The recent information on the potential for a new Switch - this year?
A recent report from Bloomberg, citing insights from Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase, suggests that Nintendo is preparing to launch its next console later this year, featuring an 8-inch LCD screen. This would make sense, being that the two other handheld prominent devices currently on the market are the PlayStation Portal and the Steam Deck, both with a whopping 8-inch display. This would be a huge upgrade in comparison to the original 6.2-inch screen size of the Nintendo Switch (which is still not small by any means).
Why is it a good move for Nintendo to release a Switch successor in 2024?
If you haven't seen the recent news of many current-gen games being ported to the Switch and just not stacking up visually, you would have to be sleeping under a rock (or just not interested in video games at all). The Switch can barely keep up with new titles, and developers have to sacrifice their games to accommodate the Nintendo Switch. This can be seen with games like Mortal Kombat 1 and WWE 2K18, but keep in mind, this is barely scratching the surface as the Nintendo Switch clearly cannot keep up graphically with the PS5 and the XBOX Series X. Plain and simple, the Switch just isn't cutting-edge enough, especially since it has already been out since March 3, 2017. Nintendo can be, and probably is, losing out on a lot of sales and momentum, due to the Switch’s lack of power to be able to play some of the most popular and successful games out there right now (well, run them well at least).
From a business standpoint, why would it make the most sense to release a new Nintendo console in 2024?
The first thing we need to address is that even though the Switch is obviously an underpowered piece of hardware, it was released during the last generation with the PS4 and XBOX One. The fact that the Switch is still even relevant today is a marvel in and of itself. It’s pretty obvious Nintendo needs a serious upgrade. Also, we have to take into account the timing of when this "Switch 2" will be released in 2024 (Switch 2 is an unofficial term as there is no actual name for this console as of yet). If Nintendo doesn’t act fast, they are in jeopardy of missing out on releasing a brand new console for the current gen we are in to stay relevant. It would make a lot of sense to release the "Switch 2" in 2024 before it is very likely that pro and slim models of the current-gen consoles are on the foreseeable horizon, as that is usually indicative of the half-life of that console’s lifespan. If Nintendo can create a higher-powered console so it is fully present in the gaming world, now would be the time...