Nintendo Switch 2/Pro speculations: Release date, price and likely specs of the upcoming console

Since the first release of the Nintendo Switch in 2017, fans have been fixated on what the console's follow-up will be, whether it's the Switch 2, New Nintendo Switch, Switch Pro, or something else different. Here are some of the exciting speculations, rumors, and leaks about the upcoming console.

Nintendo Switch 2 release date speculations

Since the first Switch arrived in 2017, there have been a lot of Nintendo Switch 2 rumors, so it's difficult to place too much faith in any that mention exact dates.

It is reasonable to expect another two-year gap considering that the Switch Lite debuted in September 2019 and the Switch (OLED) followed in October 2021. Based on this pattern, the new console could arrive in autumn 2023, according to Tech Advisor.

However, an upgrade could happen sooner. Serkan Toto, a games industry analyst based in Tokyo, told Bloomberg that it's probable Nintendo is already working on a "real upgrade" that might release alongside or shortly after "Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2," which is scheduled to release in May 2023.

What appears to be certain for now is that the Switch 2 or Pro won't be released prior to the upcoming Zelda game. Japanese finance outlet Nikkei reports that Nintendo won't ship new hardware this financial year, which means no new Switch console until March 2023 at the earliest.

New Nintendo Switch 2 price speculations

There are speculations that the Switch 2 or Switch Pro would cost more than the current Switch models, which costs £259/$299 for the ordinary model and £309/$349 for the OLED variant. Gamers can reasonably expect the Nintendo Switch 2 to cost extra if it includes features like 4K compatibility or more powerful graphics.

4K Switch might be called Switch Pro or Switch 2

Nintendo could opt to call the upcoming console the Switch Pro. The naming will indicate the new model's increased power while remaining a part of the same console generation. Another possibility is that Nintendo may simply refer to its important new specification and go by the moniker Switch 4K, just like the Switch (OLED).

It might, of course, be referred to as the Switch 2 if Nintendo views this as the start of an entirely new generation of consoles. Calling it the Super Nintendo Switch would be another classic Nintendo ploy, but that seems a little unlikely this time.

Switch 2/Pro's specs rumors

Since the OLED model was revealed, there haven't been many direct leaks or rumors about the upcoming Switch's specifications, but it is still possible to deduce what might be coming. This is due to the fact that so many leaks before to that launch suggested a totally different device than what was really unveiled, leading some to speculate that some of those leaks may have actually been for the next console.

Nintendo is planning to include "more computing power and 4K high-definition graphics," for the new console, according to previous reports from Bloomberg. In another report, 11 game developers "ranging from large publishers to small studios" including Zynga, already have 4K Switch dev kits.

However, both Nintendo and Zynga denied the report by tweeting that there are no plans for a new model other than Nintendo Switch – OLED Model. "That report (and denial) came before the OLED model launched though, so it's only natural that Nintendo would want to downplay any reports into future consoles, as it wouldn't want to disrupt sales of that hardware, so take any official statement here with a firm pinch of salt," Tech Advisor offered an explanation for the denial.

A previous leak also mentioned T234, which refers to Tegra234, the code for Nvidia's Orin System-on-Chip. T239 was also mentioned, which is a custom version of that chip.

Nintendo reportedly filed a Joy-Con-related patent in Japan, which could mean that the Switch 2 could arrive with upgraded controllers. This will solve the comfort issue encountered by gamers when using the console over long periods in handheld mode.