Times have changed. Switch is now into its eighth year, and ‘Switch 2’ rumours have been doing the rounds for years. The buzz couldn’t be higher and that means expectations are stratospheric. If the new console does indeed stick closely to the template of the current Switch in form and function, it behooves Nintendo to get the device in the wild as soon as possible following the reveal, especially if the specs are more modest than some fans are expecting.
Demonstrating the new console’s features and what sets it apart from the current Switch will be key, but Nintendo has a tightrope to walk with this one. 3DS took its predeccessor’s basic form and added a headline gimmick, but focusing on the 3D turned out to be a strategic error; it took a price drop, the make-good Ambassador Program, and a slew of great games to get people, gradually, back on board. The sheer hunger for new hardware will be compelling enough for hardcore Nintendo fans to upgrade, but striking the right value proposition for everyone else is going to be tricky all right.
There’s also the question of Holiday Season 2024. Looking at the lucrative November/December period from last year, new games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Mario RPG — critically acclaimed titles featuring Nintendo’s mascot — buoyed the Switch and helped distract from the fact that it was the console’s seventh Christmas on store shelves. The Switch has an incredible library to lean on, but that’s not going to keep the hardcore happy, however large their backlogs
Nintendo could have Wonder-calibre titles lined up for launch in October and November, but you’d also expect the big guns to remain holstered ready to launch with a first-year software lineup to convince the masses that, ‘Yes, we absolutely need to pick up this new, bit-better Nintendo Switch because of that game.’ It seems unlikely that the ESRB-rated Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is going to fall into the category of Mario-level system seller. Then again, if the firm is forecasting sales of another 13.5 million Switches by April 2025, so there’s got to be something pretty tasty on the horizon. Roll on that June Direct.
So then, could Nintendo eke another Holiday season out of the current Switch? Could it hold back unveiling the Switch successor until early 2025? Is it possible to staunch the inevitable supply chain leaks as manufacturers go into overdrive with Nintendo stockpiling units for a faster-than-Switch reveal-to-release?
It’s not something many eager Nintendo fans would like, but when you stand back and look at the business realities, it seems sensible. One final seasonal push, with software bundles galore to clear inventory before kicking off 2025 with a bang. It ain’t flashy, but it makes sense. You were looking forward to seeing some snazzy new Joy-Con colours and that Mario Kart bundle again, weren’t you? No? Er, hello?
What do you think? Will Nintendo try and get through 2024 without officially revealing the Switch’s successor? Is there enough juice in Switch’s tank to get us to 2025 without the new hotness? Let us know in the poll and the comments.
What’s that? Metroid Prime 4, eh? Look, if that’s Nintendo’s Thanksgiving Switch game this year, bring on the Switch 2 reveal in 2025!
