Nintendo Switch 2: Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Console (2024)

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We're due for a new Nintendo Switch, which has performed valiantly for the last seven years but is very much showing its age in terms of processing power. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa announced that the game system's long-awaited successor will be revealed before the end of March 2025, the end of the current fiscal year. Nintendo is typically tight-lipped about its products until it's ready to make a full presentation, and concrete information about the new Switch has come out in tiny trickles.

Still, we can examine the allegedly leaked details and use those insights to fill in some of the system's gaps. Here are the facts, the rumors, and our predictions for the Nintendo Switch 2.

What's the New Switch's Name?

Nintendo has strangely named consoles. In recent years, it released the Wii and then the Wii U. And let's not forget the DS, 3DS, and New 3DS. So, will the Switch 2 be named Switch 2?

Nintendo's president referred to the upcoming console as the "successor to Nintendo Switch," which hints that "Switch" will be part of its name. Don't be surprised if it's labeled the New Switch, but Switch 2 and Switch Pro aren't off the table. Anything is possible. They named not one but two systems "Wii," after all.

When Will Nintendo Announce the Switch 2?

Probably not this year. Furukawa has already said the Switch 2 will be announced by the end of March 2025, and we're running out of 2024. Plus, Nintendo probably doesn't want to discourage anyone from buying the regular Switch during the holiday shopping season.

Nintendo already announced a new product in a new category in time for holiday shopping, too. The $100 Nintendo Sound Clock Alarmo is an offbeat smart clock that's very clever and limited. It has unique ways to get you moving in the morning, and is loaded with Nintendo game themes. However, it doesn't do anything else. That weird little alarm clock is probably the only big announcement Nintendo will have for the rest of the year.

Nintendo keeps its hardware launches very close to the vest until they're ready. The company usually makes big reveals via its Nintendo Direct online presentations instead of unveiling new products at trade shows or other events. There aren't any firm rumors besides constant vague "industry whispers" offering more details on possible timing. Many speculated a Switch 2 announcement "in the coming week/month," and have fallen flat.

Will the Switch 2 Replace the Current Switch?

The Switch 2 probably won't be a half-step upgrade like the New Nintendo 3DS. It's been seven years since the Switch's launch, so it has aging hardware. The new Switch will almost certainly have a significant power jump and feature launch games that the original Switch can't run. A proper sequel is vital to convince the 140-million-plus Switch owners that they should upgrade.

Switch 2 Games: What Should You Expect?

It appears Nintendo is actively working on new Mario and Zelda games. According to Midori, an online leaker with a proven track record, Nintendo has an upcoming project (codenamed Edward) that might be the next Zelda game. It could be a full-overhaul remake of a classic Zelda title, because the Link's Awakening remake was codenamed Richard.

Midori has also stated over the last few weeks that Nintendo is working on two projects, Anna and SPRed, which could be sequels to Nintendo Switch Sports and Super Mario Odyssey. Most recently, Midori speculated that another project (codenamed Spiral) will be the next Splatoon game.

None of these titles are confirmed. Midori hasn't confirmed that they're specifically being developed for the Switch 2. Considering the Switch's age and Nintendo announcing a new system within the next year, though, it's likely that any new Mario or Zelda game will be intended as a launch (or near-launch) game for the Switch 2.

Will the Switch 2 Keep the Same Hybrid Design?

We haven't seen many completely out-of-left-field rumors about Nintendo's newest system wildly bucking the Switch's design, so that's a good indicator the Switch 2 will have a similar build.

Nintendo struck gold with the Switch, after all. It's a game console that can work at home in a dock or on the go with the Joy-Cos attached to its sides, making it incredibly flexible. Returning to a solely home console or handheld game system would be baffling (though handheld- or console-only variants like the Nintendo Switch Lite aren't out of the question as alternative models). Hopefully, the new Joy-Con will be more substantial and less prone to drift.

Nintendo filed a new patent in April 2024 that describes a dock extremely similar to the Nintendo Switch dock, along with a swiveling block that holds video connectors that you can point in any direction to best accommodate your TV. This could be a key part of the new Switch's dock, or it could just be a new dock for the current Switch. Of course, it could be a patent Nintendo filed because they have the idea and want to use it later. We're not sure, but it potentially points at the new Switch being thoroughly Switch-like.

Rumored Switch 2 images emerged in September 2024 courtesy of a Chinese website. The images quickly spread through the internet after being uploaded to Reddit by user MisterSheeple. They include a mix of supposed real hardware and renders. Of course, you should take them with a grain of salt, but they're very intriguing. The images and specs suggest that the Switch 2 will retain a hybrid design, but add an 8-inch screen, magnetic Joy-Con, and USB-C ports.

Will the Switch 2 Be More Powerful?

If any supposed hardware leaks are accurate, the new Switch will be significantly more powerful than its predecessor. However, this doesn't mean it will be as powerful as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (and not even close to the PS5 Pro).

According to Brazilian Pokemon leaker Centroleaks and users on Famiboards who poked through shipping records, the new Switch will have 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. That's a big jump over the current system's 4GB/64GB. Centroleaks also claims the new Switch will have an 8-inch screen (again indicating that this new system will have the same form factor as the Switch).

Another spec sheet leak earlier this year says the new Switch will have an ARM Cortex-A78AE processor with eight cores, a chip for mobile/auto installations that almost certainly isn't remotely as powerful as the AMD Zen 2 chips that drive the PS5 and XSX. On the other hand, that same spec sheet quotes 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for the new handheld. Both should be taken with grains of salt.

The system will have more power than its predecessor. However, that may just mean it's comparable with a Steam Deck, PlayStation 4 Pro, or an Xbox One X (and capable of 4K output). It may even use DLSS to punch above its weight class. Nintendo isn't telling anyone yet, and none of the leaked details fit together.

The "leaked" September 2024 images were accompanied by a spec rundown that mentioned that the Switch 2 will house 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which aligns with previous leaks.

Will the Switch 2 Play Old Switch Games?

Yes! That's one of the few hard details confirmed by Nintendo, in a tweet from Furukawa in early November. Nintendo Switch games, and Nintendo Switch Online's classic game system collections, will both be playable on the new system.

This doesn't confirm that the new Switch will be able to play physical Switch games, but it's likely. The 3DS could play DS games. The DS could play Game Boy Advance games. The Game Boy Advance could play Game Boy games. The Wii U could play Wii games. The Wii could play GameCube games. The Switch can't play old Nintendo games on physical media because it uses a different game card form factor from the other systems. However, the new Switch will probably support current Switch games using similar game cards.

As for software, Nintendo confirmed earlier that it's retaining the Switch's Nintendo Account system, which should preserve digital game purchases across generations. Presumably, this means you can download OG Switch titles. Although Nintendo's history with hardware-based backward compatibility is strong, its digital backward compatibility is not. It's difficult to track purchases between systems.

What Will the Switch 2 Cost?

Nintendo clarified that it doesn't want to directly compete with Microsoft or Sony in power or price. The company learned a hard lesson with the $250 launch price of the 3DS, which it cut to $180 months later. Currently, the base Switch costs $300. The handheld-only Switch Lite costs $200, while the Switch OLED costs $350. A known leaker going by the handle "MoistyCharlie" stated that the new Switch will cost $400. This price could increase if tariffs are enacted for consumer electronics next year, but for now $400 seems reasonable.

Of course, this is all speculation until Nintendo confirms more details about the new Switch. What do you want to see in it? Let us know in the comments below.