The persistent rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2 are increasing. While Nintendo itself remains in the dark about its future hardware plans, numerous supposed industry insiders claim that they have the latest information about the gaming giant’s next console.
It is 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 has not yet been technically confirmed as of press time. However, a successor to the best-selling Nintendo Switch seems almost certain.
When trying to determine the Nintendo Switch 2 release date, all we have for now are unconfirmed rumors, combined with a healthy dose of speculation. So here are the latest Switch 2 release date rumors, along with my own predictions. Plus, stay tuned to our dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 hub for all the latest rumors from specs to price.
Nintendo Switch 2 release date – latest rumors
Online rumors surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 can be traced back to 2021, but the noise surrounding the console increased in early 2023. We initially saw reports that the Switch 2 would be released in winter 2023. But that didn’t happen.
Nintendo themselves quashed these rumors when President Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed this There are no plans to release hardware in the current fiscal year, which ends in March. While the Switch 2 won’t be launching in the near term, it could still be announced in the current fiscal year, and a recent leak suggests that’s the plan.
NateTheHate, an industry insider who has provided accurate information in the past, has claimed that “Switch 2 appears poised and ready for a reveal or announcement,” with the tipster even clearly stating that “Nintendo will announce the Switch 2 in March.”
A Switch 2 announcement next month, scheduled for release in the second half of 2024, fits in nicely with a whole host of more rumors from a variety of sources who have all suggested this Nintendo’s next console will be released in 2024.
The sheer volume of tipsters claiming that the Switch 2 will be released this year has been overwhelming over the past few months, and it feels like there’s so much smoke surrounding the idea that all of these claims have some degree of legitimacy must have.
However, given the current news, I wouldn’t bet on the Switch 2 definitely coming to market within the next 10 months. On Friday (February 16), new rumors threw a spanner in the works, with multiple sources now suggesting that Nintendo’s next console won’t launch until 2025, having slipped out of its original 2024 launch window.
According to Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe, a games journalist from Brazil, the Switch 2 should now appear in early 2025. Which totally sucks. But at least he claims it will launch in Nintendo’s 2024 fiscal year (which runs until March 2025).
Additionally, gaming providers VGC and Eurogamer have heard similar rumors from their own sources. Both claim to have independently confirmed Pedro’s initial report and now also suggest that the Switch 2 will not be released until the first quarter of 2025.
Eurogamer explains: “[Switch 2’s] The release, which will take place early next year – but within the next fiscal year – is intended to ensure that Switch 2’s launch lineup includes as many titles as possible.” And VGC claims to have heard similar things from its sources.
With so much conflicting information, it’s hard to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. It is worth remembering that all these leaks and rumors should be treated with caution until we receive official word from Nintendo. You could be proven wrong. After all, Nintendo has a habit of doing the unexpected.
Nintendo Switch 2 release date – our forecast
The Nintendo Switch turns seven years old in just a few weeks and its internal components are now struggling to keep up with the latest releases. For proof, just look at last year’s disastrous Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1. Even flagship Nintendo games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom struggle to run on the current Switch’s now outdated technology.
Nintendo announced this in the company’s financial report in May 2023 Switch sales are declining faster than expected. Since the console’s confirmed lineup of first-party games for 2024 consists mostly of smaller titles and remakes, I get the impression that the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have much left to offer.
Releasing a Nintendo Switch 2 – or whatever Nintendo ends up calling their next console – in 2024 seems like a logical release strategy. It’s hard to say exactly when the Switch 2 might launch, but a March reveal with a September or early October launch to take advantage of the holidays isn’t out of the question just yet.
Additionally, 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 launched five months after its initial release, so we may see a similar gap with Switch 2 (which would launch in August if it were to be revealed next month). However, the OG Switch was announced in October 2016 and hit stores in March 2017. Perhaps the Switch 2 will follow a similar trend with an announcement this year, but its release date will be somewhere in 2025.
Based on the latest rumor (confirmed by Eurogamer and VGC), there’s definitely reason to worry that we might not get our hands on the Switch 2 until early 2025. I highly doubt that Nintendo had planned to leave eight years between console generations, but if the reports about the Switch 2’s unfinished software lineup are true, the gaming titan may feel it has no choice but to wait.
Fingers crossed Nintendo is ready to officially talk about what’s next soon. After several years of dubious rumors and leaks, we are now ready to learn some concrete details. In the meantime, if you’re waiting for the Switch 2, be sure to stick with Tom’s Guide as we’ll bring you the latest updates as we get them.
