It looks like Nintendo may be readying Switch 2 earlier than we think, if the rumour mill is to be believed. While reports are coming in based on the investors presentation this week that the Switch successor isn’t coming until April 2024, there are signs that that interpretation may be incorrect–and Nintendo may be slyly misleading its legion of fans, some have pointed out.
“This is a total misinterpretation of the news from Nintendo,” said Reddit user AdvancedFeeling. “They said they didn’t include new hardware in their projections, that doesn’t mean they won’t release new hardware.”
Why an all-new Switch 2 may be on the way in 2023
So, what’s happening exactly over at the House of Mario? Let’s investigate.
Firstly, here’s what Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa actually said.
“Sustaining the Switch’s sales momentum will be difficult in its seventh year. Our goal of selling 15 million units this fiscal year is a bit of a stretch, but we will do our best to bolster demand going into the holiday season so that we can achieve the goal,” said Furukawa.
What people are pointing out is that just because they are talking about sales slowing and will try to push for more Switch sales towards the end of the year, that doesn’t mean that this won’t be complemented by a new system that will be sold alongside the Switch.
“They just showed a trend of slowing Switch sales and then flat out said their current projections (that indicate slow down) don’t include new hardware,” continued AdvancedFeeling.
“If anything, this is the closest thing to a “Switch Successor is imminent” announcement you’ll get out of Nintendo.”
The user continued to note that announcements from Nintendo always come once the current system is slowing down, which is why the ‘Switch Pro’ or OLED didn’t come when the original Switch was still showing no signs of slowing down.
“Nintendo publicly acknowledging their sales figures are in decline without new hardware means we’re likely already within the 6-12 month window where it’ll be announced. I’ll eat my words if I’m wrong,” continued the Reddit user.
Nintendo’s console releases: A history
But does this line up with history? Is a console still possible this year? Let’s see.
The original Switch was announced on October 20, 2016, and released to the public on March 3, just over four months later.
The Wii U, the preceding console, was announced on June 2012, and released November 18 of that same year.
The Wii was properly announced in September 2006 and released only two months later in November, though the name and parts of the system were teased in 2005 and 2006, back when E3 was still relevant (how times change!).
Judging from that history, it looks that the shortest lead times have the most successful results for the company, which has long been happy to sell their old hardware and new hardware side by side, especially as the company has always been price conscious, careful to be sure that their product is accessible.
Why a new console announcement should be ASAP
But a new console seems sorely needed at the moment, as the Switch is not up to the level of its competitors from Sony and Microsoft, which has meant that the console has been left out in the cold from a number of high profile multi-console releases.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Mario: A 1-2 punch of greatness
It’s also long been thought that the new Zelda would bridge two generations, but as the game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a sequel to the insanely successful Breath of the Wild, is already getting insanely good reviews, that seems unlikely–or is it? If another console comes by the end of the year, we could have an even bigger version of the game announced that would see many diehards instantly double dip.
We’ll be keeping our eyes firmly on our favourite Japanese brand, as it rides high off the success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, and hope that we’ll have a new console very soon.