Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors, Patents, and Speculation: A Break Down

It’s finally about that time that we have to consider what the future looks like as the lifespan of a video game console comes toward an end. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the hottest in speculation right now and I wanted to look at how Nintendo handles each generation and consider it to see what the next console might be from Mario’s maker.

The Nintendo Switch is geriatric at this point.

The Nintendo Switch was originally released in March 2017. I know! That feels like over a decade ago at this point. We’re running up on 7 years, though, this March.

Why is that significant? Let’s look at the history of Nintendo consoles and how long they were in production. During this century, the Gamecube (6 years), Wii (7 years), and Wii U (5 years) are the best to look at for home consoles, none of which lasted more than 7 years in full production.

To look at the entire story, however, we need to peer into the portable consoles as well. The Nintendo Switch is the first true hybrid that is both a Nintendo home and portable console all at once so that information is a necessity. 

Sticking with our 2000’s era systems, the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS paint a separate picture by lasting 9 years each. The Nintendo Game Boy Advance, surprisingly, only offered 3 years before the DS swept it aside, especially since they had a Game Boy Advance cartridge slot. It’s our only outlier looking at the data.

Nonetheless, a good average middle-ground for our Nintendo Switch is roughly 8 years in production. Taking into account the fact that there will be some overlap with the Switch’s successor, you might even consider 9 years instead, similar to the portables.

Now that Nintendo has offered the fantastic Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED models, the only way that they can go is up from here.

Looking at the past to see Nintendo’s strategy

The Nintendo Switch had an interestingly short announcement period. Generally, in other console manufacturers, we know details about whatever PlayStation or Xbox is coming easily a full year in advance.

Let’s time-travel back to October 2016. That’s the first time we had an announcement for the Nintendo Switch. That was less than 6 months before the release of the Switch itself. We knew about some details from leaks, but that’s such a short amount of time.

After the unfortunate lifecycle of the Wii U, I’m pretty sure Nintendo didn’t have a good leg up on how to handle this release. Frankly, as amazing and successful as the Switch is (and has been), it fumbled the initial rollout of consoles.

I remember searching far and wide for a Switch, almost getting scammed into one of Gamestop’s “bundles” at one point. Luckily, I had a friend in an entirely different state who found one for me. 

Many people dealt with the same or similar situations. It was a hit and Nintendo just didn’t make enough of them. They probably learned from this for whatever comes next.

The rumor mill for the Switch 2 is at full production.

There have been a ton of rumors surrounding what we’ll just call the “Switch 2” for the sake of brevity. However, I do like the idea of “Super Nintendo Switch” as a name, which some have speculated in the past as a possibility.

Let’s start with the latest rumor that Video Game Chronicle reported on this last week. Although the Switch 2 had been rumored for mid- to late-2024 for months now, VGC’s sources are claiming that the Switch 2 is slated for Q1 2025. Eurogamer had heard “similar whispers” before getting full confidence in the rumor hours later from their sources. 

So, now that we have a more solid timeline, let’s talk about what the Switch 2 may include. VGC and Eurogamer did originally claim that sources had informed them of development kits being sent to key partners last year and may possibly be backward compatible. Unfortunately, those same rumors claimed that the new console would be out by the holidays of 2024, so take that with a grain of salt.

Back in September 2023, ResetEra member and prominent leaker, TheRealImAHeroToo, posted to Reddit about some crazy details that they had heard from their sources. They listed out some details they knew from SEGA and Square Enix, some shining a light on the Switch 2.

They claimed that SEGA had Switch 2 dev kits for “a while” and they can verify that it is backward compatible. Allegedly, the system would offer a new cartridge and a new camera feature. 

When they talked about Square Enix in regards to the Switch 2, the insanity got kicked up a full notch. They claim that Final Fantasy 7 Remake not only runs on the Switch 2, but could potentially be a launch title. That’s big, if true.

In the same post, they talked about other things, the first of which is interesting to take note of from SEGA. They claim another Sonic game is coming in 2024 (which turned out to be true with Sonic X Shadow Generations, but not surprising). But, their mention of “Jet Set” Radio, which was announced 3 months later during The Game Awards, is on the nose. They mentioned Comix Zone and Guardian Heroes in the post, which have not been announced. However, SEGA did say that more classic SEGA titles would be getting a glow-up soon, and that rumor aligns nicely with that.

Back in July 2023, Nintendo’s usual Joy-Con chip manufacturer, PixArt, may have let loose a small detail about working with a “Japanese Game Console”. The initial reports from Notebook Check and Chinese financial news site MoneyDJ say that whoever the console manufacturer is “will launch a new console that has not been seen for many years early (2024).” It’s possible that this may be Sony-related, but their track record shows that it very well could be Nintendo. However, the dates no longer line up, if VGC’s recent rumor is true.

Nintendo has filed a lot of patents in 2023.

This past October, Game Rant found some patents from Nintendo that look similar to a Nintendo 3DS. They offer a look at a device that has dual screens when the clamshell is opened and can also detach from each other for two-player gaming across two halves of the device.

The device also potentially had a touch screen on the “outside” to allow it to still be used when it’s open or closed.

The initial Game Rant finding didn’t even give the full scope of patents, however. Hexa, a member of ResetEra forums, kept pulling rabbits out of hats with more patents. It turned out to be a lot.

Back then, I personally took a deep dive into the patents and what they may reveal elsewhere, but I’ll lay them out a little more here. The images reveal how certain buttons would work on this alleged Switch 2 patent. They include the triggers, internal components, and possible button placements for the system.

The examples used in the patents do try to hide some details by using their previous systems, such as the Nintendo 3DS or the Nintendo Switch Lite. There was a patent for a magnetic cover for a device, which looks like a hard shell case for a Switch Lite-esque system. 

The detachability patent is shown off with two systems that look more like a PlayStation Portable had a child with a Nintendo 3DS.

Before that filing, in September, Nintendo filed a patent with the US Patent Office for what appears to be new Joy-Con controllers that may remove the dreaded Joy-Con drift from their controllers. On the same day as the other patents, another US Patent hit in regards to Joy-Con controllers. Suspicious, right?

All in all, patents don’t mean anything and should always be taken with a grain of salt. But, they can potentially paint a picture of what Nintendo is looking to eventually do.

What games would the Nintendo Switch 2 have?

Let’s speculate for a minute based on Nintendo’s track record for games. Nintendo systems have staples that run deep in the roots of the company. So, this part is just for fun, because we definitely have no idea what to expect from the new system.

But, let’s take a minute to set our rules. According to ImAHero in the Reddit post, Final Fantasy 7 Remake ran on the Switch 2 smoothly and was a breeze to port over. This means that the system is likely on par, in terms of power, with a PlayStation 3 or 4, minimally. 

The recent The Legend of Zelda games pushed the Switch console to its extremes and offered an amazing, seamless, open-world experience that packed a punch. If the next system has more power, the options are limitless.

So, we need to just get the obvious answers out of the way. We will likely get new titles from Super Mario, Mario Kart, Pokémon, Kirby, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Pikmin during the Switch 2’s life.

We know that Metroid Prime 4 has been in the works for quite some time. It’s plausible that it could be a dual release for both the Switch and Switch 2, similar to how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was also released on the Wii U.

I’d love to see games like Mario Maker and F-ZERO return, as well. Nintendo has a well of possibilities to pull from, so forgotten classics like Ice Climbers, Balloon Fight, or Excitebike all come to mind. While we could potentially see some sort of Super Smash Bros eventually, it’s more likely that Ultimate will be ported this time around instead, similar to Mario Kart 8 from the Wii U.

Speaking of Mario Kart 8, if the console is backward compatible (as rumored), games like Mario Kart and Animal Crossing could get pushed for a couple of years, and a resurgence of the Switch’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons could get some love for the time being while they prep for the next entries. I sure hope not, as a fan of both franchises, but it’s entirely possible.

As for third-party options, the games will entirely be determined by how much power the console has. The Nintendo Switch saw the release of much older Assassin’s Creed games, such as 2019’s The Rebel Collection or The Ezio Collection. But, giving a little more oomph to the Switch 2 could see the modern Assassain’s Creed games, such as Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Or perhaps some of the future titles as well.

This could easily be true for any games from this and previous generations. I know it’s a long shot, but I hope to see Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Switch 2. Please and thank you, Larian.

I’ve speculated about this, personally, in the past, but Microsoft could potentially bring its Xbox Game Pass to the Switch and/or Switch 2. Utilizing the cloud, any of Xbox’s library could show up, no matter how much power the system has. But, if it’s not the cloud from Game Pass, the Switch 2 could easily handle many games offered on the subscription service.

Nintendo has to bring the heat to portable gaming.

The big uprising of portable PC-based systems is likely a thorn in Nintendo’s side going forward. Why buy a Nintendo-only system when I can buy a Steam Deck OLED that plays my entire Steam library? Or, I can pick up an ASUS ROG Ally (or one of the countless similar systems) that also runs a full version of Windows 11 and can play literally anything I want.

My speculation is that Nintendo may have had Q1 2024 as an option for a release date (as originally rumored), but moved it back an extra year to give themselves time to make the real “Steam Deck killer” that everyone else tries to be.

No matter what it turns out to be, I hope the Switch 2 brings the Nintendo Power like the Switch did, and not the Nintendon’t of the Wii U.

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While it likely won’t have any bearing on the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo did announce a Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase for Wednesday, February 21st, and a Pokémon Presents for February 27th. So, at least Nintendo is bringing a constant stream of news. We will hear about the Switch 2 when they’re ready for us to hear.