Switch users can count on Nintendo releasing and supporting the console until at least 2025. And while the Switch 2 is expected to come out sometime late next year (2024), it’s good to know that its release won’t make the first Switch obsolete.
Let’s cut to the chase: we don’t expect the Switch 2 to be a powerhouse. Given Nintendo’s track record, it makes a lot with very little. Since the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo has been a strong competitor with the weakest hardware, and we’re expecting the same from the next console.
What we know about the Switch successor are merely rumors and unconfirmed leaks:
- It might not have an OLED screen
- It may or may not run Nintendo Switch games (physical ones)
- It may offer game upgrades (similar to PS4 to PS5)
- It may be as powerful as a PS4
According to an IGN article, the Nintendo Switch currently has over 100 million users. Some may not want to upgrade to more powerful hardware as soon as it comes out, so releasing cross-gen titles would make a lot of sense. Nintendo did it with Breath of the Wild, which worked.
According to a recent interview with Nikkei, it’s safe to assume that the current Nintendo Switch will still be alive and kicking until 2025. We still have plenty of games to look forward to, like Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Princess Peach: Showtime, and Metroid Prime 4 (this one seems unlikely). Not to mention all the remakes like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi’s Mansion 2.
In short, Switch owners are fine for the time being.