Nintendo Switch 2 reportedly not launching until 2025
Platform holder is said to be advising publishers that next console will not arrive until March at the earliest
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The successor for the Nintendo Switch may not arrive until early next year.
That's according to the anonymous sources behind various media reports, including Bloomberg, who claim Nintendo has been telling games publishers that its next console will not be on shelves by the end of 2024, as originally targeted.
Some publishing executives are said to have been told Switch 2 – or whatever Nintendo names it – will not launch until March 2025 at the earliest, a full eight years after the original device made its debut.
While never confirmed for 2024, and still not even formally announced, Nintendo's Switch successor was widely expected to arrive in 2024, most likely in time for the crucial holiday shopping period at the end of the year.
Nintendo's shares recently reached an all-time high, driven in part by anticipation for Switch 2 and its announcement. However, Reuters reports that reports of its potential 2025 launch window have led shares to drop as much as 8.8% – the biggest single-day decline since October 2021.
There are wider industry implications, too. The market had been hoping for a boost in 2024 from the arrival of both Switch 2 and Grand Theft Auto 6, although the latter was confirmed for 2025 back in December.
With Switch 2 reportedly not arriving until next year as well, the question of what drives growth for the games market in 2024 remains.