Nintendo Switch 2 release date (expected), price, and more

The Nintendo Switch 2 continues to be a hot-button topic in the community, especially as we head further into 2024. After the success of the current hybrid console from this company, fans are understandably eager to see what more is in store for them.

Thanks to a variety of leaks and rumors surfacing in 2023 and the few years leading up to it, we have an idea of what to expect from the next-gen portable. To top it off, many fingers point to 2024 as the year when the Super Mario company will officially reveal or announce its new system. With that said, let's take a look at everything we know thus far and speculate what may be possible and what isn't.

Nintendo Switch 2 release date (Expected)

The current rendition boasts the aging Tegra X1 hardware (Image via Nintendo)

For most gamers, what matters is the Nintendo Switch 2's release date and cost. Thus far, a September 24, 2024, launch has been speculated. Nintendo Switch 2 dev kits have reportedly been with studios for over a year now, with earliest reports going back to March 2023. This sounds feasible since games are becoming bigger and bigger in scope and size, as seen with titles such as GTA 6.

As such, studios need ample development time to make games for the Nintendo Switch 2. With its latest console, the company is well aware of how crucial third-party support is. If the upcoming handheld lacks that—especially after the roaring success of the hybrid concept—Nintendo will likely meet another Wii U situation. This brings us to the next aspect of the Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo Switch 2 price (Expected)

The Nintendo Switch 2 price will no doubt be more expensive than the current one. Thanks to rumors from late last year, there will allegedly be two Nintendo Switch 2 models - one costing $400 while the other is more expensive at $450. This seems fairly reasonable for the game company. Recently, even industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto of Gameindustry.biz suggested the same price point for Nintendo Switch 2 as part of their 2024 industry predictions.

Since Nintendo caters to a casual audience as well, it would need to keep the Nintendo Switch 2 price affordable while still competing with the pricier PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. All in all, it is reasonable to assume and perhaps even likely that this company is indeed listening to developers. Therefore, players can expect to see Nintendo Switch 2 hardware that can keep up with their tech demands.

Nintendo Switch 2 rumored specs

The upcoming successor is expected to boast the following suggested specifications:

Display	8-inch LCD, possibly 1080p
CPU	Octa-core ARM Cortex A78C CPU
RAM	12 GB LPDDR5
GPU	Custom Nvidia Ampere architecture

We’re obviously missing more details, such as storage, but these will likely be leaked as we head towards an official release date.

Interestingly, as per Bloomberg, Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase has recently doubled down on the display aspect of the Nintendo Switch 2. They suggest that the next-gen console will indeed launch this year with an 8-inch LCD screen, as has been rumored thus far.

When Bloomberg reached out to Nintendo, they expectedly declined to comment. With Nintendo even going so far as to suggest a Nintendo Switch 2 does not exist, the near future should be interesting.

Nintendo Switch 2 leaks and rumors explored

The Nintendo Switch 2 is supposed to be the next step in the hybrid gameplay concept (image via Nintendo)

Over the years, we have seen a myriad of Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, ranging from speculating about the tech housed within to games launching for it. Here’s a compilation of every major rumor that we know so far:

Nintendo Switch 2 leaks claim the hardware is suggested to feature the Nvidia Tegra 239 SoC, derived from Nvidia’s own tegra Orin lineup. Thanks to this mobile setup, it is suggested to be the same as the existing Nintendo Switch in terms of design.
The existence of the SoC has been confirmed by legitimate Nvidia employees in the past.
The controller layout is expected to be inspired by the Super NES console with red, green, blue, and yellow action buttons.
Predicted hardware includes an octa-core ARM Cortex A78C CPU, 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM, and a custom Nvidia Ampere-based GPU - the latter of which is the same architecture as the RTX 3000 series graphics cards. The display is said to be an 8-inch LCD screen.
Current-gen features like Nvidia DLSS image reconstruction technique for rendering at 4K resolution, ray-tracing, and more are said to be compatible as per Nintendo Switch 2 leaks.
The pricier $450 model might feature backward compatibility, while the $400 one may not
Closed-door demos were supposedly shown off to developers at Gamescom 2023, including the impressive Unreal Engine 5 Matrix Awakened demo.
Current Nintendo Switch games are said to be enhanced with better graphics, resolution and performance, like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet and The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.
New games in development include Far Cry 7, an open-world Mario title, a new Donkey Kong entry, Like A Dragon Collection, and more
Overall, Nintendo Switch 2 leaks suggest it boasts PS4-level raw power with the capabilities of PS5.

Will Nintendo Switch 2 be backward compatible?

Nintendo consoles have enjoyed backward compatibility since the Gameboy days, so fans have come to expect to see it in every next-generation system that is similar to the previous one. Since the next-gen device is said to be another hybrid console, this suggests Nintendo Switch 2 games being backward compatible is a no-brainer.

While there were some uncertainties in this regard before, it is likely one model is backward compatible with physical cartridges while the other is a digital-only model. All in all, it is safe to assume that backward compatibility will be a thing for Nintendo Switch 2 rather than not.