Nintendo’s Next Console Will Reportedly Be Portable Like Switch, Targeting Second Half 2024 Release

Nintendo’s next console will reportedly be portable like the Switch and is targeting a release in the second half of 2024, according to a new report today from VideoGamesChronicle. 

VGC cites “multiple people with knowledge of Nintendo’s next-gen console plans” that reveal Nintendo’s Switch successor is aiming for a release in the second half of next year, to ensure there’s plenty of stock at launch. Nintendo is trying to avoid stock shortages, which plagued both the PlayStation 5 release and the Xbox Series X/S launch for many months (and even years in some cases). 

Two sources in the publication report that the next-generation console is likely to use LCD screens instead of OLED ones, as seen on Switch OLED versions. LCDs are more cost-effective. VGC writes, in light of the likely need for significantly more storage than what’s in the Switch, which will increase costs. 

VGC’s sources also suggest Nintendo’s next console will be playable on the go, similar to the Switch’s console-handheld hybrid nature. Its sources also say the console will continue using physical cartridges like the Switch, although it’s unclear if this console will be backwards compatible with the Switch.

Nintendo stated in February last year that the Switch is at the mid-point of its lifespan. This means the company may not abandon the Switch anytime soon, even though a new console could launch next year. However, if Nintendo continues support of the Switch alongside a next-gen console, it’s unclear how that will work as, presumably, this new console will be a good bit more powerful than the Switch. 

Regardless of how Nintendo approaches Switch support following the release of a new console and backwards compatibility, the Super Mario Bros. maker likely wants to convert the Switch’s massive install base into its following product. 

[Source: VideoGamesChronicle]

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