Recent reports from Eurogamer and VGC solidify earlier speculations that the launch of the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 has been rescheduled from its initial late 2024 projection to the first quarter of 2025.
Eurogamer sources indicate that this strategic shift aims to bolster the launch lineup of the Switch 2 with an array of titles, aligning with insights shared by VGC. According to publishing sources, Nintendo has recently briefed third-party game developers about this timeline adjustment.
Brazilian games journalist Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe further affirms this timeline adjustment, asserting that Nintendo is targeting an early 2025 release while still operating within the 2024 financial year. Lippe’s report draws from development sources involved in the project who have set their sights on the first quarter of 2025 for the console’s launch.
Although Eurogamer has encountered similar murmurs from industry insiders regarding an early 2025 release, concrete verification remains elusive. Nonetheless, shifting the launch to early 2025 would afford more time for refining the launch lineup while ensuring the financial benefits are retained within Nintendo’s forthcoming financial calendar.
VGC’s recent report underscores this shift, with two development sources involved in Switch 2 games corroborating the Q1 2025 launch timeframe, although the exact rationale behind the delay remains unconfirmed.
With regards to Nintendo’s current gaming lineup, only a few titles are slated for release on the existing Switch platform in 2024, including a Princess Peach title in March, alongside ports of Luigi’s Mansion 2 and Paper Mario: A Thousand Year Door. Notably, Metroid Prime 4 remains listed for launch on the original Switch console, albeit with a “TBA” release date.
Previous reports from Eurogamer shed light on Nintendo’s efforts to showcase the Switch 2’s hardware capabilities to developers, with tech demos exhibited during Gamescom in August. These efforts followed discussions between Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick regarding the system’s potential to accommodate titles like Call of Duty.
Despite these developments, Furukawa downplayed speculations in a newspaper interview last November, labeling them as mere “rumors.” Nevertheless, a recent GDC industry report unveiled that numerous developers are actively engaged in projects slated for the Switch 2, indicating substantial anticipation surrounding the console’s impending release.
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