A new report suggests that Nintendo could be reporting a massive drop in profits, which could inspire the company to announce the Switch 2 (or whatever its next console ends up being called) in the near future. The Nintendo Switch has been a runaway success for Nintendo, with the Big N releasing Switch Lite and Switch OLED alternatives that have proven be to be quite popular as well. The Nintendo Switch has become one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time, but Nintendo has to move on from it eventually.

The Nintendo Switch has been out for over six years now, which means it's almost certainly at the end of its life. There were six years between the release of the NES and the Super Nintendo, five years between the launch of the Super Nintendo and the Nintendo 64, five years between the launch of the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube, and five years between the launch of the GameCube and Wii. The Wii U came out six years after the Wii launched, whereas the Switch was released five years after the Wii U. This means that the Switch is already one of Nintendo's longest-lasting consoles, and so it's due for a replacement.

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Analysts at Visible Alpha, as reported by Marketwatch, have suggested that Nintendo may report a profit drop of around 57%, undoubtedly due to slowing hardware sales. While Nintendo Switch software sales are healthy, what with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet smashing sales records and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom set to launch soon, it seems most everyone that wants a Switch already owns one. The only way for Nintendo to boost its hardware sales at this point in any significant way would be to release the Switch's successor. Unless Nintendo is truly adamant about sticking with the Switch by releasing a new model of the console, ala the long-rumored Switch Pro, it seems highly likely that a reveal and release will happen within the next 12-18 months.

It's Time for the Switch 2

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The Nintendo Switch has been such a massive success for the company that one has to imagine the next system will offer something similar. It seems the easiest route would be for the next Nintendo console to essentially be a souped-up version of the Switch with better hardware that would allow for superior graphics and performance compared to its predecessor. Then again, Nintendo likes to think outside the box and try new things. Because of this, the next Nintendo console could be something completely unexpected that has nothing to do with the Switch. Fans will just have to wait for the reveal to be sure.

As for when the reveal could happen, that's anyone's guess. As it stands, Nintendo seems to be winding down its first-party game releases for the original Switch console. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is launching on May 12, and Pikmin 4 is expected to be out on July 21. Metroid Prime 4 has been missing in action since its original reveal, and while there are rumors about new Super Mario and Donkey Kong games in development, nothing has actually been announced just yet.

At this point, it seems like it would be in Nintendo's best interests to shift those projects to the next Nintendo console. This way the new games wouldn't be held back by the increasingly outdated Switch hardware, and the successor console could come out of the gate with system-sellers that would hopefully help it avoid the slow sales that hurt the 3DS and that the Wii U never recovered from.

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Rumor has it that while Nintendo won't be hosting a showcase this summer like it usually does, it instead may have a Nintendo Direct presentation at some point in September. If so, it wouldn't be out of the question for Nintendo to announce the Switch console successor at that point, though if it has some major holiday game releases for the original Switch, it may instead of want to wait until early 2024 to make the big reveal. While it's possible Nintendo may try to get its new console out in time for the coming holiday season, that seems unlikely.

Whenever Nintendo decides to reveal its next console, it will be interesting to see how its price compares to the original Switch, and if its specs can stand toe-to-toe with competing systems on the market, like the recently released Steam Deck or newcomers like the Asus ROG Ally. Nintendo's hardware will likely be more conservative than those devices, but as always, it will make up for its lack of raw power with a library of high-quality exclusive games. For now, Nintendo fans can continue enjoying their Switch consoles and look forward to new games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4.

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Source: Marketwatch