Nintendo Switch 2 leak hints at bigger display and storage capabilities rivaling Steam Deck

Another day, another wave of Nintendo Switch 2 rumors. The latest one comes from NateTheHate's YouTube podcast episode with ModernVintageGamer (MVG), The pair discussed a variety of details regarding the next-gen Nintendo Switch successor. These revolve around hardware aspects like display, storage size, and more.

In fact, if the possibility is to be entertained, the Nintendo Switch 2 could even rival Valve's popular Steam Deck. Here is a rundown of everything.

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New details suggest the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware could possibly go toe to toe with the Steam Deck

First, the release date. Both MVG and NateTheHate agree that a late 2024 release is in the cards for Nintendo. The reasoning provided was to give both first and third-party studios ample development time to churn out launch titles. Games are not easy or quick to make, after all.

Interestingly, this lines up with past claims, the latest reiterator being VGC. It is also suggested that Nintendo will brief industry insiders behind closed doors during upcoming gaming events such as Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show, and more. Oddly enough, nothing came of MVG's detective work during Game Developer's Conference (GDC) in March this year.

However, MVG thinks development kits were sent out to studios past that point, which once again lines up with past claims. NateTheHate also chimes in with the same, hearing many studios have tech in their hands already and are ready to make games. In fact, he thinks a new 3D Super Mario game will be coming with the Nintendo Switch 2's launch.

And this brings us to the hardware itself, which suggests some interesting possibilities. First, the display. The Nintendo Switch 2 is said to feature an LCD display, making NateTheHate/MVG the second source to touch on this. MVG further elaborates that his sources suggest it could be an eight-inch display. No resolution metrics were provided, but this would definitely put it above 720p.

This also pits it against the Steam Deck's seven-inch 800p LCD screen and even the PlayStation Q. This also makes sense as it keeps costs down for Nintendo so they can up the ante elsewhere, like storage. NateTheHate speculates that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature a "significant amount" of internal storage. The max limit was suggested to be 512 GB.

Realistically speaking, it will likely be 128/256 GB for starter models, again not unlike Steam Deck. With games ballooning in size and detail, this is a big win for the console maker. Games like Call of Duty have been confirmed to come to Nintendo as well in a recent agreement from Microsoft, so bigger storage than ever before is very likely.

Interestingly, the new game cartridges are said to feature a 3D NAND format over 2D NAND in the current cartridges. This puts it in the ballpark of SSDs. If true, this is another smart move by Nintendo. With the advent of the PS5/Xbox Series consoles, fast storage has become the norm. If Nintendo has to keep parity with other platforms for multiplatform games, this is the way to go.

There have been talks about backwards compatibility for Nintendo Switch 2 somewhat being in a pinch, with recent rumors suggesting it is up in the air for the next-gen console. However, MVG thinks Nintendo will pull through and find a way to make existing Nintendo Switch games on the successor.

To wrap up, an announcement is said to be coming at the end of the fiscal year - in other words, early 2023. It should be noted that Nintendo has made it clear they have no plans for releasing new hardware until March 31, 2023, but what about an announcement? MVG thinks an announcement is imminent, lining up with Jeff Grubb's claims of a 2023 announcement.

While much of this is speculation and rumors, what is for sure is that fans can expect the Nintendo Switch 2 rumor mill to turn harder than ever before going forward.