10 Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors We Hope Are True

Top 10 Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors

Myles Obenza

Please note, there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor in this presentation. Just kidding. Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re counting down our picks for 10 of the juiciest Nintendo Switch 2 rumors, or whatever it’ll end up being called. The Big N has been super hush-hush about their successor to their massively successful handheld-home console hybrid, but it’s safe to assume we can expect some sort of reveal by the end of this year. Luckily for us, some details have been seeping through the cracks all year.

For this list, we’ll be looking at popular rumors that hold credibility. Sorry to all you conspiracy theorists out there.

What are some of your hopes and dreams when it comes to the Switch 2? Let us know in the comments below.

#10: Customization

One of the best features of the Nintendo 3DS was the inclusion of custom themes. Available via the eShop or sometimes through a redeemable code, almost every first-party Nintendo franchise you can imagine had an awesome dynamic theme. They even made sounds! On the Switch, however, we just have a very depressing two options: basic black and white. Yippee. When the Switch was first revealed, it seemed like a no-brainer that it being a handheld hybrid meant the return of dynamic themes, but we were sadly mistaken. With the Switch 2, if it indeed is a handheld hybrid again, we’d love to see these return. Think of all the gorgeous art and catchy music from Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey we could see and hear while navigating the menus.

#9: Availability

When the Nintendo Switch first released in March of 2017, fans were dying to get their hands on this revolutionary new hybrid concept console. Unfortunately, thanks to scalpers, walking into a retailer to pick them up was near impossible. So naturally, we’ve been curious about how or if Nintendo would implement work-arounds for the average consumer to be able to purchase at or around launch. As translated by IGN, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said in an investor meeting earlier this year that “[a]s a countermeasure against resale, we believe that the most important thing is to produce a sufficient number to meet customer demand”. Basically, the company plans to manufacture enough units so that, upon new hardware’s eventual launch, the average consumer is able to purchase one through regular avenues, and not through some annoying little scalper. Big ups to Nintendo for this one.

#8: Price

Priced at an extremely competitive 300 US dollars, with an OLED upgrade only $50 more, the Nintendo Switch’s price point was a huge contributor to its selling gangbusters. We’ve seen no price drop in its almost eight-year history, but does it really need one? Fast forward to the Nintendo Switch 2, and fans (and myself, admittedly) are hoping for a similar range for the next generation hardware. With rumors of its performance and power being similar to that of the PS4 Pro (more on that later), it stands to reason that the successor will at the very least cost slightly more than the original Switch. But Nintendo has always marched to the beat of its own drum, but with its competitor consoles costing upwards of $500, it’s a safe bet that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be around this ballpark cost.

#7: Launch Titles

During their E3 2017 Nintendo Direct, the company announced Metroid Prime 4, a much-anticipated sequel that has been in development hell ever since. Cut to June 2024, and we’ve finally seen footage of the game and it got a new title: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. We also got a release window of 2025, begging the question of whether this will be a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2. All logic points to yes, but many of us also believe it could be a dual launch on the successor and the original Switch. I’d just be happy to play the damn thing. There’s also Pokemon Legends: Z-A, a follow-up to 2022’s Pokemon Legends: Arceus set in Lumiose City from X and Y. Another game with little to no information other than its 2025 release window, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this day and date on the Switch 2. Some other glaring omissions from the Switch’s library are a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey and a follow-up to the massively successful Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and I wouldn’t be surprised if either of these launched on the new hardware. If not day and date, then at least within the first year. I know, I should manage my expectations.

#6: Release Window

In May of 2024 during another investor call, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa gave us our juiciest tidbit of information on the Switch 2 to date via Twitter - that the successor will be officially revealed within this fiscal year, or to be precise, before the end of March 2025. As of recording this video, we still have not had an official announcement or reveal. As reported by both Eurogamer and Video Games Chronicle, a Q1 release for the new hardware seems imminent. Given their dedication to producing enough units as mentioned earlier in this video, holding off seems like a smart move. Besides, the Nintendo Switch is breaking all sorts of sales records - Nintendo has no reason to rush the successor’s release. But how awesome would it be if the Switch 2 launched on March 3rd, exactly eight years after the original.

#5: Improved Display

Speaking strictly about the handheld side of things, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been rumored to be launching as another handheld hybrid, with the tablet screen starting as an OLED instead of LCD. This makes sense, as the original Switch’s mid-lifecycle upgrade was to an OLED screen, so it would be a bit frustrating for them to backpedal and not include this at launch. With the Nintendo Switch OLED’s screen measuring in at 7 inches and sporting 720p resolution, the Switch 2 doesn’t have much of a bar to reach. With the Steam deck as direct competition, we’re optimistic that Nintendo will make the right improvements.

#4: Specs

While the original Switch was revolutionary and changed the game in many ways with its hybrid concept, it isn’t the most powerful piece of hardware around. With Switch 2, rumors are claiming it to be just as powerful, if not even more, than the PS4 Pro. Sony’s 2016 hardware refresh sports higher-end AMD processors (at least at that time). For Switch 2, the rumor is that it’ll be powered by at least an NVIDIA Tegra T239 processor, an upgrade from the original’s standard Tegra X1 processor. Whatever the case, I’m hoping to see our favorite mustachioed plumber in glorious 4K and 60 frames a second.

#3: Improve Joycon Drift

Ahh yes, the dreaded Joy-Con drift. In the early days after the initial launch of the Switch, thousands of consumers reported cases of their fancy new controllers automatically inputting movement where none was pressed. For me personally, I had awful stick drift in my left Joy-Con when playing Breath of the Wild at launch, causing a ton of frustration and prompting me to get a wired controller, which itself also had intense drift. You could send your products into Nintendo for free repairs, but the damage had been done in the hearts and minds of fans. Newer models are significantly improved, and people have found ways to repair it themselves. For the Switch 2, with the inclusion of Hall Effect sticks, this issue should be nowhere to be seen at launch. Emphasis on should. Hall Effect controller sticks use magnetism to detect the position of the joystick, ensuring it’s where you want it to be. When the Nintendo Switch 2 launches, they’ll be making a lot of people happy by mitigating drift.

#2: Maintain the Hybrid Concept

For years, Nintendo was known for concurrently offering both a handheld and home console separately, developing different styles of games that fit their respective systems. Games like Pokemon, 2D Zelda and Mario, and Castlevania were right at home in your pocket, while bigger AAA franchises like Super Smash Bros., 3D Zelda, and 3D Mario lived on the living room TV. Enter the Nintendo Switch, which beautifully melds the two, satiating both markets looking to get their hands on new hardware. According to Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, a consultancy firm based in Tokyo, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be “an iteration rather than a revolution”, meaning that the Big N plans to maintain the hybrid console hybrid and improve on it, similar to what they… attempted with the Wii to Wii U.

#1: Backwards Compatibility

As mentioned earlier, it's safe to assume Metroid Prime 4: Beyond could be a dual-launch on both Switch 2 and the original, but what about your older games? Nintendo got away with rereleasing Wii U games on Switch since it sold disastrously, but the Switch is on track to beat out the PS2 as the highest selling console of all time. And I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be entirely stoked about potentially having to rebuy the Switch’s library for new hardware. In comes backwards compatibility, something many fans are yearning for with the successor. It’s common to dual-launch games during the release window of a new hardware and on its previous iteration, as many consumers will not buy immediately at launch, but as time goes on it would be a nice nostalgia kick to boot up some of my old Switch games (which is weird thing to say). Backwards compatibility, for me, is the most important aspect of the Switch 2.