New report narrows down Switch 2 launch window - and it's not good news
A new report suggests when the Nintendo Switch 2 could be released, and for those hoping to see it in early 2025, analysts warn we're likely in for a bit of a wait.
14th Aug 2024 11:25
Images via Nintendo
New report narrows down Switch 2 launch window - and it's not good news
A new report suggests when the Nintendo Switch 2 could be released, and for those hoping to see it in early 2025, analysts warn we're likely in for a bit of a wait.
14th Aug 2024 11:25
Images via Nintendo
With rumours of the PlayStation 5 Pro and Microsoft having nabbed Call of Duty as part of the ActiBlizz deal, the console wars couldn't be hotter right now. Away from the Green and Blue team duking it out, Nintendo continues to do its own thing, sitting pretty on its first-party exclusives and making bank with the Nintendo Switch.
Still, after seven years of the home-portable hybrid, the Switch is heading toward that great gaming graveyard in the sky. The Switch continues to struggle to keep up with new-gen games (look at Mortal Kombat 1), and long before it was officially announced, rumours of a Switch 2 had gripped many a Reddit thread.
Potential Switch 2 release window isn't good news
In typical Nintendo style, we got the announcement of an announcement, with Shuntaro Furukawa casually confirming the Switch's successor will be announced at some point during the 2025 fiscal year. This means it'll be announced before March 31, 2025. Unfortunately, we haven't locked in a release date.
Some took it to mean that the Switch successor will be out this fiscal year, but according to GamesIndustry.biz's Chris Dring, we're counting our chickens before they've hatched. "No developer I’ve spoken to expects it to be launching this financial year," admitted Dring.
"In fact, they've been told not to expect it in the [current] financial year. A bunch of people I spoke to hope it's out in April or May time, still early next year, not late." Saying no one wants a late release, there's also the potential crunch of the next Nintendo console and GTA 6 being "on top of each other."
We're again lost in a sea of rumours like Switch 2 specs and a jaw-dropping $400 price tag. Gamers are hanging on every tease from our Mario overlords, and even as the hype for the Switch successor builds, Nintendo can afford to bide its time. Previous reports claimed that Nintendo was once going to release the Switch 2 in 2024 but pushed it back.
Note that there's also no mention of new hardware in the current fiscal year forecast, although Nintendo admits that plans are constantly changing. The Switch was the best-selling console every year from 2017 until 2022, and we can't see a world where the next iteration isn't another chart-topping smash.
We're reminded of a February 2024 report from Nikkei, claiming that the Switch 2 will be held back for as long as Nintendo wants to avoid supply shortages. Putting everything together, it doesn't sound like Nintendo is in a rush. We're still hopeful that we'll have the Switch 2 in our hands by Christmas 2025, but for now, we're left at the mercy of the gaming gods.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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