The Nintendo Switch is very nearly at the end of its life cycle. It's had a pretty successful run, being a vehicle for Animal Crossing: New Horizon, Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and many more. Not t??o mention, it picked up a lot of the slack from the lackluster Wii U. But what of its?? follow-up?

Well, many of us have been anticipating a launch of the Switch 2 (as it's being referred to currently), wit?h some expecting it to launch maybe at the end of this year. However, that idea seems out of reach now.

According to a recent report from Eurogamer �which has corroborated inform??ation with the likes of GamesIndustry.biz �the Switch sequel may not see the light of day until later in calendar year 2025. Developers have reportedly been told to not expect it until after the end of the financial year, which would be?? April at the earliest.

Nintendon't do this to us...

Look, we know it's happening. That's just a given. Rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2 have been inbound for a good while now, and Nintendo itself has confirmed there's a successor on the way.

The Eurogamer article goes on to speculate that we could be looking at a Swi??tch-esque announcement, which was revealed in October 2016, and was subsequently released in March the following year.

Whether this is the plan is anybody's guess at this stage. But it feels like we're so on the cusp of receiving official word on the elusive Nintendo Swi??tch 2, if Nintendo's plans to announce news this fiscal year hold true. It also means that �if the rumors are true �then we can wave goodbye to any hopes of getting the new console in time for Christmas 2024.

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While Nintendo has at last confirmed it's working on a new console, with a proper reveal schedul??ed to take place before the end of the 2025 fiscal year (so, by March 2025), there's still a lot we don't officially know about the Nintendo Switch 2, such as its actual name. One thing Nintendo has shared, though, is that it's aiming to have enough stock to meet demand in order to prevent scalping.

During a recent Q&A meeting with investors, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the best measure for combating scalping is "to produce a sufficient number to meet customer demand" (as translated by IGN). The company is also looking into other countermeasures "that can be taken to the extent allowed by laws and regulations." Essentially, Nintendo is taking the possibility of Switch 2 resales very seriously. In fact, a Nikkei report from earlier th??is alleged Nintendo had internally delayed the new console's launch to early 2025 to ensure the company has enough stock at launch.

Making sure every potential customer can buy a Switch 2 seems like a pretty obvious idea, but it's good to know Nintendo is taking this into account. Scalping is a frustrating practice since it involves individuals hoarding a fresh, new item, and then selling them at even higher prices to desperate customers struggling to find one at retail because of the afore?mentioned hoarding. It's people taking advantage of the scarcity they themselves inflicted, and we've seen it happen with the launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, which had already suffered from low stock since they came out during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Switch wasn't immune to this either, with its limited launch in 2017 resulting in many a console appearing online at inflated prices. Ideally, Nintendo will manage to avoid this with the Switch 2, and customers won't feel any? pressure to rely on scalpers. It'd be even better with steps are taken to prevent scalpers from buying multiple consoles in the first place.

Nintendo has admittedly struggled with production of the current Switch in recent years due to a semiconductor shortage, but Furukawa has said this issue has now?? been resolved. As such, there shouldn't be any production issues with the Switch 2: "At this time, we do not believe that the shortage of components will have a significant impact on the production ??of the successor model."

Hopefully, Nintendo is successful with its efforts to avoid stock shortages, especially given how much hype there is surrounding the Switch 2. People have been expecting a new Nintendo console for a while now since the Switch itself is over seven years old, which, in console terms, is ancient. Yet the Switch has kept selling well enough to keep Nintendo happy. The company even wants to push at le??ast 13.5 million Switches by the end of M??arch 2025.

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Alongside a financial report on Nintendo's 2024 fiscal year, the publisher has at long last acknowledged ??that it is working on a successor to the Nintendo Switch, though it'??s still keeping details close to its chest.

I've lost track of how long rumours of a Nintendo Switch 2 have been going on for, but they have been picking up steam for the last several months. A number of developers have said they're work??ing on a new Nintendo console and lately it was claimed to have magnetic Joy-Con controllers. Nintendo has regularly refused to comment on any such rumours, though now its own president has confirmed via Twitter the company does indeed hav?e a new console in the pipe?line.

That said, all Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa was willing to say was that a proper announcement for the Switch 2 (or whatever it's actually called) will take place this fiscal year. In case you didn't know, Nintendo's 2025 fiscal year runs from April 2024 to March 2025. Furukawa also confirmed a new Nintendo Direct will take place this June, which was always a safe assumption since that lines up with E3 season... well, Summer Game Fest season now. H?owever, it will only focus on Switch software coming out in the latter half of 2024; there will be no information about the new console.

Still, we could be officially seeing the Switch 2 before the end of 2024. If not then, then early 2025. This doesn't really narrow down when the console could hit store shelves though. There were claims last year of it launching in 2024 but, more recently, sites like VGC and Eurogamer have alleged that the console's being held back for 2025. If so, while it could be revealed before the end of March 2025, the Switch 2 may not actually come out until the followi?ng April or later.

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Official details on Nintendo??'s next console, widely dubbed the Nintendo ?Switch 2, remain non-existent. A new rumor, however, is claiming to have obtained information from sources at accessory manufacturing companies; specifically that the console will have new magnetic Joy-Cons.

This is according to a report by Spanish website Vandal (via VGC), which did accurately share details on the Switch OLED before it was formally announced in 2021, such as its new dock and support stand. Vandal claims the Switch 2 (or whatever Nintendo decides to call it) will be larger than the original Switch though still smaller than something like Valve's Steam Deck. Perhaps the most interesting claim is that the console's Joy-Con control??lers will connect to the Switch 2 using magnets rather than the rail system the original Switch has.

This could mean Joy-Cons for the current Switch model won't be compatible with the Switch 2. After all, they're not magnetic, and need to be slotted and clicked into place. Vandal can't corroborate if this will indeed be the case, but it does add that the current Switch's Pro Controller will be compatible with the Sw??itch 2?.

The only other thing Vandal's report mentions is that Nintendo is holding back its next console for a 2025 launch, so it can build up a stronger catalog of games to put out alongside it. This lines up with a VGC report from February which claimed to have heard the same thing, with a separate Nikkei report alleging that Ni??ntendo's internal ?delay is being done to avoid potential stock shortages.

Nintendo has otherwise refused to comment on any potential new hardware, though it's believed it demoed the Switch 2 to developers behind closed doors at Gamescom 2023. A number of developers also said they were working on a Switch successor in a January survey. Assuming ??the Switch 2 is on track for a 2025 launch, then we should be seeing a formal reveal before the end of 2024. Then again, Nintendo is predictably unpredictable, so there's no telling when or how it'll announce ??its next console.

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It looks like the follow-up to the Nintendo Switch is almost here. According to a new report from VGC, the successor to the Switch is likel?y to release in the s?econd half of 2024.

In the report, several key partners to Nintendo have claimed to have received development kits for the new console. Development kits for consoles are typically sent out well before the retail release so developers learn the new hardware and ensure? some titles are ready to launch on the new platform.

The sources went on to share some alleged details on the new system. Like the Nintendo Switch, the next-gen console will have portable mode. Furthermore, the console will launch with an LCD screen rather than an OLED screen to reduce costs.

Those worried about the digital revolution need not worry as, allegedly, the new console will also accep??t physical games via a cartridge slot.

[caption id="attachment_384302" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

No word on backward compatibility support

Unfortunately, there has been no indication if the new console will have backward compatibility support with the Nintendo Switch. With over 100 million Switch units sold, backward compatibility support is going to be a huge deal. Nintendo will look to convert as many Switch owners as it can, and backward compatibility will certainly make that? easier. However, adding a chip to enable such compatibility can further increase the cost of the system, which Nintendo may be trying to avoid in order to keep the price down.

Honestly, the second half of 2024 makes sense in terms of a new Nintendo system release. Sales for the Switch have been in decline for a few years now. Usually, that's an indicator there's room in the market for a new console release. Also, if the Switch successor were to release in? the second half of 2024, that puts the Switch life-cycle at a little over seven years. That's par for the course for Nintendo's competitors, as the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One? all had a similar life cycle.

Are you ready for a new Nint?endo console? I'm definitely not against the idea. I real??ly do hope it's backward-compatible, though.

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