Nintendo is planning to release its next-gen console in the second half of 2023, according to VGC.
Citing multiple sources, the outlet reports that Nintendo is planning for later next year to ensure it has sufficient stock of the Switch successor at launch.
VGC also says that the upcoming system will feature portable functionality like the Switch. In the past, new Nintendo systems have typically introduced new gimmicks rather than carrying over those from their predecessors. However, the Switch is the second best-selling console of all time after the PS2, so it makes sense that Nintendo would want to preserve its popular handheld functionality.
VGC didn’t mention an ability to connect to a TV, but given that’s the other half of the Switch’s core functionality, it seems likely that the new console would do the same. In any event, details on both the launch timing and handheld functionality were corroborated by Eurogamer.
Elsewhere, VGC states that the next system may launch with an LCD screen rather than an OLED to cut costs. It’s unclear if and when Nintendo might be planning to introduce an OLED version of the new console as it did for the Switch later in its life cycle. In any case, VGC didn’t indicate roughly how much the next system might cost compared to the $399 Switch.
One of the other key questions surrounding the new system relates to backward compatibility with the Switch. VGC says it’s currently unclear whether the console will support this feature (either physically or digitally). Interestingly, the publication says some third-party publishers have expressed concerns that backward compatibility would hinder sales of next-gen games. That said, the outlet notes the console will once again use physical cartridges, just like the Switch.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen when Nintendo might formally unveil its next console. Even as sales of the system have finally been slowing down, the company has largely spent this year riding on the meteoric success of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The Japanese gaming giant also has the likes of Super Mario Wonder and the Super Mario RPG remake to look forward to in the coming months.
Source: VGC
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