Rumour: 'Switch 2' Will Launch Early Next Year, Claims Accessory Company

The new system is apparently "ready" to go

by · Nintendo Life
Image: Nintendo

There have been all sorts of rumours popping up about the Switch "successor" and now another individual has chimed in.

The latest claims about Nintendo's next-generation hardware come from Ruben Mercado - the CEO of video game accessories manufacturer Blade. Speaking to the Spanish website Vandal on a podcast recently, Mercado said the new device is apparently "done" and "ready" to go.

To add to this, the exec said Blade already has access to near-final versions of the hardware and believes the new Nintendo system will have a simultaneous worldwide launch in March or April of next year.

The timing of the new system's release will apparently depend on Nintendo's financials for the current year, with claims it could launch in March if sales do not meet the company's expectations or at the beginning of the new financial year in April 2025 if the results are positive.

Mercado also addressed some other rumours tied to the 'Switch 2' such as the magnetic Joy-Con controllers. He says they'll have a "locking system" to keep them attached to the system. The peripheral maker also says its current line of analogue stick covers won't be compatible with the new device, as the new sticks are different.

Although this is coming from an accessory maker's CEO, take everything here with a grain of salt. And keep in mind we're still waiting for Nintendo's official Switch "successor" announcement - taking place "this fiscal year" which ends in March 2025.

A rumour in August of this year suggested Nintendo's Switch successor would not arrive in the current financial year.

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When do you think we'll see the successor to the Switch released? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

[source vandal.elespanol.com, via metro.co.uk]

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About Liam Doolan

Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. He's also got a soft spot for Sonic the Hedgehog.

Comments 37

Rumor: Switch successor will have buttons on a controller to play the games. Seriously. Another week, another rumor. I’d rather just wait to hear official news than endless speculation.

@LavenderShroud Speaking of which, when are console companies gonna make back buttons the norm already....

I always thought March so this statement lines up with that.

It’s clear at this point that all the information that could leak before Nintendo breaks the silence (barring an egregious release of marketing information), has already. Just the same bits of info bouncing back and forth now

Everyone already knows it was meant for late 2024, they changed it to give more time for production and and to prevent the same thing that occured during the PS5 release.

I always assumed it was going to be available around March / April of 2025

My 2 all important questions to help me decide whether I'm in the queue day one are....

1. Just how much of a step up is it from the OG Switch

2. Will it launch either with a New 3D Mario game or maybe Mario kart 9

If the answer to question number 2 is a no I will probably be happy to wait till it does have one of, or both of those games available

I had a Switch day one but for the first month or so I barely had anything to play on it, so once I got past the novelty of actually having one it felt like a bit of a waste.

(oh, I feel I should add that I hate Zelda games which is why I had nothing to play)

@Member_the_game If even some of the leaks are true, the new console will be a significant step up from Switch. And new Mario day 1 seems almost guaranteed. Whenever it actually comes, I think most of us will be happy.

@Samalik Right? It’s so exhausting having to use brain waves to play games.

@Erigen I'm not even that sure it was ever going to be an end of year release. Consoles releasing for Christmas just means you get rid of the little bit of product you managed to produce before then, and then have no games to sell anyone. Not only does a 9-month ramp-up mean that the doting parents aren't having to fight the die-hard core audience for systems, it means there's a decent pile of games to upsell to new users. Plus launching in the first three months of the year makes for an extremely strong end-of-year (Nintendo's fiscal year ends in March) investor report.

@FishyS

Yeah I'm sure it will be, it'll just be nice to get official specs and details from Nintendo so that we can make an informed decision.

That said, I'm in no rush, good things come to those who wait an all that.

There is something magical about getting a new console though, just the idea of it is giving me flashbacks of Christmas day 1997 unboxing my N64 with Mario 64 😁

Surprised a CEO of a company that relies on Nintendo giving them early access to products to produce their own would be so candid about something that hasn't been revealed. That seems risky, potentially breaking NDAs.

Anyway, I think everyone was already assuming March/April 2025 release.

It's going to be called Nintendo Cosmo. Save this comment.

Rumor: the next Switch is called the 1-2 Switch

One controller or two? You decide!
One screen or two? You decide!

Source: My dad is Nintendo.

@Member_the_game @BIG3 @TanukiTrooper I didn’t think so. Even if the units are ready, they won’t shadow drop a new console. I think all that we will have by March 2025 is the announcement.

The only thing left is how long is it going to be from Nintendo’s unveiling till the actual release at the tail end of march.
I’m going for 18 weeks.

@DwaynesGames

It happens when it happens, as I said in a previous post, I'm in no rush

A CEO openly breaching an NDA. Even regardless of credibility, it sounds like an acquired allergy to "having access to near-final versions of the hardware" in general.🍿

new erumoer!!!11

the switch 2 will have. suhgshd

Mario on it🤯💥

yeaah betcha didnt see THAT one comin BUB

it wil l also be able to play nintend o games!!!!!!!!!

thank you guys subscribe for more totally freakin' epic leaks that'll blow your mind!

November 2025

I'd be surprised if an accessories manufacturer had been given legitimate access to near final versions of the Switch 2. As far as I'm aware only Hori make the only joycons that are deemed official that aren't made by Nintendo. I'm sure Nintendo would much rather sell their own expensive oem joycons rather than let a third party get a running start at producing cheaper versions.

Personally i’m just in no rush to jump to the next console, I mean the switch is great and the games on it are great, games which I have yet to play. That thing could come out in late 2025-early 2026 for all I care. (Which I don’t think will happen if I’m being honest)

Oh man, if its releasing in march, that means the announcement should be any day now!

@Coversnail Hori aren't the only ones, theres tons of brands licensed by nintendo

@DwaynesGames Just FYI the Switch was announced in October 2016 and then released in March 2017.

The Switch 2 could definitely follow the same timeline. I'm not saying it will, but it could.

Of course waiting for the official announcement before saying it's correct, but it would make sense considering all the other facts (and I might be even forgetting something) that we can use for our speculations:

  • the announcement happening by the end of the fiscal year;
  • Nintendo investing more money in the company that manufactures its consoles this fiscal year (I'm forgetting its name so I can't find the Nintendo Life article mentioning it unfortunately, if someone remembers it please tell me);
  • the Indie World and Partner Showcase combo happening for the first time ever;
  • the Switch timeline which could be the same for the successor;
  • the leak which seems to be at least partially correct (of course still take it with a grain of salt despite some parts of it being more likely than not)!

Now that Zelda is out of the way. It would be good to have a Direct in the next couple of days.

@Erigen really hope they release the system in februari so ubisoft has to delay a creed again.

Frankly, hardware does not matter at this point. It's pretty safe to assume it will be on par with PS4, and that's all we need to know.

What matters are launch titles. I think there have been zero rumors about those, and games are what make Nintendo.

My prediction is that it will be announced before the end of the fiscal year, and then released at some point after that.

The one bit of information that was in that article and not repeated here on NintendoLife was that they also said the price point would be between €400-500

@JohnnyMind I think Nintendo's primary manufacturing company is called Hosiden.

@Coversnail Yep, it's exactly that so I managed to find the article, it's the other way around as in "Hosiden is spending ¥2bn on production equipment and ¥1bn on automation in FY3/25 for its major customer in amusement (Nintendo)" (https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/09/rumour-switch-successor-will-be-backwards-compatible-its-claimed), thanks for telling me!

My guess is we'll probably get a reveal in the next couple of weeks. Maybe no more than a month from now. I don't think Nintendo wanted to reveal the successor to the Switch while Echoes of Wisdom had yet to be released. Now that the game is out, they might give it a week or two before the big reveal.

And for the record, when I spoke with a GameStop employee the other day, he actually told me that Nintendo specifically told GameStop to not call it "Switch 2." So it is possible that it may not continue with the Switch name. Time will tell.

Nintendo themselves have repeatedly said there will be no announcement until their next financial year, which is April. So no surprise. And they won't reveal it before Christmas, as it will kill existing Switch sales dead.

Not much different here; just a supposedly more reliable source.

I really hope Nintendo announces it sooner rather than later. The fact that they haven’t announced ANYTHING in September for the first time in many years is highly suspicious. Maybe they’ll just copy-cat the Switch’s launch with October and March again, especially considering it’s just Switch 2.0, but I don’t care anymore. Let it come when Nintendo is ready.

I have another rumor. The switch 2 will be a successor to the regular switch. 🤣
The screen will have touchscreen. And the device will be able to play games. Hahah

I still think May. That's early next year.

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