According to sources, Nintendo is planning to release its next generation gaming console in 2024

Sources from VGC report that Nintendo has already sent out development kits for its upcoming console to key partner studios, and the console is scheduled to be launched next year.

Reliable sources well acquainted with Nintendo's plans for the next generation of gaming consoles report that the company plans to release new hardware in the second half of 2024. This move is aimed at ensuring an adequate supply of products on the release day and avoiding supply issues, similar to what happened with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

While specific details about the console remain strictly confidential, sources from VGC claim that the next-generation console will feature a portable mode, much like the Nintendo Switch.

According to the information provided by two VGC sources, the console may be equipped with an LCD screen instead of the more expensive OLED, in order to reduce costs, especially considering the increased data storage required for higher-quality games. Currently, the Switch has only 32GB of built-in memory, while many games for the current-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles occupy more than 100GB.

Like its predecessors, the new Nintendo console will also support physical games through a cartridge slot.

As for other details, such as backward compatibility with Nintendo Switch games (physical and digital), there is currently no clarity on this matter. Nintendo has stated that it aims to attract as many users as possible from its current user base, which exceeds 100 million users, to the next system. However, some third-party publishers have expressed concerns that supporting old Switch games may negatively impact the sales of new-generation games.

Nintendo has not provided any comments on this matter to VGC at the moment.

Dr. Serkan Toto, a gaming industry consultant from Tokyo, stated to VGC that releasing a new console in 2024 makes sense for Nintendo, as a significant decline in hardware and software sales for the Switch is expected this year after seven years on the market.

"Based on an analysis of Nintendo's financial indicators, it seems obvious that the company should introduce new hardware in 2024," he said. "Hardware sales are forecasted to decline by 16.5% year over year in the current financial year, while software is expected to decrease by 15.9%.

"The only way to prevent further profit decline in the next financial year is through new hardware, and the second half of 2024 appears to be a realistic release window to me."

Christopher Dring, the head of B2B at ReedPop, said to VGC that a 2024 release aligns with Nintendo's historical practice of launching hardware "mid-cycle" compared to PlayStation and Xbox.

"The original Switch arrived more than three years after the PS4 and Xbox One, which turned out to be a successful decision for Nintendo. The release of Switch 2 in the second half of 2024 will be about four years after the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, which again confirms Nintendo's strategy of 'mid-cycle' console releases," he said.

"I would say that, unlike 2017, Microsoft and Sony's consoles still seem relatively new, partially due to component shortages that slowed their adoption in the first two years, and software delays, meaning we haven't seen too many games fully leveraging the capabilities of the PS5 or Xbox Series X. So, the question remains whether Nintendo can capitalize on the same advantages.

"However, Nintendo's biggest competitor is itself. While its devoted fans eagerly anticipate new hardware, its more family-oriented and casual users will want to see compelling reasons. What new features will the next Mario Kart offer that they don't have in the current one?

"Nintendo has had issues with player retention in previous generations, so how they address aspects like digital libraries, Nintendo accounts, and even backward compatibility could be the deciding factor in the successful launch of the new system."

If Nintendo does indeed release the successor to the Switch closer to Christmas, Dring believes to expect a wider range of games at launch compared to the first Switch, which was released earlier in the year.

"In 2017, Nintendo staggered its releases, offering major games almost every month," he said. "By the holiday period, the company already had Mario, Zelda, Splatoon, and Mario Kart, as well as a number of smaller titles like Arms and Xenoblade to support console sales during the critical Christmas season."