While folks are digesting the recent Sony PlayStation 5 Pro announcement, Nintendo is in the background waiting for its own console reveal. A potential announcement may come as soon as this month, with a release timeframe in Spring of next year. The current Nintendo Switch has been in the market for over seven years, with only an OLED refresh to give it more longevity.
Before delving into any design changes, it is almost a given that the Nintendo Switch 2 will pack upgraded hardware. Early rumors suggest large RAM upgrades and beefed up storage, with the option of adding additional expansion storage like the original Switch. NVIDIA is the brains behind Nintendo’s popular system, and it will almost certainly be back with a new chip in the Switch 2. Rumors suggest that NVIDIA’s DLSS will be employed to offer be a significant performance boost on the new console.
Nintendo has an airtight seal on its hardware information, so real leaks are rare until days before launch. The existing Switch has remained impressively competent during its long reign, thanks to its rich library of games. Titles such as Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom are optimized to such a high technical degree that it can offer pleasing visuals and emergent gameplay on the current model’s dated hardware without much issue. A more powerful Switch 2 will only add to the polish on already great games, and rumors suggest that it will also be backwards compatible with all Switch games.
While physical changes are yet unknown, the new machine almost assuredly includes a new dock that itself is probably not backwards compatible. The screen technology is also a big question mark, with variables such as screen technology, size, and refresh rate all up in the air. Most people suspect that the Switch 2 will employ an LCD screen (despite the beautiful OLED on the current Switch) in an attempt to save costs.
Nintendo consoles sell in large numbers, and Nintendo is aware of this fact, with plans to thwart scalpers through large-scale production. With a release date likely sometime in Spring 2025, Nintendo has time to polish the system and potentially prepare new next-generation game titles. There is currently nothing known in the pipeline of major games designed specifically for the new console, but it’s possible Nintendo will release updates to allow popular Switch titles to take advantage of the increased specs on the device.
The final question will come down to pricing. Recently we’ve seen some controversy over the hard-to-swallow $699 price of the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro console. Nintendo is not historically known for having the most expensive console, but many armchair analysts including Engadget expect the range of $399 would be reasonable for the device, and it could even range as high as $499. The current Switch OLED is $349, for comparison. It all comes down to how big the hardware upgrade over the current-generation Switch turns out to be.