There are plenty of rumors when it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2, a potential successor to the Nintendo Switch. Now that the hybrid gaming handheld is well over seven years old, with its original model released on March 3, 2017, it seems highly likely that we will be hearing news regarding Nintendo’s next system some time in the coming months. After all, most console manufacturers have released a new product roughly every six to seven years over the last three generations.
The last hardware refresh that the Nintendo Switch received was with the launch of the Nintendo Switch OLED on October 8, 2021. Although the Nintendo Switch OLED boasts an enhanced OLED display, not to mention additional internal storage and improved speakers, there were no substantial upgrades to the power of the machine itself. This is a little problematic as, while the majority of the best Nintendo Switch games manage to run smoothly enough, the Nintendo Switch is powered by a modest Nvidia Tegra X1 chip and only 4GB of RAM.
Recent third-party releases like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Biomutant appear to push the system to its absolute limit, with unstable frame rates and greatly compromised visuals. In handheld mode, the system can also only play games at up to a 720p resolution while in docked mode that number increases to just to 1080p. Now that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have been on the market for a few years, both console that can play games at a smooth 60 fps and impressive 4K resolution, it makes a lot of sense for Nintendo to take things back to the drawing board and improve the hardware under the hood to better keep up witht eh competition.
But what could be in store for Nintendo fans? Here are all the latest rumors, plus plenty of considered speculation, about the Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo Switch 2: cut to the chase
- What is it? The rumored successor to the Nintendo Switch console
- How much will it cost? TBA
- When will it release? TBA
Nintendo Switch 2: release date speculation
The Nintendo Switch 2 has yet to be officially announced but, if we were to take an educated guess, it seems likely that it would be revealed by the end of this year. As the original Nintendo Switch is now over seven years old, it makes sense to reveal a successor soon.
Even if the Nintendo Switch 2 is revealed this year, however, the Japanese media outlet Nikkei has reported that the arrival of the console itself may be delayed until 2025 as a measure to try and avoid stock shortages. This lines up with some suggestions from leakers that the Nintendo Switch 2 could be set to launch at the start of 2025.
Nintendo Switch Pro: price speculation
The Nintendo Switch launched for $259.99 / £259.99 / AUD$435, with the newer Nintendo Switch OLED launching for $349.99 / £309.99 / AU$539.95. Given that the Nintendo Switch 2 will likely feature improved hardware compared to both models, the asking price is likely to be higher than these figures.
The PS5 and Xbox Series S sell for $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.95 and $499 / £449 / AU$749 respectively. Nintendo often aims to undercut its competition, offering lower spec hardware at a more affordable price. With this in mind, we wouldn't be surprised if the Nintendo Switch 2 is priced around $399.99 / £399.99 / AU$699.95 to keep the competitive edge. That said, you should bear in mind that this figure is purely an educated guess.
Nintendo Switch 2: rumored specs
The most recent rumours regarding potential Nintendo Switch 2 specs come from a spec sheet created by the YouTube content creator Paul Eccleston or “RedGamingTech”. As explained by Tom’s Hardware, Eccleston supposedly made the spec sheet with information from his own sources and a report by the Korean United Daily News. This spec sheet suggests that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature an eight core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal eMMC storage. While this is not particularly impressive compared to the PS5 or Xbox Series X, it would still represent an improvement in power compared to the current Nintendo Switch models.
That same source also indicates that the Nintendo Switch 2 could offer hugely improved battery life, in addition to a 120 Hz refresh rate with a 7-inch OLED display. In terms of overall design, Ecclestone argues that it will likely be similar to that of the Nintendo Switch OLED.
Interestingly, this contradicts older rumors that suggested we may see a mini-LED display used for the screen. According to a report by Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, a Nintendo Switch successor could sport mini-LED screens supplied by Innolux.
Going back even further, Wccftech reported that a data miner known as SciresM has claimed that they have found a reference to a new Nintendo Switch model within the Nintendo Switch’s latest firmware update under the codename 'Aula'. Rather than being within the Nintendo Switch itself, this source argues that the hardware improvement “might be inside a new dock and not inside the tablet". They do note, however, that "there’s no way to tell from the firmware code yet.”
We've also seen Nintendo Switch Pro rumors thanks to a leaked Nvidia email which suggested the existence of the Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Reportedly, this was being designed specifically for an upcoming Nintendo Switch model, which could very well mean the Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo Switch Pro: latest news and rumors
Nintendo Switch 2 reportedly delayed until 2025
As spotted by Tom's Guide, known leaker "Moore's Law is Dead" joined the many sources saying that the Nintendo Switch 2 had been delayed until at least 2025. Interestingly, they provided some additional insight that was supposedly gleaned through their NVIDIA contacts. According to this leaker, the physical hardware powering the Nintendo Switch 2 has been ready for some time but Nintendo has been holding off on revealing the system in order to ensure adequate stock at launch - which lines up with other reports.
Nintendo president denies Nintendo Switch 2 developer briefings
Following our report that Nintendo Switch 2 tech demos took place at Gamescom 2023, which was confirmed by our own sources, Nintendo company president Shuntaro Furukawa denied that any such briefings took place. Speaking to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi, Furukawa described the briefings as "rumours" that "are inaccurate."
Nintendo has briefed Activision on a Nintendo Switch successor
In September 2023 an internal email that was unearthed as part of the now resolved FTC lawsuit over Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Acquisition revealed that Activision executives had been briefed about the existence of the "NG Switch" - a potential Switch successor. The email suggests that the Nintendo Switch 2 could offer performance that is roughly on par with a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, which would definitely make sense if it maintained the handheld form factor of its predecessor.
A Nintendo executive hinted at backwards compatibility
Going back even further, a Nintendo executive hinted at the possibility that the Nintendo Switch 2 could be backwards compatible in June 2023. Speaking in a shareholder Q&A session that was translated from Japanese, the executive stated that "[Nintendo] will do our best to make the transition smooth for our customers" when new hardware arrives.
Could the Nintendo Switch 2 have VR support?
While Nintendo has experimented with virtual reality (VR) functionality through Nintendo Labo, delivering a true VR in the vein of Sony's PSVR 2 would demand some pretty beefy hardware. While not totally impossible, it seems unlikely that Nintendo would be able to put out a handheld gaming system with console-quality graphics that also supports VR gaming.
Could the Nintendo Switch 2 support 4K?
While Sony and Microsoft continue to expand into the 4K market, there isn’t really any big reason for Nintendo to follow suit. In an interview, Nintendo France General Manager Philippe Lavoué brushed off 4K saying that the technology has “not been adopted by the majority” and it would, therefore, be too early for Nintendo to jump on board.
