Nintendo is now “very unlikely” to reveal its hotly-anticipated Switch 2 hardware this year, a games industry analyst has told Eurogamer.
This morning’s financial results from Nintendo revealed a larger-than-expected drop in hardware and software sales for the current Switch, as the console ages and its release calendar quietens.
The results also passed by without even a whiff of Switch 2 being shown – and perhaps, with Nintendo’s new hardware not due to arrive until sometime in 2025 – for good reason.
Speaking to Eurogamer today, industry analyst Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese game industry consultancy Kantan Games, said any mention of Switch 2 now would only further impede Switch 1 sales during the console’s last holiday season.
“Nintendo is unpredictable, but I do believe a reveal before the end of the year is very unlikely,” Toto said.
“Sales of the current model are cratering, more than Nintendo had already anticipated. They would implode even further if a Switch 2 announcement came before the holidays, so why would they do that?
“Instead, Nintendo is a lot more likely to wait until early January to show the new device. For 2024, the ship has sailed.”
Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal plans have been the subject of a frenzied rumour mill of gossip and speculation amongst fans of the company and the video game industry at large. Throughout all this, Nintendo has remained silent, busy launching its final slate of Switch 1 games, opening a museum and releasing a £99 alarm clock.
For its part, Nintendo has stated it will unveil Switch 2 before the end of its current financial year – 30th April 2025. Eurogamer understands Switch 2 will not launch before that point, either – even if it was revealed on 1st January.