Latest Switch 2 launch window rumors explained

Since Nintendo acknowledged its existence in May 2024, the successor to the NintendoSwitchoften called the Switch 2 by fans, it has been shrouded in mystery. So far, only three things have been officially confirmed about the elusive next-gen console: it will be backwards compatible with the current Switch, it will have Nintendo Switch Online functionality, and it will be announced between now and March 2025. Although the Switch 2 is supposedly only a few months since the reveal, you might think, given Nintendo's silence on the subject, that it won't be showcased anytime soon.

While Nintendo has given a general idea of ​​when the Switch 2 will be revealed, it hasn't given any hints about its release date. For a while, many fans believed that the next system would be announced in late 2024 and launched in the first half of 2025. Now that the year is almost over, however, this outcome seems less and less likely. Most industry experts currently speculate that the Switch 2 will be revealed early next year, and as a result, it may not hit store shelves until mid-to-late 2025. Having to wait a full year for the release of the successor to the Switch would be incredibly disappointing, but fortunately that may not be the case. According to a new rumor, Nintendo could launch its next console much sooner than some might expect.

The Switch 2 could launch sooner than expected

A new rumor suggests that Switch 2 will release in the first quarter of 2025

Stephen Georg, a longtime YouTube and Twitch streamer, recently made some comments on Twitter that caught the attention of many Nintendo fans. On November 22, Georg tweeted that he had received an email from a developer about an upcoming game, which apparently included a line suggesting a potential release window for Switch 2. According to Georg, the email said that the unspecified game would be released in “Q1 2025 on PC (Steam), Xbox One and Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch!” The fact that the statement used the term “Nintendo Switch” in the plural and not the singular, Georg suggested, was a sign that it was referring to the Switch 2.

“…coming in Q1 2025 on PC (Steam), Xbox One and Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and… Nintendo Switch!”

If the game this email alludes to comes out on Switch 2 on the same day it launches on other platforms, that indicates the console will be released within the first three months of 2025. That, assuming that's true, means that the Nintendo's next-gen console marketing cycle will be very short, which is quite unusual. Consoles are typically announced several months before their initial debut. The original Nintendo Switch was presented about 5 months before its launch, while the Xbox Series X/S was presented almost a year before its worldwide release.

The Switch 2 releasing in early 2025 seems unlikely, but it's not out of the question

Normally, it wouldn't make sense at all for a company to launch a console with only a few months of pre-release marketing. In the case of the Switch 2, however, that may not be so unreasonable. Unless unforeseen circumstances arise, Nintendo's next system is virtually guaranteed to be a success. The current Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time, so its sequel is likely to have at least some success. For this reason, it's possible that Nintendo thinks the Switch 2 doesn't need a massive marketing campaign and believes it's okay to release the system just two or three months after the formal announcement.

While the idea of ​​Nintendo releasing its next console in the first quarter of 2025 seems rather far-fetched, it's not out of the realm of possibility. However, it is important to keep in mind that Stephen Georg's statements regarding the NintendoSwitchThe successor to has not yet been confirmed by respectable insiders, so it is best to take them with a grain of salt.