Nintendo is said to have delayed the launch of its next-generation console, the successor to the Nintendo Switch. Reports last week claimed that the company was advising game publishers that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be delayed until the early months of 2025. A new report now claims that the Switch successor will be released in March 2025. The Nintendo Switch is now almost seven years old, and a follow-up console was initially expected to launch later this year in the holiday season.
A report in the Japanese publication Nikkei claimed Monday that the Nintendo Switch 2 will arrive as early as March 2025. The report also said that the decision to delay the console was taken in part to thwart scalpers — people who buy products in bulk quantities to resell at a profit — and avoid supply issues at the time of launch. Nintendo also reportedly wants a healthy lineup of major launch titles by the time the Switch successor comes out.
“…priority was given to securing the initial inventory of the successor model and the lineup of leading software at the time of release,” the report said.
The report also claimed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will retain the hybrid console features from its predecessor, working both as a portable handheld and a stationary console for the TV in docked mode. Additionally, the Switch 2 is said to sport a larger screen than the existing Switch. The standard Nintendo Switch has a 6.2-inch screen, while the Switch OLED comes with a 7-inch screen. This is in line with reports from last month that claimed that the Switch 2 would be bigger, sporting an 8-inch screen.
Console releases are almost always marked by scalpers hoarding a large number of units, thus creating scarcity in the market to sell the products at a profit. PS5 and Xbox Series launches were marred with the same problem, in addition to supply chain issues emerging due to COVID-19. It took months before the current-generation consoles were readily available online and on retail shelves.
Last week, Bloomberg reported that Nintendo had told some publishing executives not to expect the Switch 2 until March 2025 at the earliest. The Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017 and has since sold over 139 million units. Analysts expect a thin lineup of major first-party games from Nintendo this year, with the company likely timing the release of its biggest titles with the launch of the next-gen Switch.
