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In context: There’s growing excitement around Nintendo’s upcoming next-generation handheld console, especially as the company reported its second consecutive quarter of declining profits and decreasing Switch sales. Nintendo had largely kept silent about the Switch’s successor until now. The company has confirmed that the new console will offer backward compatibility with original Switch games and support Switch Online games on the forthcoming Switch 2.
Fans eager to catch a first glimpse of the next-generation Switch might have to wait until at least January 2025. The only confirmed information is that Nintendo plans to reveal the new handheld before April 1.
When Nintendo initially indicated it would unveil the device within the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2025, many speculated it would mirror the promotional timeline of the original Switch.
Nintendo announced the original Switch in October 2016 and launched it in March 2017—a schedule that was considered unconventional at the time. Nevertheless, the strategy turned out to be highly successful, with Switch sales reaching 146 million units as of this month, establishing it as one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles.
However, Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda suggested recently that introducing a successor now could pose a costly distraction just as the holiday shopping season kicks off, particularly given Nintendo’s current vulnerable state. This week, the company announced a year-over-year decrease in both Switch hardware and software sales and has adjusted its projected sales targets through next March.
Nintendo likely wishes to prevent further disruption to Switch sales as the console approaches its eighth holiday season, featuring titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and Super Mario Party Jamboree. With today’s announcement, Nintendo provides assurance to customers that purchasing Switch games this holiday season will be a wise decision, as these titles will be compatible with its next handheld console.
This approach contrasts with 2016, when Nintendo was eager to move beyond the underperforming Wii U. Yasuda believes January is the most probable timeframe for a Switch 2 announcement.
This is Furukawa. At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about…
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Following the recent financial report, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that the company’s intention to unveil the new device before April 2025 remains. However, the precise launch window is still uncertain. Earlier this year, developers with insider insights expressed optimism for an April or May release to avoid clashing with the highly anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, expected to capture significant attention in late 2025.
Nintendo’s upcoming handheld is expected to feature 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM with potential bandwidth reaching 102GB/s, an 8-inch LCD screen, magnetically attachable Joy-Con controllers, and a custom chip based on Nvidia’s Ampere architecture from the RTX 3000 series, with DLSS support.
