At this point, it seems like we’ve been hearing about a possible Nintendo Switch update or successor for almost as long as the system has existed, but rumors of have reached a renewed fever pitch in recent weeks and months. Multiple rumors have pointed toward 2024 as the likely release year for the Switch 2 (or whatever it ends up being called) and Chinese manufacturers are also dropping hints something is in the works. Well, now the reliable insiders at Video Games Chronicle have stepped into the fray with some intriguing info.
Per VGC’s Andy Robinson, development kits for Nintendo’s next console have been handed out to a number of “key partner studios.” According to multiple sources VGC has spoken to, it seems like Nintendo is aiming to release their new hardware in the latter half of 2024 – a departure from the Switch, which first hit shelves in early 2017.
Robinson also might have a few technical details about the Switch successor. The new hardware will reportedly sport an LCD screen (rather than a superior OLED screen) as Nintendo looks to keep manufacturing costs down. One of the biggest new expenses will be storage, as the new hardware will push higher resolution visuals, and thus file sizes are likely to also balloon. Nintendo isn’t going to get away with shipping a console with only 32 GB of storage anymore. That said, one thing Nintendo reportedly won’t be cutting is a cartridge slot for playing physical media. As for other key features, like backward compatibility, the picture remains unclear.
Of course, take all this with a grain of salt for now, but Robinson is a reliable source, and 2024 just seems like a logical time to release new hardware. Dr. Serkan Toto sums up why you don’t even need inside sources to think Nintendo hardware is coming in 2024…
“I would generally say that looking at Nintendo’s financials, it seems clear that it’s time for a new piece of hardware in 2024. Hardware is already projected to fall 16.5% year-on-year in the current fiscal, while the minus for software is expected to hit 15.9%. The only way to stop these losses from totally ballooning next fiscal is a new device, and the second half of 2024 sounds like a realistic release window to me.”
What do you think about all of this? Excited for what Nintendo might bring in 2024? What are your hopes for the new hardware?
