Nintendo's Next Console Coming In 2024, Analysts Believe
Some analysts believe that the next Nintendo console will release in 2024, and it will not be a simple Nintendo Switch upgrade. The beloved gaming company's portable console launched back in 2017, making the Nintendo Switch increasingly outdated next to competitors like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. While Nintendo Switch OLED Model launched in October 2021, many fans are eager to hear about the company's next piece of unique gaming hardware.
Like most of Nintendo's consoles, the Switch innovates by combining aspects of home and portable consoles. The system itself is a tablet with a large central screen, allowing users to easily take it with them on the go. The Switch can also be placed in a dock, which lets it function like a traditional home console. The Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con controllers are also innovative, making use of both button inputs and motion controls, and they can attach to the sides of the tablet during a portable gaming session. New Nintendo Switch models continue to improve upon the initial concept, increasing the performance and display of the unique console.
As reported by GamingBolt, gaming industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls feels that Nintendo's next console is likely to release in 2024. Sharing thoughts via Gamesindustry.biz, Harding-Rolls explains that a Nintendo Switch Pro model is not expected to release at all. Instead, Nintendo's successor to the Switch will arrive in late 2024, marking the gaming juggernaut's entry into the current generation of gaming consoles. While no specific predictions about the next Nintendo project are made, it is likely that the hardware will be radically different from the Switch's portable setup.
While many gamers have their minds set on a Nintendo Switch Pro model, which would theoretically bring the console's performance closer to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, others are excited for a brand-new design. A recent briefing between company executives explicitly mentioned Nintendo's next console to succeed the Switch, though the project's release window was kept extremely vague. During the briefing executives explained that the Switch is now in the "middle phase of [its life] cycle," hinting at plans to replace it over the next few years. While the portable gaming tablet is still very popular with gamers, as the console continues to age it will inevitably become outdated in the eyes of the industry.
While Piers Harding-Rolls' claims are certainly not confirmation of any official plans by Nintendo, the analyst has an impressive track record of accurate predictions. It is also logical for Nintendo to begin planning its next console era, especially if a substantially more powerful version of the Nintendo Switch is not in the works. 2024 is still two years away, but the first Nintendo Direct of 2022 could possibly offer a small hint at Nintendo's future console plans.
Source: GamingBolt, Gamesindustry.biz