For a long time, news about Nintendo‘s hardware was linked to what was coming out of sources close to NVIDIA and the various semiconductor manufacturers.
But apart from the OLED model, nothing really seemed to point towards the end of the Switch’s career.
But for several weeks now, leaks have been multiplying and sources have been crossing paths.
Nintendo Switch: retirement is slowly but surely approaching
In March 2024, Nintendo Switch will celebrate its 7th birthday. For a hybrid console whose hardware was considered dated from the outset, that’s a surprisingly long time. But the machine’s lifespan is easier to understand when you realise that it has sold more than 125 million units, and that some titles have sold more than 30, 40 or even 50 million units. But there comes a time when you have to move on.
Work on a new console starts as soon as one is released, because all the developments have to be dated. Obviously, all this remains extremely secret, and the prototypes evolve at breakneck speed before the public even sees the first rumours. As far as the Switch’s replacement is concerned, these rumours began very early on, with the idea of a model that would catch up a little and allow the console to extend its lifespan.
We finally got the OLED Model, which only improves the screen without changing anything about the on-board components. But ever since Nintendo floated the idea of keeping Nintendo Accounts created for the Switch on the next console, and it appeared in a small frieze presented to investors, things have been getting a bit heated.
Trailer for the Nintendo Switch OLED model
Nintendo Switch 2: leaks all over the place… It’s getting clearer!
Since June, many insiders have been publishing what they consider to be solid information, and the lawsuit between Microsoft and the FTC has also contributed to the excitement. In various documents provided by Microsoft’s legal department, the power of Nintendo‘s next console is said to be close to that of the PlayStation 4.
So we’re sticking with the idea of a late generation, but still with the possibility of switching from TV display to portable mode. Yesterday, VGC rekindled discussions about the console with a number of reports from various sources.
According to VGC, which is off to a good start, the console to be known as Switch 2 is due to arrive in the second half of 2024, and will retain the hybrid console concept.The Japanese firm would like to avoid any problems by ensuring it has sufficient stocks to meet demand.
According to two other sources, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be distributed with an LCD screen, which will lower the cost of the console at launch and avoid adding the cost of an OLED screen to that of extended storage capacity.There’s nothing to stop Nintendo from offering a premium version later on, but first it needs to sell and install a solid base of consoles.
The question of backwards compatibility remains unanswered, as sources remain vague on the subject.On the other hand, sources agree that Switch 2 will have a cartridge port.It remains to be seen whether this port will be compatible with Switch cartridges.
All this information, which obviously needs to be taken with a grain of salt, overlaps with reports from chip manufacturer Foxconn, which expects to see its revenues soar in 2024 thanks to… Nintendo!
For analysts, 2024 is a very credible launch window
For analyst Serkan Toto, this 2024 launch is entirely credible and should prevent losses from soaring as a result of the inevitable drop in Nintendo Switch sales.
I would say that looking at Nintendo‘s finances, it seems clear that it’s time to launch new hardware in 2024. Console sales are already expected to fall 16.5% year-on-year in the current financial year, while the drop in software sales is expected to wait until 15.9%. The only way to stop these losses getting worse in the next financial year is a new device, and the second half of 2024 seems to me to be a realistic exit window.
It’s often said that there’s no smoke without fire, and it’s fair to say that the smoke was getting considerably thicker. There’s every reason to believe that the increasing number of leaks, and the fact that they overlap, point to an announcement in the next few months.
However, Nintendo has its own timetable, and the company doesn’t seem ready to start talking about its next machine just yet.
New games are expected on Switch between now and the end of the year (Super Mario Bros. Wonder), and sales of the console remain solid. So it’s safe to assume that the Switch will remain at the centre of attention until the end of the year.
Nor should we look back to the way the Switch was teased and then presented, when Nintendo acted swiftly to crush a stillborn WiiU.Let’s be patient, then, as Nintendo is sure to unveil its future when the time is right.
