Nintendo reveals Switch 2 console, but no price or release date
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Nintendo A black Nintendo Joycon controller and console displayed on a bright red background. The center panel features a Nintendo Switch logo with a large number 2 next to it. One of the Joycon has detached from the main joypad unit, showing a red connection border. Nintendo
Nintendo has finally revealed a sequel to the Switch, one of the best-selling game consoles of all time.
After months of rumors and speculation, the Japanese company has confirmed that the new machine will officially be called Switch 2.
It looks a lot like its predecessor - including similar and detachable controls - but has a bigger screen. In a short video showing off the new console, the Japanese company didn't confirm its release date, price, or specs, but promised to provide more information in early April.
The company also confirmed that the new console will be backwards compatible, meaning existing Switch games will be playable.
A disclaimer stated that not all titles will be compatible with each other, with more information to follow.
The Switch 2 will remain a hybrid console, allowing users to play the machine "connected" to a TV or as a handheld device.
A preview of what appeared to be a new Mario Kart game was revealed, and the video hinted that the rumors about magnetic controller mounts and improved joysticks were true. But Nintendo said more details will be provided during a live presentation on April 2.
Nintendo's screenshot shows an overhead view of Princess Zelda wearing a navy blue cape and lying on a dirt path surrounded by grass by a river. She's surrounded by Tri — a floating, yellow, ball-shaped companion. She's looking up at the sky, her arms outstretched in a celebratory pose, and an icon of a human-like pig enemy floats above her head to indicate that she's just been captured. Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was one of the Switch's last major franchises
The first Switch was a huge success for Nintendo — as of September 2024, it had sold 143 million units, making it one of the best-selling home consoles of all time.
The Switch's sales marked a massive turning point in Nintendo's hardware fortunes. The Wii U, the highly successful successor to the Wii, was widely considered a failure, with some analysts even predicting that the company could follow former rival Sega into becoming a software publisher at some point.
But the Switch's hybrid mechanics have won over gamers.
Although the console is less powerful than the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Nintendo has produced a number of "must-have" games for the home, including new installments in the Mario and Legend of Zelda franchises.
And, like other gaming companies, it has had a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the cute escape-life simulation Animal Crossing: New Horizons proving to be a mixed bag.
Is the Switch 2 a guaranteed success? Nintendo suffered from "second album syndrome" with the Wii U in 2012, where its successful console was followed by a relative failure.
BBC Newsbeat previously spoke to George Osborn, consultant and author of the Video Games Industry Newsletter Memo, about his predictions for the Switch 2.
He said that many eager gamers will rush to buy the console once it launches.
But, he said: "Nintendo has managed to create a very strong audience of families buying consoles."
If the Switch 2 is not seen as a significant technological advance, George said, the challenge will be convincing the more casual audience to upgrade to a higher-end version of the original console.
"I think there will be a lot of families who will say, 'Well, I'm perfectly happy with this family device, it meets my needs, I can keep doing it,'" he said. Nintendo A Nintendo Switch console on a white background. The screen displays the words "Nintendo Switch" and two icons representing the console's detachable controllers against a background of colorful circles that create a rainbow effect. The console's controllers are gold and printed with green and white patterns to represent the Legend of Zelda game series. Nintendo
Variants of the original Switch have been released in physical form since 2017.
The Switch's immense popularity has fueled people's desire to be able to take their games with them on the go, inspiring other companies to follow Nintendo's lead.
Valve, owner of the massive PC games store Steam, has sold millions of its Steam Deck "portable PCs," and Sony and Microsoft are also said to be considering portable gaming devices.
Analyst George says there's more competition for the core gaming audience than in 2017. "So the question is whether the Switch 2 could be enough of a step forward to convince people who might have used a Steam Deck to say, 'Yeah, I want to buy a Switch 2 to go with it,'" George said.
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Comparing sales of the original Switch will be a difficult task, but it's pretty safe to assume that demand will be high when it hits the market.
The launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles - during a global chip shortage - were hampered by retailers getting their hands on the few consoles available.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furakawa previously told investors that the company delayed the release of the Switch 2 to ensure that enough launch units would be available.
It remains to be seen whether you'll be able to get your hands on a Switch.
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