Switch 2 reportedly delayed out of 2024

Reports suggest Nintendo needs time to prep its first-party lineup

Rumors suggested Nintendo planned a Switch 2 launch for late 2024, but new reports point to internal delays while the console maker readies a first-party lineup. Brazilian writer and podcaster Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe initially said in an episode of his OX do Controle podcast that sources familiar with the matter told him Nintendo pushed the Switch 2 to 2025’s first quarter.

Nintendo’s fiscal year begins in March, so if his report is accurate, that would put the Switch 2’s release date in line with the original Switch, which launched on March 3, 2017.

Shortly after Lutti Lippe’s video, Video Games Chronicle and Eurogamer published reports saying that their own sources familiar with Nintendo’s publishing plans confirmed the original report. They said that, while Nintendo originally told its publishing partners to plan for a fall 2024 release date, the Big N delayed the Switch 2 internally so it has more time to prepare a strong first-party launch lineup.

Eurogamer said it was unable to “concretely substantiate” its sources’ reports.

When the original Switch launched, Nintendo assured consumers that, unlike with the Wii U and its sporadic release schedule, there would be at least one new high-profile Switch game each month. The first three months of the console’s life saw Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Disgaea 5, alongside dozens of other third-party and indie games. Splatoon 2 launched that summer, and Super Mario Odyssey followed in fall 2017.

Nintendo’s current first-party plans for the rest of 2024 include Princess Peach Showtime, a port of the 3DS game Luigi’s Mansion 2, and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. The company usually holds a Nintendo Direct in February, though rumors point to 2024’s February Direct being a partner showcase highlighting third-party games coming to Switch – not a first-party presentation.