Sony has made a bit of a splash this week with the PS5 Pro announcement and it's outrageous $700/£700 price point. While a lot of gamers will be weighing up whether they should buy or skip the most powerful PlayStation ever, there's another gaming goliath on the horizon.
I'm talking, of course, about the Nintendo Switch 2 and the ever-increasing rumors it's getting ready to launch and take its place among the best handheld game consoles. Case in point: Discord user moistycharlie dropped a tantalizing note on the GTA VI server suggesting the Big N's next machine is merely weeks away.
Hat tip to Reddit for screenshotting this one, but the claim is Nintendo's Switch 2 will be announced in early October with a base price of $400. And moistycharlie thinks the console will also come in two different SKUs.
Should you believe this leak, withdraw $400 from your checking account and book October off work? Of course not; this is the internet we're talking about. This is 100% a rumor and should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism.
On the other hand, the reason we're bringing this particular rumor to your attention is that this same user correctly predicted the announcement date and price of the PS5 Pro before it happened. But as the old adage goes, past performance does not indicate future success — so be wary.
The notion of two SKUs seems to be a solid bet. It could form the basis of two Switch 2 devices, one that's digital-only and another, perhaps more expensive version, with a slot for physical cartridges. Both PlayStation and Xbox have adopted this approach as the world moves increasingly towards digital downloads.
That $400 price point (which'll likely be a straight £400 in the U.K and a similar AU$ price in Australia) is an interesting discussion topic, though. The original Switch launched at $299 with an LCD screen and 32GB of on-board storage. The follow-up OLED edition nudged that price up to $349. So it wouldn't seem out of the question for Nintendo to spike the price higher with the increased specs of the Switch 2 to $400.
Nintendo has long since abandoned an arms race with PlayStation or Xbox in terms of power. But there's no denying that coming hot on the heels of the PS5 Pro with a new console that's nearly half the price with a string of first-party exclusives could win Nintendo a few extra players.
You can keep up with the very latest Nintendo Switch 2 news in our dedicated rumors hub here.
More from Tom's Guide
- Best Nintendo Switch deals in September 2024
- Nintendo Switch 2 could be revealed 'this month' — here's what we know
- The best Switch games right now
