It has been reported that Nintendo’s next console – or whatever they end up calling it – will be released in 2024, according to multiple news reports from outlets that have a good track record of reporting reliable insider information.
Nintendo is said to be planning to launch their next console in the second half of 2024, and some key developers have already received their dev kits, according to VGC. The report also claims that Nintendo is building up a strong supply of consoles in order to avoid any shortages at launch.
According to the report, the console is not yet officially named, but it appears that it will follow in the footsteps of the Switch by offering a handheld mode as an option as well. In a report published by Eurogamer, the release window and handheld mode details for the game have been confirmed.
In addition, VGC’s sources claim that the new console will be equipped with a cartridge slot so that physical games may be played on it as well. While this detail is far from certain at this moment, it appears Nintendo is hoping to keep costs as low as possible by using an LCD instead of an OLED display on the console. Due to the fact that the Switch did not get an independent OLED model until years after its launch, this wouldn’t be a total surprise.
It is no secret that over the past few years, there have been no shortage of Nintendo console rumors, and I think I am now ready to take them seriously. Well, some of them, at least. Prior reports had largely focused on the idea of an upgraded model of the existing console called Switch Pro, and those reports were started before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains and made it extremely difficult to launch new technology, as we had seen with the supply-constrained launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2019.
There’s a very real possibility that Nintendo originally planned to release a Switch Pro, but instead pivoted away in order to focus its efforts on the development of a completely new console. There are now reports that Nintendo is even willing to acknowledge the possibility of a successor to the Switch, which has never previously been the case. Aside from Super Mario Bros Wonder later this year, the company does not have any big, new releases on its calendar, suggesting that its first-party game development may be moving on to a new console at the moment.
Nintendo has a reputation for defying expectations, so none of this is actually confirmed until the company makes a formal announcement, and Nintendo has a history of defying expectations. If I had to bet, I would bet that we’re all going to be shelling out for a new Nintendo console in a little over a year, and personally I can’t wait for the upgrade to come along. But, if I were a betting man, I would bet that I will be putting money down on it.
