Switch 2 - predictions, guesstimates and other SWAGs

[Ashley]

I know this kind of thing has been discussed before and debated relentlessly primarily in the Switch topic but why not have a place to talk about what we expect the Switch successor to be like as I think its fair to say we are probably closer to it than the Switch launch.

This quote from Ubisoft about Marrio + Rabbids SOH has me thinking it might end up being another backwards compatible console, particularly if you look at all the stuff in the recent Direct. I can't really see us getting to the end of 2025 (at a stretch) without a new console and I can't see Nintendo choosing to put so much effort this late in a console's life if there wasn't. I think either Thanksgiving time next year or maybe early 2025.

I also know it won't happen but I want them to call it The Switchatwo.

Scientific Wild-Ass Guesses for those that don't know

[S.C.G]

Switch 2
Release date 06/03/2026
Price - £333.00

Specifications

• Up to 4K docked
• Up to 1080p portable
• Three times as powerful as exisiting Switch hardware
• 256gb built-in storage
• Support for up to 1tb + Micro SD cards
• Higher Capacity game cards (downloads still required for some titles, despite this)
• Joy-Con + (The plus is the additon of a d-pad, and decent sticks)
• Fully backwards compatible with all games and most accesories
• Nintendo Switch Online Megaton Pass (Play a limited selection of new and old Switch games for £77 per year)
• Built-in voice chat... (OK, I had to throw something unrealistic in there)

[lostmario]

They should just follow Sony in terms of console naming simplicity and call it Switch 2 but they won't.

Name  New Switch or Switch Deluxe (Repeat of the Wii U brand confusion)

Release March 2024

Price £350

4K docked

720p portable

7" screen

Backwards Compatible

Backwards compatible with old Joy Cons

Slightly advanced Joy Cons with new shape. New Joy Con / Joy Con Deluxe

 

[Josh64]

I hope to god it is a Switch 2, something that is the same form factor and concept. In an ideal world, it will be backwards compatible both digitally and physically, but this is Nintendo so the digital side is anyone's guess - remember on Wii U when you could 'upgrade' your Virtual Console purchases for an additional price, classic lol. 

When I say I hope it's a Switch 2, I say it because I know it's the obvious thing to do and it's so likely they will do it, BUT for that reason I'm scared, because this is Nintendo, so the obvious and logical choice isn't always the chosen one. 

Of course when they have a great idea they like to fuck it up and make it some elaborate high concept machine but not have the technology to pull it off well, like the Virtual Boy and Wii U, or hinder it in some way, like the N64's tiny cartridge size.

If history is anything to go by though, we might actually be safe. Nintendo do tend to follow up their successes with improved versions, like NES to SNES and DS to 3DS. Anyway, what I hope for:

A more powerful Switch. I'm not very technically minded, but I believe what I want is more RAM. As far as I'm concerned, the graphics on Switch are great, fine even, but it's the processing that is shit. Gimme more games that look like TOTK or Rabbids, but make it so they can run more than 30fps, don't have really obvious LOD (something people don't mention about TOTK but that I think is immediately obvious most of the time), less pop-in for distant objects/enemies, higher resolution. Basically make it so that third-parties can port their games to a reasonable standard and not have to knock them down to N64 visual fidelity with Microsoft Paint textures. 

Carry over games and data from OG Switch. Higher capacity and cheaper cards for publishers so we don't keep having this absolute bullshit situation of physical releases requiring massive downloads just to be playable. Improved Joy-Cons without stick drift and with real D-Pads. And that's it really, all I want! Oh and maybe an OS that takes up more memory than a calculator so we can have fuckin' themes lol. 

 

What I expect: The New Nintendo Switch U-Shi, a bi-pedal electronic Yoshi with infra-red eyes that can interact with your gestures and movements. On its belly is a small screen in which you can see games, and interact with them via your gestures at said eyes. It will be powered on a IBM CPU PowerPC Gekko running at 486 MHz, and display at 480p. It will retail at £449 at launch, but 3 months later have a permanent price cut to £249, and early adopters can download the New Nintendo Switch U-Shi port of Pokken Tournament Deluxe-U-Shi for free as an apology. 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Josh64

[Dcubed]

I'm really tired of Switch 2 speculation.  The system is ridiculously overdue at this point, to the extent that any info we did have regarding the upcoming "Drake" chipset is likely to have been long abandoned in favour of something newer by now.

At this rate? Switch is going to end up having the longest lifecycle of any home console in existence, and that includes Xbox 360 (8 years!).  It has already outlasted every single Nintendo home console except for the original Famicom (which it will surpass come July 2024), and every handheld except for the original Game Boy (which it won't come close to... I hope!).

In terms of CPU/GPU, there's no reason why it shouldn't be able to pump out Xbox Series S level visuals at the minimum.  The tech is there, and DLSS is a massive advantage in Nintendo's favour that they have exclusive access to that no other console manufacturer can replicate.  That's the boring stuff.

That all being said though? I'm more interested in seeing what they're gonna do in terms of controller input.  I can't see them just putting out a straightforward graphically upgraded Switch without an interesting new gimmick.  That window of opportunity has now sailed and I'd think that they really need a clean break from the current Joy-con design + standard display in order to really garner mass market interest, but I'm not sure what form that's going to take... Personally? I'd bet on them attempting to bring back their past hardware features that the current Switch can't support, such as Stylus touchscreen controls out of the box, the IR pointer and dual screen experiences... but using modern tech to replicate said experiences...

 

I think that this kind of thing might be what Nintendo ends up going for.  Bendable screen tech.  Rather than have two seperated displays, you have one large display that can be folded to make a DS style dual screen display; or even folded over 180 degrees to give you a front and back display; perfect for local multiplayer VS games that give each player their own private screen!  Augment this with bringing back all of the past hardware features that are missing from the current Switch and you've got yourself a compelling device that can offer experiences that the current Switch cannot.

The Switch's greatest strength isn't necessarily its portability in of itself... but rather its versatility as a gaming device.  Switch 2 needs to focus on expanding its versatility and gameplay possibilities as much as possible.

Edited June 26, 2023 by Dcubed

[nekunando]

There's almost certainly variation between what is possible, what I want and what it will eventually be but I'll try to outline something within the realms of possibility 😅

Name: Nintendo Switch Plus

Release: October 2024

I envisage a console very similar in style and concept to the Switch OLED with capabilities similar to but hopefully slightly beyond that of the PS4/XBOX One.

I feel like I want it to be capable or playing almost anything and everything, including acceptable ports from rival platforms and also all legacy content.

Part of this will be possible due to the new Joy-Con Plus which will be a lot like the current controller but with slightly improved sticks and, preferably, analogue ZL and ZR buttons. The other difference will be (and I'm not sure how necessary or feasible this is) a pointer at the top. I can only really see this being achieved by making the R button about half the length it currently is and having a small camera directly beside it. Would your fingers get in the way? Quite possibly..

Anyway, that would bring with it the possibility of Wii ports or versions of the games on NSO along with GC games too which make nice use of the analogue shoulder buttons.

Am I going to be able to play Nintendo Land and Starfox Zero on this thing?

Absolutely

The dock will have greater significance than ever before this time. Just as how the Wii U Gamepad communicated with the console, the Nintendo Switch Plus will be able to communicate wirelessly with the dock to not allow those Wii U type experiences as well as offer the opportunity for dual screen gaming with the eventual DS and 3DS inclusions on NSO Plus!

OK, genius.. you haven't even considering Virtual Boy.

Haven't I..?

A separately purchasable headset dock will allow for the Switch Plus console to slip into it to give a just about functional VR option, albeit primitive compared to much more expensive alternatives on the market.

Not only will it finally give us the Virtual Boy games that should have made it to 3DS, the wireless communication with the dock connected to the TV will allow for other players to interact with the player wearing the headset by playing on the TV.

All purchases made on the current Switch will carry forward, as will all of the access to the NSO apps, but the on board storage will still only increase to 128GB. The dock will also have a seperate Micro SD port the allow for even more storage beyond the internal storage of the system and Micro SD inserted into the Switch Plus. It will make it easier to transfer games between the dock storage and handheld storage without having to keep deleting and downloading games when the fridge is full!

Ultimately, it all sounds like wishful thinking stemming from a desire to be able to access everything all from one place and not be limited by performance or control input.

Do I think it will happen..?

Unfortunately not. I do think the next console will be similar in form to the current Switch but I also believe Nintendo will hit us with the sort of twist that none of us had even contemplated.

I'm excited either way. It feels like it's time!

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by nekunando

[Ashley]

3 hours ago, Dcubed said:

I'm really tired of Switch 2 speculation. 

 

[Grazza]

The main things I'd like:

 

• No drift.
• Allow wired connections without Bluetooth.  If I have an arcade stick connected to the Switch by a wire, which is connected to the TV by a wire, why does Bluetooth have to be enabled?
• Keep the hybrid functionality.  Obviously it's going to be more powerful, which is great, but I still want it to be useable as a handheld.
• Backwards compatibility.  I must have bought Final Fight five times now!  I don't want to buy it again.

[Ashley]

Was watching something by Good Vibes Gaming and they point out 2D Mario games sell phenomenally well (no surprise there), even years after release, and Nintendo wouldn't just release one on a console that's about to die so it lends credence to the idea that the next console will be backwards compatible

[S.C.G]

1 hour ago, Ashley said:

Was watching something by Good Vibes Gaming and they point out 2D Mario games sell phenomenally well (no surprise there), even years after release, and Nintendo wouldn't just release one on a console that's about to die so it lends credence to the idea that the next console will be backwards compatible

Plus, Nintendo have stated recently... (around 2022 I believe) that they insist the Switch is only about halfway through its life-cycle, though if that were true, it would mean that we probably wouldn't see a Switch 2 until Q1 2028... which is why I went with Q1 2026, as that would be exactly nine years since the Switch was released, as that seems more plausible to me than eleven years... but who knows at this point?

[Julius]

Might as well throw my hat in the ring 

Name: Nintendo Switch Two (spelt out, not as a number)

Release: November 2024

Price: £349.99

Features (& marketing): 

• it's still a hybrid console, with detachable Joy-Cons. You'll be able to use old Joy-Cons but, because the base unit will be a bit larger than the standard Switch and OLED (8" screen?), there'll be a case made available which serves as something of an adaptor. Because money: if they're going to let you use old Joy-Cons, you'll be damn sure they'll find a way to make some money from it. Hence the slightly bigger screen and adapter case. 

• Full HD 1920 x 1080 handheld, upscaled 4K when docked. 

• customisation and wallpapers is going to be in their marketing, because it's nonexistent on the Switch and I refuse to believe that Nintendo are stupid enough to have held back but for any reason other than to make it a selling point for the Switch's successor. The kickstand will be slightly larger than it is on the OLED, and will be removable to be replaced with a whole host of kickstand designs, similar to 3DS faceplates.

• launch colours will be blue, red, and black (not to be confused with the dark grey of the Switch). Special editions of Metroid Prime 4 - available from launch - will include an exclusive Metroid Prime 4 kickstand. The docks and backs of the consoles will match the colour of the main unit. 

• the marketing noise we'll grow to love will be two clicks in succession with a slight overlap, compared with the Switch's one. This is probably the only thing I think Nintendo should actually do if the next console is a true Switch successor, it's too easy a differentiator to miss out on when it comes to marketing. 

• the logo will basically be the Switch logo, except there'll be more of a gap between the Joy-Cons to have it printed to say 'T W O', and it won't say 'Nintendo Switch' (because they're that confident in how well the Switch was branded and marketed) underneath, but will bring back the circled Nintendo logo. So pair of Joy-Cons, 'T W O' in the middle, circled Nintendo logo at bottom of the back. I wanted to be cute and say you just do the current logo on its side because it kind of looks like a 2, but nah, that's too logical for Nintendo. 

• the console will be fully backwards compatible with the Switch, and yes, online games and all our accounts will carry over. As President Shuntaro Furukawa sort of gets at here:

• they'll mention that they're hard at work on the next set of online features, but will ask us to wait a bit longer, so NSO at launch is as it will be on the Switch when the new console is announced. Nintendo Switch Online will expand to include GameCube games in September 2025. 

• this is because the main change in terms of services will be a complete eShop overhaul. I don't know about you guys, but I think the Switch eShop is really poorly curated, and I think this is something they'll have worked on. There'll be a jukebox feature in the eShop to choose from remixes of your favourite classic eShop tunes. 

• Metroid Prime 4 will be a launch title. 

• the branding colours will be inverted: we'll go from white on red to red on white. 

• in talking about the new Joy-Cons - which will include a proper D-Pad this time, as will the new Pro controller - they won't directly say "we've fixed the Joy-Con drift!", but will talk about how they've put in R&D to make it more durable, used new materials, etc. I give it three weeks after launch before DriftConGate becomes a thing, as people stress test this and say it patently doesn't work (but in some cases it genuinely won't). 

• analogue triggers baby

• you can feel two more ice cubes in the slightly larger new Joy-Cons. Oh, and they'll be called Joy-Cons Plus because of the new D-Pad. The buttons will feel nicer, more in line with the 3DS than the flat buttons we have currently. 

 

I didn't want to jump on the idea myself, but @Dcubed, I do love your idea of a bendable screen to use for dual-screen gaming and local versus. If something like that happens I say call it the Switch Duo (clearly a successor to the Switch and speaks to the functionality) and you're golden! So obviously they'll call it the Switch On/Off instead knowing Ninty 

[Ashley]

I knew this was coming for mobiles but didn't consider its potential impact on the Switcha2.

 

[Ashley]

Rumours/speculation/insight (delete as appropriate) from industry insiders suggest late next year and dev kits are starting to be distributed: 

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sources-nintendo-switch-2-targets-2024-with-next-gen-console/

[Grazza]

I definitely think it's true this time.  Too many rumours about Switch 2 being released next year to dismiss.

[Dcubed]

I’ll believe it once we start getting tech spec and photo leaks.

If Ubisoft aren’t repeatedly leaking every single facet of this system? Then it doesn’t exist.

[Ashley]

27 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

I’ll believe it once we start getting tech spec and photo leaks.

I look forward to seeing this kind of thing again

 

[Grazza]

I just want the Switch ON.

[Dcubed]

1 hour ago, Ashley said:

I look forward to seeing this kind of thing again

 

Defo! Rampant speculation and crazy fakes are the best part of a new console unveil 

[killthenet]

More fuel to the fire, definitely seems like the next Switch will be coming at some point next year. 

The reaction in the comments in the articles and on Resetera is frankly ridiculous though, people taking it as gospel that there won't be any backwards compatibility and losing their rag about the possibility of it only launching with an LED screen. Besides some pretty solid rumours about the chip Nintendo will be using (Nvidia Tegra T239) we know literally nothing else about the hardware or Nintendo's plans to support original Switch software, the way people jump the gun is just moronic.

Personally, given Nintendo's track record in previous generations (particularly the DS and Wii) I would be very surprised if they didn't support Switch software, I think the only doubt is whether patches to take advantage of the more powerful hardware are free or not. I think at the bare minimum original Switch software will run in compatibility mode (ala non-patched PS4 games on PS4 Pro & PS5) where they run as they do on standard Switch hardware. 

[Ashley]

I don't see upgrade patches being free (and nor am I that fussed about it). This is Nintendo after all and they've happily charged us £5 to buy Super Mario Bros multiple times and now we don't even get to buy it. 

[MindFreak]

I really hope they make Pro Controllers backward compatible this time. It is such a waste to just hide away perfectly fine controllers, and they have got quite expensive these years. 

[Julius]

On 7/31/2023 at 6:10 PM, Ashley said:

Rumours/speculation/insight (delete as appropriate) from industry insiders suggest late next year and dev kits are starting to be distributed: 

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sources-nintendo-switch-2-targets-2024-with-next-gen-console/

Yeah, agree with @Grazza that I think that there's going to be some element of truth to this, and I'll be shocked if the Switch successor isn't released next year.

Them seemingly forgoing a Pro model in favour of the OLED makes it seem much more likely to me: being on the shelf 7 years as of next year without any real type of upgraded offering? We've seen some wizardry on the Switch by third parties to this point, but I genuinely think that any further delay to a successor would start to piss third parties off a good bit. 

I'm not even one of those people that cares about performance/fidelity on a Nintendo console, at the end of the day that's not what I'm here for. I wanted the upgrade in power purely so that they can just make wackier games for me to love. 

On 7/31/2023 at 7:00 PM, Ashley said:

I look forward to seeing this kind of thing again

Takes me back to my early days on N-E seeing this. Remember when the rumours were that the Switch would have games with portable and console modes? Good times 

On 7/31/2023 at 9:17 PM, killthenet said:

The reaction in the comments in the articles and on Resetera is frankly ridiculous though, people taking it as gospel that there won't be any backwards compatibility and losing their rag about the possibility of it only launching with an LED screen. Besides some pretty solid rumours about the chip Nintendo will be using (Nvidia Tegra T239) we know literally nothing else about the hardware or Nintendo's plans to support original Switch software, the way people jump the gun is just moronic.

Personally, given Nintendo's track record in previous generations (particularly the DS and Wii) I would be very surprised if they didn't support Switch software, I think the only doubt is whether patches to take advantage of the more powerful hardware are free or not. I think at the bare minimum original Switch software will run in compatibility mode (ala non-patched PS4 games on PS4 Pro & PS5) where they run as they do on standard Switch hardware. 

That sounds about right for those places! 

Personally, I'd be shocked if there was no backwards compatibility, because recent Wii U > Switch transition aside, this seems to be something Nintendo has always tried to fit in where they can, and where they can't it's oftentimes seemingly been down to changing the type of physical media they were using between generations. Then there's the potential paid-for patches (think I agree with @Ashley here in that I'd love for them to be free but struggle to see it) to take in some cash, I'm curious how that's going to work for something like Prime 4 though, as at this point I'll be shocked if that's not tied to the Switch successor in a big way. Will they release separate versions for each console? Will the Switch be forwards compatible to some extent early on during the transition period and just not have the bells and whistles of the game playing in 4K and/or at 60 fps? 

The only real reasons to not be backwards compatible seem to be purely business reasons in my mind, and that's to chase down the PS2/DS sales figures and release separate versions of games for the Switch and it's successor during the transition period. That latter idea would not go down well at all, I imagine. 

I am really curious to see, if upgrade patches are indeed a thing, what the plan is. It feels like there's been very little consistency amongst third parties on PlayStation and Xbox when it comes to this so far this gen. A £5 upgrade patch applied across the board to Nintendo first and second party games? Sure, I could see that. But do third parties want to peddle GOTY/Deluxe/Definitive Editions more than they want to offer upgrade patches, I wonder? Because I'd bet they do. 

It's an interesting time to be in, I just hope we aren't kept in the dark as long as it felt like we were for the Switch. A six month window between announcement and release is great, but it can be very confusing if purported leaks become overwhelmingly accurate and then details in those leaks don't make it into the early stages of marketing, or vice versa. 

[Ashley]

4 hours ago, Julius said:

I'm curious how that's going to work for something like Prime 4 though

This won't happen but imagine if they released Prime 4 in two parts; part one on Switch and part two on Switch 2. 

Still complete games in themselves, but essentially a two-parter across consoles. 

As I said, never going to happen but curious to just see how that would play out. 

[Dcubed]

My Uncle At Nintendo is back…

Switch 2 has apparently now been seen in person (probably shown off behind closed doors at Gamescom).  Deets to come from certain reporters very soon…

Looks like it’s finally happening!

[Ashley]