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A new report suggests that Nintendo’s successor to the Switch is already in the works – in fact, it could be here as early as the middle of next year. If so, what kinds of games can we expect from a new Nintendo console? While no games have yet been announced for this currently unconfirmed console, Nintendo has announced a few games that may align with the consoles’ presumed release window. Of course, this is pure speculation on our part.
The report comes from VGC that Nintendo has sent dev kits for the upcoming console to partner studios. It also alleges that the upcoming console could launch in the second half of 2024. There are no concrete details on the hardware, but it’s possible it’ll be backwards compatible with current-gen Switch titles. If so, it would certainly increase the library of potential games users can play at launch.
For the most part, Nintendo’s slate of announced upcoming games coming to the Switch later this year. This includes Super Mario Wonder, Detective Pikachu 2, WarioWare: Move It, and a Super Mario RPG remaster – all of which will launch before the end of 2023. It’s a list of games beyond that is less defined. There are, however, a few titles with no release date that could launch in late 2024 alongside a new console.
What games could be launched with the Switch 2?
Mario titles have always adapted well to Nintendo console releases (including the Switch itself, where Super Mario Odyssey released a few months after launch). Additionally, Nintendo might be interested in capitalizing on the success of the Mario movie. The only new Mario title we know of is the untitled game Princess Peach, which is coming to Switch – though that’s not stopping it from coming to Switch 2 (as we’ll call the console for simplicity’s sake). However, there are rumors that the 3D Mario team is working on a new Donkey Kong game, which would also make for a good launch title.
Another strong contender in Nintendo’s stable of franchises is the announced but so far elusive Metroid Prime 4. The franchise’s most recent entries, Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered, both sold very well (Dread was the franchise’s best-selling game). Nintendo could be targeting the Switch 2 launch for Metroid Prime 4, especially if it’s a good showcase of the console’s upcoming capabilities.
One factor to consider is that Nintendo’s launch titles tend to take advantage of a console’s “gadget” if it has one. Arms, for example, was a perfect showcase for Joy-Con controllers. There’s no indication of what gadget, if any, the Switch 2 will have, so it’s hard to judge. However, one of the strongest games of the Switch generation is Mario Kart 8. Nintendo gave it several new waves of content through the end of the year, keeping it alive, but it’s been several years since the last was not started.
Other contenders are Professor Layton’s new game, New World of Steam, which would echo previous game Miracle Mask being a 3DS launch title (at least in Japan). Likewise, titles like Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy and Hollow Knight Silksong would be strong follow-ups to previous games’ launches on Switch.
Backwards compatibility
One of the rumors included in the VGC report is that the Switch 2 might be backward compatible with the Switch. While this obviously can’t be confirmed, a remark reported by analyst Dave Gibson in 2022 during a Nintendo Q&A suggests that the company is interested in bringing the Switch’s estimated 98 million users to the next generation console. If true, this could indicate that the Switch 2 will be able to play Switch.
It would also mean that any of the games listed as coming for the Switch will likely be coming for its successor as well. This would give the Switch 2 access to a large library of games, although it means that at least the first iteration of the console will need a cartridge slot. Nintendo may not be interested in making physical hardware backwards compatible, although it may offer a digital transfer system, perhaps through the Switch Online service. This would increase Switch Online subscription sales during the Switch 2 launch window.
Regardless of where Nintendo’s next console is headed — whether it’s backwards compatible with Switch cartridges or building an all-new library — the company has several prospects for launch titles for the new console if it does launch at the moment. end of next year.
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