Nintendo Switch 2 reveal: When it might happen and what we already know

For nearly eight years, the Nintendo Switch has found a major foothold in the gaming world, coming perilously close to selling 150 million lifetime units at the time of writing. But eight years is one long it’s time for a video game console to hit the market. Of course, there will be a new one, and we think we’ll find out soon.

Very quickly, in fact. A recent flurry of “inside” leaks and real news reporting points to this week like when we’ll finally learn about the Nintendo Switch 2. After years of speculation, we might actually have some answers to the most talked about thing in video games these days. Of course, that couldn’t happen either, which would make me look very stupid.

But let’s assume this is the real thing. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming Switch 2 reveal, as well as some information on what to expect from the console itself.

Nintendo Switch 2 reveal: When is it and what will we see?

First, let’s get the bad news out of the way: We don’t know when Nintendo will show us the Switch 2. In fact, we don’t even know it’s actually called “Switch 2.” This is just a guess right now. However, we know it exists and we will see it soon. Nintendo confirmed as early as May 2024 that the “successor to the Nintendo Switch” would be announced before the end of the fiscal year.

You might be thinking, “It’s already 2025! Where was the announcement?” A fun thing about corporations is that they create their own silly little calendars, and Nintendo’s fiscal calendar ends on March 31, 2025. That, dear readers, is the deadline by which we will see the Nintendo Switch 2 in all its glory.

That said, it almost certainly won’t be long before Nintendo shows us the Switch 2. Multiple sources, from reliable outlets like VGC and The Verge to a podcast with a good story called Nate the Hate, are for Thursday, January 16th as the day we’ll see the Switch 2. According to all of these reports, which emerged independently and at least seem credible, Nintendo will make an initial hardware reveal on Thursday that it won’t focus too much on games, so much as it will focus on letting you know that the Switch 2 exists.

According to the same reports, there will be another event in February or March to showcase the software. This is similar to how Nintendo handled the release of the original Switch; was announced with a quick trailer video in October 2016, expanded with a larger event focused on the software in January 2017 and on store shelves in March 2017.

Nintendo Switch 2: How is it different from the original Switch?

Without an official announcement, it’s hard to say definitively what the Switch 2 actually is. However, there have been so many leaks and reports that we can form a good picture from here.

First, almost everyone expects the Switch 2 to be, well, a more powerful Nintendo Switch. This means it will still be a handheld/home console hybrid with detachable Joy-Con controllers and an included dock for TV output. All of this has been expected for a while, but in case there was any doubt, a third-party accessory company called Genki is parading around a model (theoretically based on measurements provided by Nintendo) of the device behind the doors of closed at CES earlier. in January.

If this model is to be believed, the new unit will be larger than the original Switch, with a larger screen to match the new size. The Joy-Cons are said to attach magnetically this time, rather than sliding on or off a rail. Internal specifications are also assumed to have flowed from the transport and manufacturing sectors. According to the well-known reporter Centro Leaks, the new console will have 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory. The original Switch launched with only 4GB of RAM and only 32GB of internal storage, so these are big leaps.

List of Nintendo Switch 2 games: Rumors so far

As for games, that part is even murkier. The aforementioned news reports about the reveal date also included information about possible launch games (or launch window). According to those sources, Mario Kart 9 likely to be released on or near the launch of Switch 2, along with third-party contributions such as Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, Final Fantasy VII: The Remakeand according to a different flow, Red Dead Redemption 2.

If this is a disappointing list for you, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, none of them are official. Second, even if these are all real, they likely only represent a small fraction of what will be available early in the Switch 2’s life. Third, they’re all nice-looking games that definitely can’t run on an original Switch, and Nintendo will surely prove that this thing can run modern AAA games to some extent. Remember, the first third-party game ever shown running on a Switch was Skyrimwho was six years old at the time.