Nintendo is one of the few companies that is secretive about its upcoming games and consoles, and the Switch 2 is no exception. With the Nintendo Switch now over seven years old, many gamers are waiting for the handheld console’s successor. From launch date to specs, here’s everything we know so far about the Switch successor.
Will Nintendo name the upcoming console ‘Switch 2’?
At the moment, we don’t have a lot of information about the Switch 2, or whatever Nintendo will end up naming the upcoming handheld device. But if you take a quick look at Nintendo’s history, it is highly unlikely that the Switch successor will be called “Switch 2”, as the company isn’t fond of naming its consoles in numerical sequence.
Can Switch 2 run existing Switch games?
Yes. Earlier this week, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said that the upcoming handheld device will be backwards compatible with the Switch. This means existing Switch owners will be able to enjoy all their games on the Switch successor. However, it is still unclear if the Switch 2 will be compatible with existing Switch accessories like the Joy-Con controllers.
Will Switch 2 be a hybrid console like the original?
Once again, nothing is certain at the moment, but a report by Video Games Chronicles citing multiple sources suggests that gamers will be able to use the console in portable mode, just like the Switch. And with Nintendo President confirming backward compatibility, the upcoming handheld device will likely have a similar form factor as the Switch.
Is Nintendo going digital with the Switch 2?
Nintendo is known for selling physical copies of games, meaning it is extremely unlikely that the company will go all digital with its upcoming handheld. Some rumours also hint that the Switch 2 will also have a cartridge slot, so if you are a fan of game cartridges, there is little reason to worry.
How powerful will Switch 2 be?
Nintendo has been secretive when it comes to the Switch 2’s technical specifications, but according to internal emails released as part of last year’s FTC vs Microsoft case, Activision executives met with Nintendo in 2022. In the meeting, the company shared some details about its upcoming console with reports suggesting the Nintendo Switch 2 will compete against Gen8 platforms like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Also, recent reports from Eurogamer and VGC suggest that the company demoed The Matrix Awakens to select people behind closed doors. For those wondering, the game runs on Unreal Engine 5, supports ray-tracing and uses NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling technology.
When is Switch 2 coming?
The Japanese gaming giant has confirmed that the Switch successor is under development, but there is no concrete information about when it will be available except that it will be coming this fiscal year, which ends in March 2025. Also, with the holiday season just a few weeks away, it is highly unlikely that the Switch 2 will make an appearance before the end of the year.
