Nintendo Switch 2 – everything we know

Nintendo Switch 2 sounds like a pretty awful name for a hybrid portable console successor. Nintendo Switch Pro doesn’t sound much better. Super Nintendo Switch? Anyway, we clearly know very little about what’s next for the plucky handheld, particularly the naming conventions. Still, we know a handful of things, or at least we think we know some things, so let’s get into the meat of it.

Whether it’s rumors, release date speculation, or some basic maths, we’re here to cover every possible thing, whether it’s the Nintendo Switch 2 release date, various hardware possibilities, or what sort of other things may change it into something unique.

Here’s everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo Switch 2 release date speculation

Unfortunately, we don’t know the Nintendo Switch 2 release date just yet. However, Nintendo has said it won’t release any hardware this financial year – that means nothing new until after March 2024. This lines up with what we expect too, as April 2024 seems like a good time for a Switch successor to launch.

According to a well-known leaker, a Nintendo Switch 2 devkit has landed in Spain. This has led people to believe a Nintendo Switch 2 release date announcement may be sooner than we think.

A few weeks after, VGC reported that Nintendo Switch 2 devkits are now with “key partner studios”, according to the outlet’s sources. These people also told VGC that the Nintendo Switch 2 release date is scheduled for 2024, though no exact date is known, of course.

We could also do some rough maths to work out when the Nintendo Switch 2 could launch. The original Switch came out on March 3, 2017. The Lite came out on September 20, 2019. The OLED came out on October 8, 2021. There are 931 days between the base model and the Lite and 749 days between the Lite and the OLED. There are 1,680 days between the two bookends.

October 27, 2023, marked the length of time between the OLED and the Lite. When we reach April 26, 2024, the length of time from the OLED matches the time between the release of the base model and the Lite. There are 182 days between those two dates. The middle of that difference is January 26, 2024, which is when we think you can start reasonably expecting the Nintendo Switch 2.

TLDR: to roughly keep the symmetry, the Nintendo Switch 2 release date should come out between October 27, 2023, and April  26, 2024. As we mentioned, Nintendo said that it won’t launch any new hardware this fiscal year. So, the Switch 2 should come out in the first 26 days of April. See? Maths!

Are there any Nintendo Switch 2 leaks?

So far, we’ve heard some quite weak rumors about what the Nintendo Switch 2 could include hardware-wise and even less on when it may be released.

Here are all of the Nintendo Switch 2 rumors we’ve seen so far:

• Possible native 4K
• 4K upscaling capabilities patented by Nintendo
• LCD panel
  • In May 2023, Sharp revealed it was supplying LCD panels for an upcoming gaming console
• Good stock availability on launch
  • Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has said that Nintendo plans to have plenty of stock available for any future console releases
• Demos at Gamescom 2023
  • Eurogamer reported that Nintendo showed off some Nintendo Switch 2 demos behind closed doors at Gamescom 2023. An improved version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was apparently shown
• Dual-screen gaming device patent
  • Nintendo has recently patented a dual-screen device with a detachable screen. A patent doesn’t guarantee a new product, but we absolutely love the way this looks
• Continued Switch support
  • Nintendo confirmed in its financial results briefing that it “will continue to release new titles and content for Nintendo Switch without being bound by the traditional concept of the platform lifecycle.”
• Ray tracing and a March reveal
  • Wccftech has reported that during the latest episode of Nate the Hate’s podcast, an insider mentioned the Nintendo Switch 2 may have ray tracing thanks to NVIDIA’s Ray Reconstruction tech
  • In the same piece, Wccftech mentions that Nate the Hate has also said a March 2024 reveal window was mentioned during Gamescom 2023
• First-party games going out of print
  • Nintendeal on Twitter started Tweeting out information on first-party Nintendo games being out of print and a Resetera thread highlighted even more games. This could be for an upcoming Switch Selects line or to be replaced with a Nintendo Switch 2 SKU
• September release date
  • Nintendo Switch 2 leaks from Altec Lansing (an AI company formerly known for the GameShark software) seem to suggest the Switch 2 may launch in September 2024

These are all rumors, so take it with a grain of salt. There are also rumors the console may not be backward compatible, among a bunch of other things. We’ll keep an eye on every development and keep you up to date on all the latest.

What is the Nintendo Switch 2 price?

There’s no news on how much the Nintendo Switch 2 will cost, but we can make educated guesses. Nintendo never wants to make over-luxurious technology – it has always been competitively priced. So, because of this, Pocket Tactics expects the Nintendo Switch 2 to cost around $300-$350

The other reason for this is the rumor that it has an LCD panel. For Nintendo to not include an OLED panel like the latest model of the Switch seems odd, and is most likely only for cost-saving reasons. This is conjecture, sure, but makes sense to us.

For more beyond the Nintendo Switch 2, check out our guide to the best Switch games and all the new Switch games to find something to play in the meantime.