Rumors and reports have been running widely lately surrounding the next big plans Nintendo has for the Switch. Supposedly a number of development kits are being sent out so that devs can prepare to make games for the Switch 2 (official name unknown) which will be seeing a debut in the second half of 2024. Considering how much the Switch has fallen behind in terms of computing power compared to the current competition, it’s no surprise that Nintendo may be feeling the pressure to catch up. They used to have a complete monopoly on handheld gaming after Sony lost interest in the whole PSP idea, but with the release of the Steam Deck and other competitors, that is no longer the case. Given this buzz, I thought it’d be a good time to ask you guys what you want to see from a Switch 2 release.

For me, the biggest thing is obviously improvements to the processing capabilities of the device. The Steam Deck is no slouch with the amount of quality games it can play. I mean we’re talking about big graphical giants like The Last of Us, The Witcher 3, and Elden Ring who in the past weren’t even in the conversation of portable gaming. Nintendo is no slouch when it comes to their game catalog and franchises, it just seems apparent that the hardware is not up to par with other options on the market. Hell the thing can barely even run Fortnite on the lowest settings. That stands out as the single biggest improvement needed to keep the Switch relevant for another six years in my eyes. The community seems to have a big wish for backwards compatibility too and that makes sense to me. Nintendo’s game catalog is essentially their strongest asset, so not having to lose your previous Switch games seems like a no-brainer to keep players happy. I can’t imagine having to rebuild your library entirely at all, especially factoring in Sony’s backwards compatibility with the PS5 and the strong value of the Xbox Game Pass.

From bullet hell to beat hell.

There’s still a chance these are nothing but rumors and it’ll still be a while before we see an announcement from Nintendo themselves. To me though the timing of a second half release in 2024 seems reasonable and as the market grows in competition, I don’t expect the Japanese giant to be dragging their feet. Unless it’s to allocate funds toward a second Mario Movie, because I completely understand that. Do you think we’ll see a new Switch in 2024? What does it need to do for you to consider buying it? Will Nintendo still see a ton of sales with the rise of the Steam Deck and similar handhelds? Eat some mushrooms, kill some aliens, and smash your bros on the go in the comments below!