Though Nintendo has been predictably silent on the subject, the company is expected to launch its next-gen console sometime this year, and naturally, there has been plenty of discussion regarding what the console will turn out to be. Nintendo, of course, has a reputation for consistently innovating and experimenting with its hardware, but from the SNES to the 3DS, the company has also been known to iterate on its innovations time and again.
And according to industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto of Kantan Games, Nintendo’s next console is going to fall in the latter category. Speaking to GamesIndustry, the analyst has predicted that the Switch’s successor will launch for a price of $400, which will be $100 costlier than the Switch itself, and $50 costlier than the Switch OLED.
Toto also says there’s “a high chance” that games on the next-gen console will adopt the new $70 pricing model. Earlier this year, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was already Nintendo’s first ever $70 game, though Nintendo insisted at the time that not all of its future games will be released for that price.
“The time is finally here for a Switch successor, even though I can say a “Pro” model actually did exist and certain developers were already working with the dev kit,” Toto said. “I believe the next hardware will drop next year for $400. There is a high chance that games will cost more, too: $70.”
The analyst went on to add that the Switch 2 is likely to be an iterative upgrade on the Switch rather than being something completely new. Sure enough, leaks have repeatedly suggested that though the new console will sport improved tech and hardware, it will do so while building on the Switch’s hybrid model.
“The next system is also likely to be an iteration rather than a revolution,” Toto said. “Nintendo might add some bells and whistles to the device, but it will be similar to the current Switch. And because there is Pokémon, and Pokémon is associated with handheld gaming, there is no way on earth Nintendo will drop the portability feature for their next big thing.”
Reports have claimed that the Switch 2 is targeting a launch sometime in the second half of 2024. It remains to be seen when the company will choose to unveil the console.
