Preferable but not a must

They should release when they have games. No point is rushing it

Nintendo don't want switch 2 to clash with the Xbox series and PS5 pro in 2024. Gamers will just say how weak it is compare to the pro . GTA6 releasing in 2025 would just overshadow Switch 2 so it's best to release it in 2026

This.

If (and I hope it does) it has b/c - it would be great.

Historically and looking at what happen during the Switch cycle when the new PS5/Series consoles arrived. It had no bearing on the Switch best year in sales. It'd still make no sense even if a Switch 2 was to release alongside a PS5 Pro or whatever because Pro consoles are there to cather for existing owners people who see performance as the most important thing, which is not an important attribute for Nintendo hardware.

Also no, a software piece doesn't overshadow the release of hardware especially if the Switch 2 brings big titles at launch.

What's wrong with releasing it in 2026? They should just take their time and not rush it. If Nintendo releasing Switch 2 in 2026 it could beat the PS2 which most of us want to see happen. Release it 2024 or 2025 then it's almost impossible to beat the PS2

Nobody but us nerds on forums give a single shit if Switch passes PS2 or not.

2026 is a terrible idea because Switch’s decline will continue to accelerate.

2023-~15 million

2024-~11 million (25-30% decline)

2025-~7 million (30-40% decline)

2026-~3.5 million (50% decline)

Software sales will also continue to decline as big hitters are being prepared for Switch 2, evergreens reach saturation and 3rd parties run out of major titles to port.

Why wait until Switch is on its deathbed before releasing a successor?

No need to rush. Better launch when heavy hitters are ready. But not only first party.
At least with a big western and Japanese game.
Ff7, the new monster hunter, CoD or even gta6.
And, clearly, next 3d mario/mario kart and prime 4.

I love me some outdated software. But it would be nice to have an upgrade and not play in 2014 all the time.

Thinking on the timeline, they typically have around 6 years for a console. During years 4-6, studios begin shifting development to the next console, especially if they released a game in year 3.

The Switch was acting like a normal console (nothing on steroids) until 2020 when lockdowns + Animal Crossing made it explode in popularity. That's year 3. Nintendo would have already started some studios on Switch 2 games by that point, plus they had no way to know the recent success would be sustained and sales wouldn't calm back down after a bit. They wouldn't want to leave their next console hanging with no games, so I'm sure a good chunk of their studios started in 2020 to work on games for the next console, with another chunk in 2021.

You can't just plan for a console to be as successful and have sales lasting as long as the Switch did, and you've *got* to stick to a game development schedule so your next console isn't dead on arrival with no software to support it.

But they didn't stick with a 6 year cycle. They pushed Switch 2 back from a typical March 2023 release window (or less) to probably later than March 2024 (7 + years later).

I say all this to state my belief that Nintendo is sitting or close to sitting on quite a few finished/soon to be finished Switch 2 games waiting for that consoles launch.

Obviously it needs to launch this year. Switch sales had a great resurgence in the Spring and Summer thanks to TotK and perhaps the Mario movie, but in the Fall that died off. That cliff finally hit. Switch looks like it had a very weak holiday season.

Switch has finally hit saturation. I'd say a September release for next gen would be good. No reason to let the Switch drag out all the way until November. With no big AAA games coming this year there's nothing that's gonna boost sales unless they do price cuts.

At this point the release time is just down to if the new system is ready and when they can get a few million produced and shipped, is 3D Mario and Mario Kart ready, do third parties have some launch period titles ready to go, and when they figure out when all that will be ready announce it 4-5 months in advance with an in-detail look at it like 3 months in advance so people can start saving to buy the new system at launch.

I'd be surprised if they it launches later than September, maaaaaybe October. There's no reason 3D Mario and Mario Kart shouldn't already be pretty much good to go, and ya gotta think the system will pretty much be a straight update to the Switch so there's no reason R&D should be getting dragged out and holding back the system launch. Right now Nintendo should just be spending a few months making sure everything is good to go and picking a time to announce it and getting it out well before the holidays so they can have a launch boost plus a holiday boost.

Leaving it until 2025 would make no business sense and would just leave Nintendo with a VERY weak 2024, unless they are planning to drop the Switch early this year to like $150/$200/$250 which I very much doubt.