Rumor: Nintendo Switch 2 to Launch September 2024 With 2 SKUs Starting at $400 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 November 2023 / 13,923 Views
There have been several rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 in recent months and it has even been confirmed Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and other executives at the company met with Nintendo executives in December 2022 to discuss the next-generation Switch.
SoldierDelta provided screenshots to Wccftech claiming Nintendo has targeted release of September 24, 2024 for the Switch successor. There is also the possibility of an early November 2024 release for the console. It an internal name of NG, however, a final name isn't known.
The leaker claims Nintendo will release two SKUs of the Nintendo Switch 2 with a digital model priced at $400 and a standard model priced at $449.
This should be treated with a grain of salt until Nintendo reveals details on the successor to the Switch.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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September 24th is a Tuesday, which doesn’t make sense looking at Nintendo’s pattern of using Friday. That’s just a leaker looking for attention with a fake scoop, moving on.
My thoughts exactly.
Nintendo having a digital-only console pretty much signals the death of Physical media for console gaming, I would be surprised if the 10th generation of consoles even has physical media at all.
And it will be the point where I stop collecting console games.
It's been a fun ride through the decades I guess.
I think the issue is the price of the cartridges themselves. If Switch 2 is going to have pretty fast SSD storage, which seems likely based on the reports of very fast loading times on the behind closed doors demo Nintendo did at Gamescom, their only real options will be to offer cartridges that are both large enough to fit 9th gen ports (which are often 40 GB+ games) and fast enough to match the internal storage speed (which would make the carts very pricey, cutting into their profit margin on physical software sales), or stick with still large but slower and cheaper carts, but require the games to be installed from the carts onto the faster internal storage, effectively making the carts glorified ownership keys, similar to how discs are on PS5 and Xbox Series.
Both scenarios have pretty significant negatives, the former would incentivize Nintendo to drive as many gamers as possible to the cheaper digital only model (where their software sales would have higher profit margins), perhaps by producing more digital hardware units than physical units, while the latter would effectively make physical media alot less valuable to own for consumers.
The other option is that... The Switch 2 is 100% digital, but the model that supports Carts is for backwards compatibility only.
And you are right, building a cart that matches the speed of an SSD is actually extremely difficult, memory transactions tend to be highly parallel and carts lack the floor space to capitalize on that.
Then again, Macronix may have made some improvements to their ROM technology.
It could be that, but I don't think it really makes sense to charge an extra $50 for a cartridge slot that is only used for back compat with last gen Switch games, it adds nowhere near $50 to the bill of materials and would piss off many consumers that would be forced to pay an extra $50 to play their physical Switch 1 collection. If they're already going all digital on next gen games, they might as well eat the tiny cost of the Switch 1 cart slot on all models so that all gamers can play their full Switch 1 collection in back compat.
Since there is supposedly a digital and physical model for $400 and $450, I'm definitely thinking they will be offering physical software for Switch 2 games, but will instead try and push as many as possible to the digital model (where they will have a higher profit margin on software sales) through a combination of the $50 cheaper price for the digital model and probably artificial scarcity on the physical model (by producing like twice as many units of the digital model as the physical model, kind of like Xbox did with Series S and Series X).
You are right, card slots are relatively cheap.
However, high-speed card slot's aren't.
Keep in mind that the faster you go with memory, the more intricate and wider your memory controller becomes, which drives up cost.
For example an SSD memory controller is a fairly large chip in it's own right... And the high-end ones need active cooling because they are pushing 15GB/s or more.
And if Nintendo is building a card slot that is matching it's SSD transfer rates, then it's going to need a fairly decent memory controller to support it.
My feeling is they will go with the later since apart from the initial data transfer aspect most physical gamers won't notice a change, since from the collecting side you still have access to boxed physical media and limited edition stuff and on the gaming side the only thing you might notice from the console accessing the SSD instead of the cart is the increased SSD loading speed .
Yeah I understand, but they want more people to buy digital instead of physical. They're the same price, the digital version brings much more profit to the company. That's why these companies are pushing for a digital future. PC and mobile is already all digital, and they have a better profit ratio. Just to be clear, I personally don't agree with completely removing physicals, I'm just explaining the reason why it makes sense. I think one of the benefits of a console is that it has physical copies.
Switch cartridges are expensive. The Game Card slot? I would be shocked if it cost more than $10 per unit, and it could be more like $5.
Recent PlayStation and Xbox consoles make sense to have a digital-only option. It makes them a little smaller and saves the corporations some money. I don't know for sure how much the 4K BD drives cost at launch to include, but I'd imagine $30 or more.
Those are some big numbers for Nintendo systems. Yes, I recognize that with inflation, they're not out of line in that respect. But, consumer psychology doesn't move as fast as inflation has in the last few years. Those sound like big ass numbers for what is traditionally an affordable gaming hardware brand.
But that's from the perspective of a person that hangs out in gaming forums. The vast, vast majority of any system's owners, especially Nintendo systems, are not hardcore gamers. They do not compare specs between systems.
Many of those consumers will recognize that this is the most expensive Nintendo system ever.
Does the PS5 come with an integrated screen? It does not. Can the PS5 play games without a separate TV or monitor? It cannot. Can you play your PS5 on a bus without absolutely crapping on the surroundings? No, you cannot. So, that "powah" reasoning stopped making sense a long while ago.
How can it not make sense when games like MK 1 are a thing? If it can't run third party games in a manner that is at least respectable, then I think it's more than reasonable to care. I don't want to pick a console that can't run certain games well because it is too weak, which means if the rumors are true, I'd have to own multiple consoles... and I don't want to have to spend a thousand dollars for both options if I don't have to.
It's a valid concern, imo.
Sounds fake
Even adjusted for inflation, both of those skus would be more expensive at launch than anything Nintendo's launched since the 80's.
Supposedly "usinflationcalculator.com":
$199.99 - NES 1983 - Today: $616.49
$199.99 - SNES 1989 - Today: $469.79
$199.99 - N64 1996 - Today: $391.35
$199.99 - GC 2001 - Today: $346.90
$249.99 - Wii 2006 - Today: $380.72
$299.99 - Wii U 2012 - Today: $401.16
$299.99 - Switch 2017 - Today: $375.75
I could see September 2024, but no way on those prices. No way they'd be dumb enough to START at $400 lol. Maybe the more expensive one is $400. If that ends up being true though they are doing that typical Nintendo thing where they follow a huge success with bad choices the next gen. $400+ prices would assure that the successor would be much less popular than Switch. Probably looking at losing >50 million in hardware sales from this gen with those sorts of prices if true, unless they turned out to be very temporary like the 3DS. But I'm not buying that part of the rumor, its rare that Nintnedo makes price mistakes like this, they've only ever done that with 3DS and I don't see them doing it with Switch 2. Ninntendo is all about being affordable, I don't see them giving that up.
Honestly I'm not sure Nintendo has much choice here on pricing. Chipset pricing seems to be more expsnsive than ever after the Covid caused semiconductor shortages and backlog of semiconductor production caused by those shortages lasting so long, as well as rampant inflation in most countries caused by Covid lockdown and stimulus measures. On top of that most gamers and 3rd party devs will be expecting a sizeable leap in power over Switch, and those kind of specs in a handheld form factor don't come cheap. Steam Deck for instance, which has roughly 7x the power of Switch in handheld mode and roughly 4x the power of Switch in docked mode I believe, starts at $400 on the base model and goes all the way up to $650 on the high end model with more and faster storage. Steam Deck's more powerful PC handheld rivals like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo's Legion Go start at $600 and go all the way up to $800+ I believe. If Nintendo's next gen console has better than Steam Deck specs for the same starting price of $400, I don't think many would complain, especially if Nintendo actually offers a few price cuts later in the gen unlike with Switch which they kept at the same price all gen.
Their only other options would have been to sell the hardware at a loss to hit $350 (unlikely as Nintendo has now tasted the sweet life of actually making money on hardware sales with Switch) or going with lower specs (which could cost them alot of 3rd party support if the specs aren't close enough to Xbox Series S, which many devs are already struggling to port to). Personally I think ultimately the right call is to launch with higher specs at $400/450 for the two models and then eventually cut them down to $300/350 later in the gen to help boost late life legs. Though obviously I will hope that Nintendo will decide to eat a hardware loss to sell at a lower price at launch, like Sony and Microsoft did on their current gen consoles.
Considering how well received switch was, I doubt those prices are feeling to deter ppl.
Nintendo are selling the Switch OLED for over $300 in 2023 and you think they'd struggle with a $400 next gen system? Tears of the Kingdom is a $70 game and had a bigger launch then either Sony/Microsoft has had in their entire existence. Nintendo can do premium when they want .
They'll do fine at $400-450. It might put of some consumers from early adopting but that's fine. They don't need to break any records out the gate, the OG Switch didn't and now it's threatening to overtake the PS2.
Especially with the target specs of Switch 2, they're not just trying to sell you a cute mini game box for you to play Mario Party on. It'll all come down to the quality of software & whether the system feels premium. We already know it's going to have way more 3rd party support because of diminishing returns & DLSS.
There will inherently be a drop in the success of Switch 2 but that's fine. Lightning doesn't strike twice, especially when there are people who are more on the casual spectrum and just wanted to see what the fuss was about with Switch &/or just get Mario kart box. The pandemic also gave the system an undeniable boost which won't be repeated.
$400 is the new standard price. the cost of hardware is very high and so is inflation, 400 dollars today is not the same as 400 dollars in 2005. ps5 and series x cost 500 dollars and no one complained. Nintendo doesn't like to lower console prices so get used to the new price.
Yeah I agree. If I was in Nintendo's shoe tho, I would be hesitant. Core fans asking for more power, more power usually means higher price. Really depends on the spec of the device, but $400 makes sense when the PS5 is higher than it, and it's the same price as the cheapest Steam Deck.
My body is ready.
If Nintendo is going to go digital only in the future they have got to change their entire store/online structure. It's not really casual friendly, my friend was trying to find New Super Mario brothers U Deluxe, she typed in
Mario
Super Mario
Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Brothers Deluxe
New Super Mario Brothers
and the game did not pop up. She did find it under a Mario section that had all the big Mario games listed under there and bought it. Im not sure what she was doing wrong, I do not own a Switch myself and not that familiar with their online store, however, it shouldn't take 10 minutes to find a game to buy :( I just sat on the couch watching trying not to laugh as she got frustrated.
New Metroid & Wave Race with the Switch 2 launch please.
I can definitely see Metroid Prime 4 being a Switch 2 launch game like Breath of the Wild was for the Switch.
I think Prime 4 will be a lunch title for new Nintendo console, and it is going to be absolutely glorious. I'm not dying for it, but I would like to see multiplayer on Prime 4.
Metroid Prime is the only reason I returned to Nintendo consoles. I left during the PS1/PS2 as the N64 only had a few games I wanted to play and none that I wanted to but the console for. I bought a GameCube just to play Metroid Prime and never regretted my decision. It was as big of an impact for me as Breath of the Wild.
I’m not sure MP4 will have that impact, but I also know that Nintendo won’t be positioning it to do so. Even if it is a launch title, it would most likely be accompanied by a 3D Mario. I’d gladly pick up both day one.
Metroid as always is a niche game, so its not like it had a BotW impact, but Prime was tremendous. One of the best games of that generation. I played through the remaster this year and it is truly great. It's not going to be a huge title for Nintendo, but for a few million fans it's gonna be one of the most highly anticipated games.
In my honest opinion, prime holds nothing on Halo even when only campaign is taken into account. Prime was great and I enjoyed 2+3 as well as the DS version. Like Scottthewoz (in his review) I think the wii version was better with the wii controls being superior to the gamecube. I am very excited for prime 4, but I hope it takes major steps forward. If prime 4 is only as good as the trilogy I will personally consider it a bit of a letdown.
The series isn't huge but has potential to be bigger. It could definitely attract a core audience who would otherwise play the waiting game if launch titles are just Mario+ Nintendo's usual affair. And be a graphical Showcase for the system at launch which has value beyond the games individual capacity to sell
Metroid Prime 4 doesnt need to redefine its genre. Just be a well thought, amazing looking, smooth running example of it, full of memorable moments. Playing Metroid Prime 1 at its time was an experience. Hands down one of the best games ever made. It's still great now, but playing it back then at the point games were at, it was truly something special.
I don't remember any console which launched in September.
Great news. The price is reasonable and a digital only device for 400 probably means they leap in power should be good. I'm excited
This could happen, but a digital-only Switch 2 option (and especially a $50 price difference) is wild.
The Game Card slot takes up less space than an optical drive, so the space saved in the design is very minimal. Also, how much can the card slot cost? $5-$10? I guess Nintendo is eager as ever to entice consumers to go all-digital.
