newscast.
Another first-party title that could be heading to the Switch 2 is Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which was announced during the Pokémon Presents for Pokémon Day 2024. What's interesting about the reveal of this new Pokémon game, which is set in a futuristic version of Lumiose City, is that Game Freak said it will have a "simultaneous" worldwide release on "Nintendo Switch systems" in 2025. This wording could indicate that Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be a cross-gen game and a Switch 2 launch title. Whatever games Nintendo does have lined-up for its next console, latest reports indicate that, as of right now, there are no new major first-party games in the testing pipeline. That's according to Kotaku sources, who claimed there has been a testing "lull" at Nintendo's North American operation.
With the Switch 2 expected to launch in early 2025, it also means Nintendo will have some shiny new hardware out around the time that GTA 6 launches. Rockstar's next game is one of the most eagerly anticipated games of all time, and it's also due out in 2025. However, according to Digital Foundry, given what we've heard about the Switch 2's specs a port of GTA 6 looks "very, very tricky to pull off". You can watch the full analysis from DF below.
For more Switch 2 coverage, find out how the Nintendo Accounts system will help ease the move to the next-generation Switch, or how it looked for a brief moment like the Switch 2 release could have been leaked during CES 2024. Alternatively, if all this talk of the Switch 2 reveal is bringing back memories of the original console's launch, why don't you take a look at how we covered the big reveal back in 2016, along with Digital Foundry's Nintendo Switch review from 2017.