August 14, 2024 – Recent revelations from Chris Dring, the editor of GamesIndustry.biz, have indicated that developers have been informed that Nintendo’s new console will not be released before April 2025.
In May of this year, Nintendo confirmed that it would unveil its next-generation console within its fiscal year ending on March 31, 2025. However, according to Dring, “None of the developers I interviewed believe it will be released this fiscal year. In fact, they have been told not to expect the new console to launch within this fiscal year. Some of those I interviewed hope it will be available in April or May of next year, which is in the first half of next year.”
Industry insiders are eager for the release of the new Nintendo console, commonly referred to as “Switch 2,” and are hopeful that it will not be delayed. There is a general excitement within the gaming community for a new Nintendo console, and developers are anxious to avoid a potential scheduling conflict with highly anticipated games like “GTA 6,” which could create significant pressure on them.
It’s worth noting that the Switch, which was released in March 2017, has been around for eight years. This July, the Switch surpassed the NES, becoming the longest-serving console in Nintendo’s history.
In Nintendo’s first-quarter financial report released this month, the company announced that Switch sales have reached 143.42 million units as of June 30, 2024. They forecast selling 13.5 million Switch consoles in the current fiscal year, with 2.1 million already sold in the first quarter.
If Nintendo meets its hardware sales targets, the Switch could potentially approach the all-time console sales record currently held by the PS2. The upcoming release of the new Nintendo console is expected to further boost the company’s sales and expand its market share in the gaming industry.
