Everything we know about Nintendo Switch 2: Release date, specs and more (Updated)

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We’re breaking down everything we know about the upcoming Nintendo Switch successor. 

Nintendo has officially announced that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be revealed by March 31, 2025, marking the first time that the company has officially commented on its existence to date. Despite Nintendo's secrecy, we do already know a few tidbits of information about the highly-anticipated next-generation console, thanks to various leaks and rumours that have slipped through the cracks over the years. 

Until Nintendo decides to give the console a full reveal, here’s everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2:

Nintendo Switch 2 release date 

In May this year, Nintendo not only confirmed the existence of the Nintendo Switch 2, but promised a full reveal for the console would happen, “within this fiscal year,” which ends on March 31, 2025. This announcement arrived after several reports suggested that the console was originally planned for release this year, but Nintendo pushed it back to the first quarter of 2025 to ensure a stronger lineup of first-party launch titles.

Nintendo has not revealed an official release date for the Nintendo Switch 2 yet, but it looks like it’s planning to launch the console in Q1 2025. We’ll likely get a full reveal a few months before its official release next year. In the meantime, the company will continue to be hard at work making new first-party games to go along with its brand-new device - but more on that later. 

Update (15/8/2024): According to Eurogamer, game developers are now being told that the Nintendo Switch 2 will not launch in this fiscal year. This means that the console will only launch in April 2025 at the very earliest.

Nintendo Switch 2 hardware specs

The Nintendo Switch 2 is being touted as a sizable upgrade over its predecessor, performance-wise. During Microsoft’s legal battle with the FTC, several leaked emails revealed that Activision’s executives had met with Nintendo in 2022 to learn about the upcoming console. The executives learned that the Switch 2 would boast performance closer to the likes of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One generation of consoles, though it might actually come out a little ahead of both. 

In May this year, customs and shipping data reportedly contained hints of the Switch 2’s technical specifications. According to this data, the console features 4GB to 12GB of RAM and 32GB to 256GB of storage. Reuters has also reported that the Switch 2 is likely to include an Nvidia custom-designed chip, much like the original Nintendo Switch, which had a Tegra X1 chip from Nvidia. 

While it is unlikely that the console matches the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in performance, Nintendo has reportedly also shown off a version of the Switch 2 running Unreal Engine 5’s The Matrix Awakens tech demo with ray tracing enabled, the demo reportedly used Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling technology, which relies on AI to upscale in-game image resolution. Similar tricks are likely being used to boost the gaming performance of the Switch 2, so that current-gen games can be ported over with less difficulty. 

Display-wise, the Switch 2 is said to feature an 8-inch LCD screen, which makes for a slight downgrade from the current Nintendo Switch OLED model. 

Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility

Nintendo doesn’t have a great record with implementing backwards compatibility on its gaming hardware. Many classic titles were not available for play on the Nintendo Switch until just recently, and even now, you might need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play them. Even if you want to go back and play highly popular Nintendo 3DS games like Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire on current hardware, you’d be out of luck.

So, will the Nintendo Switch 2 be backwards compatible? Well, we know that Nintendo plans to at least allow Nintendo Switch users to keep their accounts when they eventually transition to the next hardware generation, thanks to a shareholder Q&A session. That would make it easier for users to access their existing Switch game libraries, though it’s not a guarantee that these games would actually work on the Switch 2. 

For more definite answers to the question of backwards compatibility, we turn to peripheral maker Mobapad, which claims to have, “acquired a lot of firsthand information about the Switch 2,” while developing a next-gen controller. It claims that the Switch 2 will support backwards compatibility for physical games, which means that existing game cartridges can be carried over to next-gen hardware. The console will also support current-gen Joy-Cons and the Pro Controller. 

Update (15/8/2024): A new patent has surfaced for Nintendo Switch 2 game cartridges, and they look very similar to cartridges used by the current model. These similarities lend credence to previous reports, which state that the new console will support previous-gen games. 

Potential Nintendo Switch 2 games

While Nintendo hasn’t confirmed any specific titles for its next-generation Switch console, one thing is for sure: we’re getting a new Mario game. The company mascot is rumoured to feature in a new Super Mario game built in Unreal Engine 4, which is likely to be a 3D Mario platformer in the vein of Super Mario Odyssey. We also know that Nintendo demoed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on an early Switch 2 prototype at Gamescom with improved performance, suggesting that a remaster could be on the way too. 

Another rumour points to the Switch 2 getting a new instalment of the Mario Kart franchise at long last, titled Mario Kart X. It’s claimed to be one of the, “most expensive games Nintendo has ever put into production,” with an internal push for high visual fidelity. Metroid Prime 4 was also recently revealed to launch sometime next year, suggesting that the game might be a cross-gen title for the Switch and Switch 2. 

And there you have it! We’ll learn more about the Nintendo Switch 2 in the coming months, as Nintendo begins to ramp things up for an imminent hardware reveal. Be sure to check back for more of our coverage when that happens.