There's still a chance for the Nintendo Switch 2 to launch this year. Exactly two months ago, the Japanese publication Nikkei wrote that March 2025 was the most likely release window for the new console as it allowed Nintendo to produce enough consoles to sell to consumers.
However, Samsung leaker Connor (OreXda) wrote this morning on Twitter/X:
The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to launch as early as the second half of this year. Significant contracts have already been negotiated in the component industry for initial production.
Tegra T239 - produced by Samsung Foundry 7LPH
With the exception that LCD models may be released first (using Sharp Display)
From this information (which should be taken as a rumor, even though OreXda proved to know quite a bit about Samsung chipsets), we can guess that the OLED Nintendo Switch 2 is already in production but will be released sometime after the LCD model. An Omdia analyst also said earlier this year that the next Nintendo console would be released in 2024, equipped with an 8-inch LCD screen.
Let's recap what we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 from earlier credible rumors. The NVIDIA Tegra 239 SoC will combine Ampere GPU architecture with 1280 CUDA Cores and 8 Cortex A78 Arm CPU cores with 12 GB of RAM. Game cards should use a Samsung 5th Generation V-NAND with up to 1.4 GB/S Read Speed.
The console is expected to support NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction (the Nintendo Switch 2 will also have hardware ray tracing capabilities, thanks to its GPU architecture), but not DLSS Frame Generation. Even with these technologies, it won't be able to match the performance of the lowest current-generation console, the Xbox Series S.
Even Valve's Steam Deck might well be superior. That said, Digital Foundry recently pointed out that it won't matter, as the Nintendo Switch 2 will receive games tailored specifically for its hardware, unlike Valve's portable PC. Today, we learned that the console should be smaller than the Deck.
Last but not least, pricing is rumored to be between $399 and $499.
Merciful_Ampharos on April 26th, 2024 at 12:48 UTC »
I find it so funny when people doubt Nintendo on their handhelds doing well. Being the most powerful handheld device on the market never helped the PSP or the Vita beat the DS and 3DS. People are delusional if they think the Steam Deck, or anything else is gonna put a dent in Switch 2 sales.
burritoman88 on April 26th, 2024 at 11:25 UTC »
If they’re already working on an OLED Switch 2, why would I buy a non-OLED Switch 2 at launch?
MagicCuboid on April 26th, 2024 at 11:20 UTC »
The top comments here are unexpected! I don't really see Nintendo as a direct competitor with something like a Steam deck, and I think that's why they release consoles half a cycle off from everyone else, so you have some money saved up to say, "eh sure I'll buy the $200 console, why not."
Ultimately it's pretty simple with Nintendo. Are Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, etc. among your favorite franchises? Then you'll be excited to buy this next console. If not, then buying the Switch 2 will be way less compelling to you. They haven't been trying seriously to compete with other companies on hardware specs or performance since the Gamecube, so if that's all that matters to you then, well, you're not the target audience.