In context: Anticipation for Nintendo’s next-generation handheld console continues to build as the company faces its second consecutive quarter of declining profits and falling Switch sales. Until recently, Nintendo had maintained near-total silence regarding a successor to the Switch. Now, however, the company has confirmed that the new console will feature backward compatibility with original Switch games and will support Switch Online games on the upcoming Switch 2.
Those hoping for an official glimpse of the next-generation Switch will likely need to wait until at least January 2025. The only confirmed detail is that Nintendo plans to unveil the new handheld before April 1.
When Nintendo initially stated it would reveal the device within the current fiscal year, ending on March 31, 2025, many speculated it would follow a similar promotional cycle to the original Switch.
Nintendo announced the original Switch in October 2016, launching it in March 2017 – a schedule deemed unconventional at the time. The strategy, however, proved highly successful, with the Switch reaching 146 million units sold as of this month, making it one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles.
However, Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda recently suggested that revealing a successor now could be a costly distraction as the holiday shopping season begins, especially with Nintendo in a precarious position. This week, the company reported a year-over-year declines in both Switch hardware and software sales and reduced its projected sales targets through next March.
Nintendo likely hopes to avoid further cannibalizing Switch sales as the console enters its eighth holiday season, highlighted by titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and Super Mario Party Jamboree. With today’s announcement, Nintendo is reassuring customers they can purchase Switch games this holiday season, knowing these titles will be compatible with the next handheld console.
This stands in contrast to 2016, when Nintendo was eager to move on from the underperforming Wii U. Yasuda believes January is the most probable window for a Switch 2 reveal.
This is Furukawa. At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about…
– 任天å Âæ ªå¼Âä¼Â社ï¼Âä¼Âæ¥åºÂå ±ã»IRï¼Â (@NintendoCoLtd) November 6, 2024
Following the recent financial report, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa affirmed that the company’s plan to unveil the device before April 2025 remains unchanged. However, the launch window is still uncertain. Earlier this year, developers with insider knowledge expressed hope for an April or May release to avoid competing with the anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, which is expected to dominate attention in late 2025.
Nintendo’s next handheld is anticipated to feature 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM with potential bandwidth up to 102GB/s, an 8-inch LCD screen, magnetically attachable Joy-Con controllers, and a custom chip based on Nvidia’s Ampere architecture from the RTX 3000 series, with DLSS support.
