It sounds like a new successor to the Switch could be approaching. New reports out of Gamescom 2023 say Nintendo showed off Switch 2 tech demos to developers behind closed doors.
Eurogamer reports these presentations took place to show off the technical specs of a potential Switch successor, or “Switch 2” as we’ll call it. In its own reporting of the news, VGC corroborates with its sources.
Per Eurogamer, the developer presentations were shown tech demos. One included a souped-up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. VGC’s source also claims Nintendo showcased Epic’s The Matrix Awakens tech demo for Unreal Engine 5, reportedly utilizing Nvidia DLSS upscaling.
Nintendo has not formally announced any plan for a new Switch successor. Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser recently spoke to IGN, saying he’s “stopped counting years” when it comes to the Switch’s ongoing life cycle. And Nintendo did not comment on Eurogamer’s report.
Even with the radio silence, though, Switch 2 rumors are brewing. A previous report pointed towards a launch in the second half of 2024. Eurogamer says this lines up with what it previously heard, though Nintendo may be keen to launch sooner.
With tech demos apparently going around, we may actually be getting close to a new Switch.
The long road here
Of course, there’s still some gas in the tank for the modern Nintendo Switch. The handheld hybrid is just over six years old at this point, but it’s still got some games hitting this holiday season. Namely, there’s the Super Mario RPG remake, a new WarioWare, and the Style Savvy crew’s next game, Fashion Dreamer. Plus, a ton of Pokémon DLC is in the works too.
Add that onto a year where the Switch got both Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4, and it’s not a bad swan song if a Switch 2 is cresting over the horizon. We’ll have to see what Nintendo’s got in store.
