The persistent Nintendo Switch 2 rumors are heating up. While Nintendo itself remains tip-lipped on its future hardware plans, a wide variety of supposed industry insiders claim to have the latest scoop on the gaming giant’s next console.
Most commonly referred to as the Nintendo Switch 2, as of February 2024, there is no definitive release date for the console. In fact, a second-generation Nintendo Switch hasn’t technically been confirmed as of writing. However, a successor to the best-selling Nintendo Switch seems a near-certainty.
For now, when trying to determine the Nintendo Switch 2 release date all we have are unverified rumors, combined with a healthy dose of speculation. So, here are the freshest Switch 2 release date rumors, alongside my own predictions. Plus, follow our dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 hub for all the latest rumors from specs to price.
Nintendo Switch 2 release date — latest rumors
Online whispers surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 can be traced back as far as 2021, but the noise around the console started to pick up in early 2023. We initially saw reports that the Switch 2 would launch in Winter 2023. But that didn’t happen.
Nintendo itself put those rumors to bed when president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed there were no plans to release any hardware during its current fiscal year, which ends in March. However, while the Switch 2 isn’t going to launch in the short term, it could still be announced during this current financial year, and a recent leak suggests that’s the plan.
NateTheHate, an industry insider who’s provided accurate information in the past, has claimed that “Switch 2 appears to be poised and ready for a reveal or an announcement” with the tipster even definitively stating that “Nintendo will announce the Switch 2 in March.”
A Switch 2 announcement next month, with its launch landing in the second half of 2024, lines nicely up with a whole load of additional rumors from a wide variety of sources who have all suggested that Nintendo’s next console will launch in 2024.
The sheer quantity of tipsters claiming the Switch 2 will be released this year has been overwhelming in recent months, and it does feel like there’s so much smoke surrounding the idea that there has to be a degree of legitimacy to all these claims.
However, in light of recent news, I wouldn't bet on the Switch 2 definitely launching within the next 10 months. On Friday (Feb. 16), a new set of rumors threw a spanner into the works, and multiple sources are now suggesting Nintendo's next console will not surface until 2025 as its slipped out of its initially planned 2024 launch window.
According to Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe, a games journalist from Brazil, the Switch 2 is now set to arrive in early 2025. Which totally sucks. But at least he claims it will still launch within Nintendo's 2024 financial year (which runs through March 2025).
Furthermore, gaming outlets VGC and Eurogamer have heard similar whispers from their own sources. Both claim to have independently corroborated Pedro's initial report and are also now suggesting the Switch 2 will not arrive until Q1 2025.
Eurogamer states, "[Switch 2's] launch moving into early next year — but still within the coming financial year — is designed to ensure Switch 2's launch line-up features as many titles as possible." And VGC claims to have heard similar from its sources.
With so much conflicting information out there, it's hard to determine what's accurate and what's false. It's worth remembering that until we get official word from Nintendo, all these leaks and rumors should be taken with a grain of salt. They could prove to be false. Nintendo has a habit of doing the unexpected after all.
Nintendo Switch 2 release date — our prediction
The Nintendo Switch turns seven years old in just a few weeks, and its internal components are now struggling to keep pace with the latest releases. Just look at last year’s disastrous Mortal Kombat 1 Switch version as proof. Even flagship Nintendo games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are struggling to run on the current Switch’s now outdated tech.
During the company’s fiscal report in May 2023, Nintendo revealed that Switch sales are slowing down quicker than anticipated. Plus, with the console’s confirmed lineup of first-party games for 2024 primarily consisting of smaller-scale titles and remakes, the vibe I’m getting is that the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have much road left to run.
A Nintendo Switch 2 — or whatever Nintendo ultimately calls its next console —launching in 2024 feels like a logical release strategy. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the Switch 2 could launch, but a reveal in March with a September or early October launch to take advantage of the holidays isn't out of the question quite yet.
Furthermore, the lack of confirmed Switch software for the second half of 2024 could be evidence that Nintendo is preparing a full Switch 2 blitz later this year.
The current Nintendo Switch was launched five months after its initial reveal, so we may see a similar gap with Switch 2 (that would place its launch in August should it be revealed next month). However, the OG Switch was announced in October 2016 and hit store shelves in March 2017. Perhaps the Switch 2 will follow a similar trend with an announcement this year, but its release date landing somewhere in 2025.
Based on the most recent rumor (corroborated by Eurogamer and VGC), there's definitely reason to be concerned that we may not have the Switch 2 in our hands until early 2025. I'm highly doubtful that Nintendo had planned to go eight years between console generation, but if the reports about the Switch 2's software lineup not being ready are accurate the gaming titan may feel it has no choice but to wait.
Fingers crossed Nintendo is prepared to talk on the record about what comes next pretty soon. After multiple years of dubious rumors and leaks, we’re ready to get some concrete details at this point. Meanwhile, if you’re anticipating the Switch 2 be sure to stick with Tom’s Guide as we’ll bring you the latest updates as we get them.
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