The rumour mill continues around the successor to the Switch, but is this one the one? According to Video Games Chronicle, and corroborated by Eurogamer, Nintendo is likely to release its next-gen hardware in the second half of 2024. VGC's sources, which include "multiple people with knowledge of Nintendo's next-gen console plans", claim that the device will be useable in handheld mode and support physical cartridges like the Switch. However, backwards compatibility remains unclear.

The next-gen hardware will also apparently sport an LCD display, instead of an OLED one, in order to keep costs low while packing higher storage for higher fidelity games. Dev kits of the system are also with key partners, according to the report.

Of course, take this report with a grain of salt as these are unofficial news and rumours around a Switch Pro or Switch 2 have been around for a while. But eventually, we will get a successor to the Switch in one form or another; and whether it will replicate the latter's success remains to be seen.

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[Xzi]

They can't have the latest tech though. Not when they have always chosen to have an affordable price point.

NOBODY would accept the Switch 2 for $599. Nobody. So the tech will have to fit a $300-400 price point. Take a look at the Steam Deck for comparison. It's like $499+ and only 800p with an LCD screen.

$399, for a system roughly on par with a PS4 Pro. Odds are Ninty rolls with that same price point and just sticks slightly cheaper hardware in it to increase profit margins. The equivalent of a PS4 is realistically the bare minimum now with next-gen refreshes right around the corner, so that's their bar.

 

[LeNoobio]

$399, for a system roughly on par with a PS4 Pro. Odds are Ninty rolls with that same price point and just sticks slightly cheaper hardware in it to increase profit margins. The equivalent of a PS4 is realistically the bare minimum now with next-gen refreshes right around the corner, so that's their bar.

I hope you're correct (and they don't try to "limbodance" that bar) and I hope for full backwards compatibility.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Assuming it is true, would anyone recommend buying a Switch soon or just wait?

Just wait or if you buy a Switch, it can't be much more than $100-$150 with such dated technology at this point.

 

[Kioku]

$399, for a system roughly on par with a PS4 Pro. Odds are Ninty rolls with that same price point and just sticks slightly cheaper hardware in it to increase profit margins. The equivalent of a PS4 is realistically the bare minimum now with next-gen refreshes right around the corner, so that's their bar.

PS4 Pro/Xbox One X should be the absolute minimum... Like, it honestly should just barely beat them (within 1-5% margins)... It's 2023 and the new hardware is allegedly due out next year. There has been leaps and bounds in terms of performance improvements for mobile chipsets that PS4 is too low of a bar.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

$399, for a system roughly on par with a PS4 Pro. Odds are Ninty rolls with that same price point and just sticks slightly cheaper hardware in it to increase profit margins. The equivalent of a PS4 is realistically the bare minimum now with next-gen refreshes right around the corner, so that's their bar.

Dude if they just twist Nvidia's arm and tell them to stop fucking around and make them a custom chip that can do DLSS then we can get 720p-1080p native games that look like 4K fidelity. And you don't even need crazy hardware specs.

Instead of some off the shelf old chips lying around. Nintendo should say "listen motherfucker we sold 130,000,000 of your shitty chips MAKE US ONE"

Oh, Nintendo actually patented their own method of DLSS a few years back. So possibly have been working on that for their next hardware? Time will tell. Definitely interesting.

PS4 Pro/Xbox One X should be the absolute minimum... Like, it honestly should just barely beat them (within 1-5% margins)... It's 2023 and the new hardware is allegedly due out next year. There has been leaps and bounds in terms of performance improvements for mobile chipsets that PS4 is too low of a bar.

You need to also think about power draw, wattage, temperature, cooling, battery life and size.

All these new powerful handhelds we see like the deck and the dozen copycats are fucking massive. And have literally 2-3 hours of battery. Fuck that shit.

I seriously doubt Nintendo would want to increase the Switchs size that much. The steam deck is absolutely ridiculous looking. It's far too big but it's that size because it HAS to be.

 

[Xzi]

Dude if they just twist Nvidia's arm and tell them to stop fucking around and make them a custom chop that can do DLSS then we can get 720p-1080p native games that look like 4K fidelity. And you don't even need crazy hardware specs.

Instead of some off the shelf old chips lying around. Switch should say "listen motherfucker we sold 130,000,000 of your shitty chips MAKE US ONE"

Yeah but that costs money, and the only reason Nintendo partnered with Nvidia for Switch in the first place is because they were practically giving away X1 chips by 2017.

PS4 Pro/Xbox One X should be the absolute minimum... Like, it honestly should just barely beat them (within 1-5% margins)... It's 2023 and the new hardware is allegedly due out next year. There has been leaps and bounds in terms of performance improvements for mobile chipsets that PS4 is too low of a bar.

Improvements almost exclusively on the AMD side of things, sure.

 

[Obveron]

Why wouldn’t they use an OLED display? This seems like a set back.

I can only think it's so they can sell a more expensive OLED model in a couple years.

 

[Kioku]

Yeah but that costs money, and the only reason Nintendo partnered with Nvidia for Switch in the first place is because they were practically giving away X1 chips by 2017.


Improvements almost exclusively on the AMD side of things, sure.

Can't imagine they're still partnered with Nvidia... As Nvidia kind of dropped off the mobile market.

 

[Xzi]

Can't imagine they're still partnered with Nvidia... As Nvidia kind of dropped off the mobile market.

One would hope not, but sourcing AMD chips is gonna get a lot more difficult if all of the big three start using 'em.

 

[dragonblood9999]

The switch is what, 7 years old now? So it seems about the right time.

Imo nintendo should just make a dedicated home console and a dedicated hand held not a hybrid.

 

[Thescrewremover]

Why wouldn’t they use an OLED display? This seems like a set back.

Screen burn-in

 

[Xzi]

Imo nintendo show just make a dedicated home console and a dedicated hand held not a hybrid.

That'd be a great strategy to help boost Valve and other portable PC manufacturers, but a horrible strategy from Nintendo's perspective. They can't go back to releasing stripped-down handheld versions of games after making people acutely aware of the fact that portables are capable of running the same AAA games as consoles now. It took several years for their development teams to consolidate and finally mesh too, so they'd be flushing all that effort down the drain.

 

[xbmcuser]

I think they might do VR. Which will be awful. 6 years of Nintendo forcing VR into every game. No no nooooooooooooo

The top guys at Nintendo hate VR. the Virtual Boy in 1995 cost them dearly. That is why they left it out of the Switch. The Switch has many APIs to do VR but was left to a little tech demo on Labo.

 

[Marc_LFD]

What makes you think the Switch 2 isn't going to be "almost the same" as Switch?

Or at least as "almost the same" as gamecube/Wii/WiiU were.

For me, I've always seen the Wii as a GCN Slim. There's no denying the Wii sold like crazy, but it always felt like a console with too much shovelware.

Hack the Wii, use an official component cable, a reliable GCN controller, a GCN memory card, 128GB SD Card loaded with games, and it's a pretty dang fun experience.

 

[JeepX87]

Actually Switch is 6 years old and already enter 7th year last March, but 7th birthday wouldn't happen until March 2024.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Actually Switch is 6 years old and already enter 7th year last March, but 7th birthday wouldn't happen until March 2024.

Nintendo consoles generally tend to see a successor after it's out six years, so it won't be surprising to hear Nintendo announcing it sooner or later.

Folks just got to keep expectations low.

 

[smf]

For me, I've always seen the Wii as a GCN Slim. There's no denying the Wii sold like crazy, but it always felt like a console with too much shovelware.

The Wii seems bigger than a GCN to me.
It has plenty of extra hardware the GCN doesn't have too.

 

[Marc_LFD]

The Wii seems bigger than a GCN to me.
It has plenty of extra hardware the GCN doesn't have too.

It was still an SD console and graphically, it didn't really look much different than the GCN.

GCN or NGC depending on the region.

 

[KingVamp]

If Dlss and backward compatibility is a thing, I wonder how many devs would go back to patch their games.

 

[Benja81]

Why don't they just announce it already...gawsh...the anticipation.
Will there be new nintendo gimmicks (amazing ones) or just a beefed up Switch? Is this actually just the Switch Pro? Cmon ninty