For years, rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 (or Switch Pro) have circulated. Whispers of a next-generation Nintendo system began when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was originally revealed in 2019, grew when the Switch OLED was released in 2021, and continue to grow now that the normal Switch has been available for six years.
There’s no denying that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console — it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it’s still our favorite portable console — but it’s not without flaws. There is enough space for improvement to warrant a whole new console in the near future.
This idea is supported by a job listing for a future game. A listing from creators Funcom for a game based on the sci-fi franchise Dune named Dune Awakening, first observed by YouTuber Doctre8, specifies the platforms for the game as “PC, PS5, XBS1, TBA.” What that TBA maybe is what excites us.
The open-world survival game was revealed in August 2022, and while no official release date has been announced, a video shown at The Game Awards 2022 showed in-engine footage and an opportunity to sign up for beta access (which has yet to be given), indicating that production is certainly well advanced. Assuming the title is aiming for a simultaneous release across all of these platforms (which makes sense for an MMO), the Switch 2 might arrive as early as late 2023.
Apart from this, recently, Nintendo CEO Doug Bowser hinted strongly in an interview that the Nintendo Switch 2 is in the works.
“One of the things we look at always is how can we surprise and delight. How can we introduce new unique ways of playing? That´s always in front of our mind,” said Bowser, noting that he “should be careful about what I personally would like to see [in a new Switch].”
We’re hoping to see big improvements in power, an OLED display as standard, and the ability to output in 4K to keep up with the best TVs you can buy right now.