News, OtakGames – Fans of Nintendo are eagerly anticipating its successor console, the Nintendo Switch 2. While Nintendo remains mum about an expected release window, speculation suggests it could debut by 2024.
Contrary to its current counterpart, this one will use electromagnetic connections rather than rail systems for connecting Joy-Cons to its main console and OLED controllers – this should make for more buttons on both ends of each Joy-Con.
Nintendo Switch 2 Hardware Shipments Have Leaked
Last year, an influential Nintendo leaker named NateTheHate made a video claiming that the Switch 2 would launch in March. That claim was confirmed earlier this month when Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase was quoted in a Bloomberg report as suggesting it will feature an LCD display instead of an OLED one.
According to Spanish site Vandal, reports indicate that the Switch 2 may feature upgraded Joy-Cons that connect magnetically instead of using its fiddly rail design. Furthermore, according to these rumors these Joy-Cons will also feature analog triggers on them and may even be larger in size than their predecessors.
As for potential games offerings on the Switch 2, its potential games lineup could include an enhanced version of Breath of the Wild that was demonstrated during an exclusive developer demo at Gamescom last year. Brazilian site Universo Nintendo claims that the device will feature enhanced backward compatibility for physical and digital titles; what this entails for developers remains unknown at this time.
The Switch was an immense success when it was released in 2017, yet its time for an upgrade has long come. According to reports, Nintendo could unveil a successor early next year.
One of the more intriguing rumors suggests that Nintendo will equip its new Switch console with hardware more comparable to what PS5 and Xbox Series X offers, which would make sense as critics have noted its current processor isn’t powerful enough for modern third-party titles without significant graphical downgrades.
Rumors also suggest that the new Nintendo Switch will feature 12GB of RAM – an increase over its current 4GB of LPDDR4 memory – an improvement over its current 4GB. Furthermore, Digital Foundry anticipates it will utilize an eMMC storage solution which offers faster than traditional hard drives but slower performance compared to SSDs; this should keep costs low while still giving gamers plenty of room to enjoy their favorite titles.
Nintendo sold more than 139 million Nintendo Switch units since its debut, so it should come as no surprise that they would want to offer an upgraded version in 2025 – delayed from its initial target of 2024.
Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe of Brazil published a new episode of his O X do Control podcast and claimed that five industry sources informed him the release date has been moved back from 2024 to March 2025 in an effort to combat scalpers by making sure sufficient consoles are available at launch.
Sources have also reported that the new Switch will feature an 8-inch LCD screen and that no plans exist to switch over to OLED variants due to cost considerations. This information echoes a report by Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase who stated the console may opt for LCD over OLED due to price concerns.
Nintendo Switch 2 Controllers
Another set of details about the Nintendo Switch 2 have emerged, this time concerning its controllers. Spanish site Vandal claims to have obtained these details from accessory manufacturers with access to unreleased hardware; according to them, its Joy-Con will attach directly to its main console via magnets instead of rails as with its predecessor.
The new Joy-Cons are expected to use hall effect analog sticks, which should help mitigate against wear-and-tear stick drift. Rumors also point toward them being slightly larger with an 8-inch display supporting 1080p resolution for portable playback, and 4K when docked.
Mobapad, a Chinese manufacturer of Switch accessories, put its weight behind this report with an official Facebook post on Sunday claiming early access to Switch 2 hardware from Nintendo and stating that its original Joy-Con and Pro Controllers would still work on its successor system.