Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t happening soon, despite declining console sales
Past the peak
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Nintendo Switch sales look like they’re starting to slow down, as its manufacturer reports narrowly missing sales targets for the handheld hardware.
In the last fiscal year, Nintendo revised its sales targets for theNintendo Switchto 18 million units sold, down from the original 21 million. Despite that, the company looks to have narrowly missed its revised target, shipping 17.97 million consoles over the 12-month period (thanks,VGC).
Now that the results are in, Nintendo’s forecast for the current fiscal year sits at 15 million Nintendo Switch consoles to be shifted over the next 12 months. With that in mind, it appears Nintendo has recognized that the Switch, which has shipped over 125 million units since launch, is finally beginning to losesteam.
That doesn’t mean theNintendo Switch 2is going to be revealed anytime soon, though. ABloomberg reportstates that Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that the company’s next-generation hardware isn’t on the cards for the current fiscal year.
When will the Nintendo Switch’s successor launch?
Looking ahead with Furukawa’s statement in mind, we likely won’t have any hardware news from Nintendo until April 2024 at the very earliest. Whatever this new console ends up being, then, the most probable earliest time to reveal it will be during announcement season next year (between June and July).
Another possibility would be for a reveal during the September 2024 Nintendo Direct, a month during which Nintendo typically airs its pre-recorded announcement program. Either scenario could signify a potential Holiday 2024 launch for the Nintendo Switch’s successor.
Many, including myself, will have hoped that the Nintendo Switch 2 (or Nintendo Switch Pro) would’ve launched alongside the hotly anticipatedThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,which is releasing this week on May 12.
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The long-awaitedBreath of the Wildsequel is likely to be recognized as one of thebest Nintendo Switch games, and, thus, could really have benefited from running on improved hardware. That may not be a huge issue, however, given Nintendo EPD’s track record for polish, paired with co-developer Monolith Soft’s technical wizardry After all, it’s still amazing to me that the likes of the stunningXenoblade Chronicles 3can run on the aging Switch hardware at all.
Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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