Switch successor allegedly debuts in 2024 — what are potential launch titles?

A brand new report means that Nintendo’s successor to the Switch is already in the works — in truth, it could be right here as early as the center of subsequent yr. If that’s the case, what sorts of video games may we count on for a brand new Nintendo console? While no video games have been introduced for that presently unconfirmed console but, Nintendo has introduced a couple of video games that might line up with the consoles alleged launch window. Of course, that is pure hypothesis on our half.

The report comes from VGC says that Nintendo despatched dev kits for the upcoming console to associate studios. It additionally alleges that the upcoming console might launch someday in the second half of 2024. There are no concrete particulars on the {hardware}, but it surely’s doable that it is going to be backwards suitable with current-generation Switch titles. If so, that would definitely increase the library of potential video games customers can play at launch.

For essentially the most half, Nintendo’s record of annouced upcoming video games that are coming to the Switch later this yr. This contains Super Mario Wonder, Detective Pikachu 2, WarioWare: Move It and a Super Mario RPG remaster — all of which launch earlier than the top of 2023. It’s slate of video games past that’s much less outlined. There are, nevertheless, a couple of titles with out launch dates that might launch in late 2024 alongside a brand new console.

What video games might launch with the Switch 2?

Mario titles have at all times dovetailed effectively with Nintendo console releases (together with the Switch itself, the place Super Mario Odyssey launched a couple of months after launch). Additionally, Nintendo is perhaps in capitalizing on the success of the Mario film. The solely new Mario title we all know of is the untitled Princess Peach sport, which is coming to Switch — although that doesn’t preclude it coming to the Switch 2 (as we’ll name the console for simplicity’s sake). However, there are rumors that the 3D Mario workforce is engaged on a brand new Donkey Kong sport, which might additionally make for a very good launch title.

Another robust contender in Nintendo’s secure of franchises is the introduced however up to now elusive Metroid Prime 4. The most up-to-date entries to the franchise, Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered, each bought very effectively (Dread was the best-selling sport in the franchise). Nintendo may goal the Switch 2’s launch for Metroid Prime 4, particularly if it’s a very good showcase of the upcoming console’s capabilities.

One issue to think about is that Nintendo’s launch titles are inclined to make the most of a console’s “gimmick,” if it has one. Arms, for instance, was an ideal showcase of the Joy-Con controllers. There’s no indication what gimmick, if any, the Switch 2 could have, so it’s onerous to evaluate from that. However, some of the stable video games from the Switch technology is Mario Kart 8. Nintendo has given it a number of new waves of content material by way of the top of the yr, protecting it alive, but it surely has been a number of years because the final one launched.

Other contenders are the brand new Professor Layton sport, New World of Steam, which might echo earlier sport Miracle Mask being a 3DS launch title (not less than in Japan). Similarly, titles like Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy and Hollow Knight Silksong could be robust follow-ups to the earlier video games’ launches on Switch.

Backwards compatibility

One of the rumors included in the VGC report is that the Switch 2 is perhaps backwards-compatible with the Switch. While this clearly can’t be confirmed, a comment reported by analyst Dave Gibson in 2022 throughout a Nintendo Q&A suggests the corporate is in bringing the Switch’s roughly 98 million customers over to the next-gen console. If true, it might point out the Switch 2 will have the ability to play Switch.

It would additionally imply that any of the video games listed as upcoming for the Switch will doubtless be for its successor as effectively. This would give the Switch 2 entry to a large library of video games, although it’ll imply that not less than the primary iteration of the console will want a cartridge slot. Nintendo is probably not in making bodily {hardware} backwards-compatible, although it could provide a digital switch system — maybe by way of the Switch Online service. That would drive up gross sales of Switch Online subscriptions throughout the Switch 2’s launch window.

No matter which method the following Nintendo console goes — whether or not its backwards-compatible with Switch cartridges or it builds a very new library — the corporate has a number of prospects for launch titles for the brand new console if it does, certainly, launch late subsequent yr.

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