Recent findings suggest that the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 could hit the market as early as the start of 2024. This theory is proposed by a significant CMOS image sensor manufacturer and supplier for Nintendo, whose prediction aligns with recent rumors that Nintendo will shift focus to the Nintendo Switch 2 following the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. A release coinciding with the seventh anniversary of the original console could be a plausible move.

Nintendo has been at work on the next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2, for several years now. Freshly surfaced information indicates that the device might land on store shelves by the start of 2024. This suggestion was prompted by PixArt Imaging, a Taiwan-based CMOS image sensor manufacturer and long-time supplier for Nintendo, when they hinted at the launch of a “Japanese gaming console” in early 2024.

These fresh pieces of information resonate with recent rumors stating that Nintendo’s entire focus will be on the next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2, following the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This move seems logical considering the original Nintendo console, the Nintendo Switch, made its debut in 2017 and will be celebrating its seventh anniversary in 2024.

While the Nintendo Switch has never been renowned for its powerful hardware, the six-year-old console is starting to show its age. Many are hopeful that Nintendo will soon unveil the successor to the Switch, as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been notably gentle with the Switch’s hardware, further highlighting its outdated capabilities.

The successor to the Nintendo Switch could enter the market in 2024, claims Chinese media outlet MoneyDJ, citing sources from PixArt Imaging. The company anticipates a “Japanese gaming console” to hit the market in early 2024, released by one of their long-standing customers. This undoubtedly points to Nintendo, as PixArt Imaging has been supplying the Japanese videogame giant with components since 2006 when they first agreed to manufacture the motion-tracking technology for the Wii controller.

Speculations about the new console’s 2024 release date align with previous reports. An earlier report in May already narrowed down the release window for Nintendo’s new console, suggesting it would not launch before Spring 2024. If we take this rumor and the newly surfaced information seriously, it seems like Nintendo would prefer to debut the Nintendo Switch 2 towards the end of March 2024, as there isn’t much overlap between the start of 2024 and spring.

Though console manufacturers historically favor the holiday season for hardware launches, the Nintendo Switch was unveiled in March 2017. The idea of the Nintendo Switch 2 being released on the seventh anniversary of its predecessor doesn’t seem far-fetched.

The aforementioned reports aren’t the only ones suggesting that Nintendo will soon unveil a new gaming console. The latest such claim comes from Microsoft, who asserts that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be released in 2024.

Source: GameRant