That a Nintendo Switch successor is in the works isn’t a secret to anyone at this point, though of course, with the Switch itself now deep into its seventh year, questions are being asked with greater frequency about when Nintendo will choose to formally unveil its next-gen console. Interestingly, the Japanese may already have taken the first steps on that front.
Taking to Twitter, Windows Central editor Jez Corden recently said he’s “heard some rumours” that Nintendo may have either shown or discussed the Switch 2 (or whatever it ends up being called) behind closed doors to select press and developers. Allegedly, this happened last week during Gamescom. As Corden mentions in his tweet, if that is true, it might be an indicator that an official reveal isn’t too far away.
That would, in fact, line up with what reports have suggested in recent months. It’s been claimed that development kits of the Nintendo Switch successor have already gone out to “key” development partners, and is targeting release sometime in the second half of 2024.
The console will allegedly follow the Switch’s hybrid model and continue to use cartridges for physical media, in addition to having an 8-inch LCD screen and 512 GB of internal storage. Whether or not it will have backward compatibility with the Switch remains up in the air.
Earlier this year, Nintendo revealed that it was expecting to see slowed sales for the Switch for the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2024. As of June 30 this year, the Switch has sold over 129.5 million units worldwide.