The Switch Successor Could Possibly Launch Q1 Of Next Year, New Rumor Suggests

Yet another rumor regarding the upcoming Nintendo Switch successor has materialized online, suggesting that the awaited device could be slated for a release much closer than we thought. MoneyDJ claims that the upcoming Switch successor will release in the first quarter of next year. The Chinese financial news site stated the following while discussing the sales of one of the handheld component manufacturing factories in the article.

In addition, although the overall momentum of game machines this year is mediocre, with the traditional peak season coming in the second half of the year, game machine shipments are expected to increase compared to the first half of the year, and Nintendo plans to launch the Switch in Q1 next year.” (Machine-translated).

The factory referred to here is seemingly responsible for creating thermal modules for handheld consoles and is likely involved with Nintendo for the creation of its next-gen consoles. The machine translation also seems to call the next console “Switch,” creating more ambiguity about its name.

Additionally, the vague statement does not confirm whether it means the traditional or a fiscal year for Nintendo. The company has also previously explicitly stated to investors that it would not launch the Switch successor during the first fiscal quarter of next year. It is more feasible that commercial manufacturing will begin during the first quarter instead. We could see the awaited console release right after the first quarter elapses.

Looking back at recent events, Nintendo has not officially confirmed any release windows for the next iteration of its consoles, but the Switch successor dev kits have already started rolling out to several studios around the globe. An unnamed Spanish studio, alongside a few others, has already started getting the dev kits to produce the next-gen titles for the upcoming console.

The president Shuntaro Furukawa also recently participated in a Q&A session to discuss how users can transition over to the unannounced Switch successor. The company reportedly seeks to use the players’ same Nintendo accounts for a seamless transition, like the modern methods currently used by Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

The PR talk about the upcoming device has already increased recently, at least among devs. For instance, Ubisoft’s CEO also stated some time ago that Nintendo had advised it to launch Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope on Switch’s successor. All in all, take the new rumors of the Switch successor’s launch date with a huge grain of salt; the release window is susceptible to changes until the company officially confirms it.

It is still unclear whether the next console is a continuation of Switch or an entirely different flagship product, but many rumors in the past have implied that it is targeting a 2045-2025 release date. Additionally, the prominent conglomerate is seemingly already in talks with suppliers for the manufacturing of the upcoming consoles.

The olden Nintendo Switch has stood side by side with next-gen consoles, often surpassing them in sales. It has only recently started to stop rising after selling an exorbitant number of devices over the last half a decade. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s release also helped it gain a new wave of sales for a while. Until the Switch successor finally comes out, we can expect a slew of third-party titles to release on Switch.

Similar Reads: Remnant 2 Announces Exclusive “Swag Kit” Giveaway For European Residents.