Activision Has Reportedly Already Seen the Switch 2 — Details

The hybrid Nintendo Switch game console has been going strong since 2017. Fans were able to get their hands on the base system in most regions worldwide in March of that year, and eventually, upgraded versions such as Nintendo Switch Lite and an OLED model further added to the Switch family in new ways.

Despite the console being one of the oldest current-gen models on the market, the Switch continues to outperform many of its competitors in sales. With recent releases like Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4, players still have hundreds of hours of content to keep them entertained on their Switch.

Rumors have been swirling about what console could be next in Nintendo's lineup since the company pulled out of E3 before it was canceled.

Though this isn't the only thing that has Nintendo fans wondering if there's a new console on the horizon, it seems that the Switch 2's release date may be sooner than you'd think. Is Nintendo working on a Switch 2?

While we don't have any confirmation from Nintendo, there has been more than enough evidence to confirm there's a new Switch console on the way. According to a report from VGC, development kits for the next model have already been sent to "key partner studios." The Verge confirmed that Activision is one of the key studios to have already seen the next-generation console.

Internal emails between Activision executives were obtained by The Verge, detailing that the next-generation console will have a "closer alignment to Gen8 platforms in terms of performance," likening it to the PS4 and Xbox One.

Though this is a far cry from the 4K performance of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, it's still a drastic improvement to the console's current performance.

These emails suggest that the console was seen by Activision executives in December 2022, aligning with the timelines of previous reports.

VGC also stated that Nintendo is planning to release the console sometime in the second half of 2024, "to ensure that it has ample stock available on day one and to avoid the kind of shortages seen with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S," journalist Andy Robinson writes.

Fans on Reddit have long been pointing out the console's showing age, almost begging the video game company to upgrade its console's performance.

"The Nintendo Switch sure feels outdated compared to other current-gen consoles, but I keep reaching and reaching for it to play a lot of games," said user JoWood94.

That is the usual sentiment from several users within the thread, but some fans also noted how Valve's Steam Deck performs better than the Switch as a handheld gaming device. Redditor Knight_of_the_Stars explains that if there is a Switch 2 in the making to compete with the Deck, it "would really need to step up its game," seeing as how the Valve system has many more capabilities.

It seems that we won't see the next Nintendo console until we're well into 2024, though this is a strategic move on Nintendo's part. Putting out the new console midway through PlayStation and Xbox's newest consoles' lifecycles has been successful in the past.

What exact features the next Nintendo console will boast has yet to be unveiled, though many are keeping their fingers crossed for another hybrid console with better graphics. Until Nintendo announces the details of this Switch 2, we won't know what's in store.