Nintendo is waiting to announce its next console. Its last console, the Switch, has been on the market for seven years, and with the first-party release calendar looking empty for the rest of 2024, it looks very much like the calm before the storm. However, even before Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2/Super Switch (or whatever it will be called), leaks from various sources have already started building anticipation for the upcoming console.

Here’s everything we know about Nintendo’s next console.

Nintendo Switch 2 Specs

It started last year when Eurogamer reported that Nintendo showed off new hardware to developers behind closed doors. An enhanced version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was reportedly shown on the console along with a real-time demo of The Matrix Awakens. The demo reportedly used NVIDIA’s DLSS technology to boost image quality and improve frame rates.

A few weeks later, Digital Foundry reportedly confirmed with its sources that the Switch 2 will use the NVIDIA T239 processor – not a confirmed “real” GPU, but an assumed one. That, along with some custom hardware, would put the Switch 2 roughly in the same ballpark as the last-gen PS4, but with modern features like upscaling AI and faster storage.

Being on par with the PS4 is also what was hinted at in published documents that came to light after last year’s FTC vs. Xbox. An email from Activision CFO Armin Zerza to former CEO Bobby Kotick revealed that the next Switch is expected to be “more closely aligned with Gen8 platforms in terms of performance.”

Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility

One of the main concerns regarding the next console was backwards compatibility, or lack thereof, for Switch games. Fortunately, Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch’s successor will be backwards compatible with Switch games, although we don’t officially know exactly how that will work yet.

One report from Mobapad claims that the Switch 2’s cartridge slot will support original Switch cartridges. However, as expected, the Switch 2 cartridges will not be compatible with the original console. The report also claims that it will also extend to digital games, so your entire Switch library will be supported by the new console. The Switch Joy-cons are also claimed to be supported in Bluetooth mode, but the new console will feature redesigned Joy-cons.

In the age of live services, where cross-generational games dominate the market, it wouldn’t make sense for Nintendo to completely abandon the user base it amassed with the Switch. Of course, offering full backwards compatibility also means that the Switch 2 “gimmick” may be more of an evolution of the current experience than offering something new.

It is also claimed that, just like the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, developers will be able to update existing Switch games to offer better performance/image quality on the new console. Playing the new Zelda or Pokemon games at a consistent 60fps sounds exciting.

Nintendo Switch 2 design and features

The Switch 2 is rumored to launch with an 8-inch 1080p display, but whether it will have an LCD screen or an OLED display is up in the air. If it were the former, then it will certainly be a step down from the Switch’s OLED display in terms of color accuracy, but the larger screen size and resolution should make up for it.

A report by Spanish outlet Vandal states that the new joy-con consoles will magnetically attach to the console. This would mean that the original Joy-cons would not be physically supported by the console design. As for joy-con drift, Nintendo filed a patent last year it seemingly solved the problem by using hall effect wands.

The report also claims that a new “C” button has been added below the HOME button, though its function remains a mystery. The Switch 2 will feature two USB-C ports on the top, and the new dock will get a minor redesign. These rumors gained more validity after Dbrand revealed the Killswitch 2 case.

The new dock is said to support 4K output, while its shock mount design ensures it can be reconfigured in multiple ways. It’s worth noting that well-known Nintendo leaker Pyoro claimed that there might be some truth to these reports, although they weren’t able to verify it with their sources.

Launching Nintendo Switch 2 games

A console is nothing without good games. Nintendo knows this, which is why the original Switch sold like hot cakes despite its outdated hardware. The Switch’s first year gave us games that are still some of the best in the business, let alone during the console’s lifecycle. So what will the Switch 2 launch lineup look like?

For starters, Xbox’s Hi-Fi Rush was rumored to launch on Switch earlier this year, but ended up only making it to PlayStation. A port of the game may be in the works for the Switch 2, given the many in-game hints that it’s happening. If the rumors of The Matrix Awakens demo running on the Switch 2 are true, then expect plenty of ports of games made with the Unreal Engine.

This would open up the Switch 2 to receive ports of games like Ken: Bridge of Spirits, Final Fantasy 7 Remakes, Persona 3 Reload, Lies of P and more. Could the Xbox Gears of War Remastered collection debut on the next Switch? It’s technically possible, although we wouldn’t count on it.

Following on from that, there’s the question of Nintendo’s first-party lineup. We know that Pokémon Legends: ZA is confirmed for an early 2025 release and would be a perfect candidate for a cross-generational release. Metroid Prime 4 would also make a big splash, as would the sequel to Super Mario Odyssey. Don’t expect a Zelda game at launch, although who knows if Nintendo is cooking up a Twilight Princess remake? There’s also another Animal Crossing game on the way, and after the wild success of New Horizons, a next-gen game could greatly improve the social simulation aspects of the franchise.

According to a post on a popular internet forum, after the Switch 2, the console will also receive a Mario Kart 9 themed bundle at launch.

Nintendo Switch 2 Price

It’s hard to predict how much the Switch 2 will cost consumers, but several analysts have predicted it will be cheaper than the PS5 and Xbox Series X. One such analyst, Dr. Serkan Toto, predicts that the Switch 2 will cost $400.

“I believe next year’s hardware will drop below $400,” he said in a recent GamesIndustry annual forecast feature. “There’s a good chance the games will cost more, too: $70. The next system will probably be more of an iteration than a revolution.”

While it’s not confirmed by any means, the company is expected to price its next console lower than the PS5, following the same pattern that led the Switch to become one of the most successful consoles of all time after the PS2.

Nintendo will release a successor to the Switch home console in 2025.