Switch 2: Nintendo reveals console but no price or release date

Nintendo has unveiled its next console after weeks of rumors and leaks about the machine.

So-called images and details of the successor to the Switch – one of the best-selling game consoles of all time – have been popping up online in droves since the start of the year.

The Japanese video gaming giant has finally broken its silence. A short video showing off the new console. which confirmed some, but not all, of the unofficial information.

As predicted, the new machine will be called the Switch 2 and looks very similar to its predecessor, with similar, detachable controllers but boasting a larger screen.

No price or release date has been revealed, but the company will release more details during a showcase on April 2.

The company also reiterated one of the few pieces of official information known before the reveal – that the new console will be backwards compatible.

That means existing Switch games can be played on the new machine, but a disclaimer says not all titles will be cross-compatible.

The Switch 2 will remain a hybrid console, allowing users to play the machine “docked” to a TV or as a portable device.

A glimpse of a new Mario Kart game was also shown, and the video indicated that rumors about a magnetic controller attachment and an upgraded joystick were true.

But Nintendo said more details will come at the live showcase on April 2.

The first Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo – as of September 2024 it had sold 143 million units, making it one of the best-selling home consoles of all time.

The Switch’s sales marked a massive turnaround in Nintendo’s hardware fortunes.

The Wii U – its follow-up to the hugely successful Wii – was widely seen as a flop, and some analysts even predicted that the company would take on former rival Sega to become a software publisher at the time. can follow.

But the Switch’s hybrid mechanic clicked with gamers.

Although the console was less powerful than the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Nintendo developed several “must-have” games in-house, including new entries in the Mario and Legend of Zelda franchises.

And, like other games companies, it got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the casual, escapist life sim Animal Crossing: New Horizons proving to be a runaway hit.

Nintendo suffered from “second album syndrome” with 2012’s Wii U, where its massive hit console was followed by a comparative failure.

BBC Newsbeat first spoke to George Osborne, consultant and author. Video Games Industry Memo Newsletter As for his predictions for Switch 2.

He said that as soon as the console is launched, there will be a lot of eager gamers to buy it.

But, he said: “Nintendo has managed to establish a very strong audience of families who buy consoles.”

If the Switch 2 isn’t seen as a major technological step forward, George said, the challenge will be convincing a more casual audience to upgrade from the original.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of families who are going, ‘OK, I’m perfectly happy with this family device, it meets my needs, I can keep doing it,'” he said.

The sheer popularity of the Switch fueled people’s desire to take their games with them on the go, prompting other companies to follow Nintendo’s lead.

Valve, owner of the massive PC game Steam store, has sold millions of its “handheld PC” Steam decks, and Sony and Microsoft are also reportedly looking to release portable gaming devices.

Analyst George says there is more competition for the core gaming audience than in 2017.

“So there’s the question of whether the Switch 2 might be enough to convince people who might have dipped into the Steam deck to say, ‘Yeah, I want to buy a Switch 2 to go with it.’ George said.

Matching sales of the original Switch will be a tall order, but it’s pretty safe to assume that demand will be high when it’s released.

The launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox series consoles – during a global microchip shortage – saw scalpers snap up the few consoles available.

Nintendo president Shontaro Furakawa previously told investors that the company has held off on releasing the Switch 2 to ensure that enough launch units will be available.

Whether you will be able to get your hands on one remains to be seen.

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