Nintendo's next console is "likely to release" late 2024 says new report
The next-gen console is still expected to have a portable mode.
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While it probably isn't that surprising to hear, a next-gen Nintendo console is "likely to release" in the second half of 2024.
This comes from a new report from VGC, whose sources claim that development kits for the Switch follow-up have apparently been provided to key partner studios. The report specifically notes that the plan to have the console launch in the second half of 2024 is to make sure Nintendo has plenty of stock available at launch so that it avoids shortage issues seen with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Specifics regarding the new console weren't shared with VGC, but sources did suggest that you would still be able to use it in portable mode like the Nintendo Switch. One potential downgrade, according to two sources, is that the console might launch with an LCD screen as opposed to an OLED one in an effort to lower costs. It might also be a move to allow for larger internal memory, as the Switch only has 32GB, with most big PS5 and Xbox Series games taking up more than 100GB of space.
It's also said that the console will use physical games via a cartridge slot, but it wasn't stated whether it would be the same style of cartridges or not. The console being backwards compatible or not isn't clear either, though Nintendo has previously hinted at a next-gen console being backwards compatible.
A next-gen console releasing in 2024 wouldn't be a surprising move for Nintendo at all, with the most recent Nintendo Direct not having too many massive announcements for the Switch. There is Super Mario Bros. Wonder, of course, but outside of that the reveals which were much smaller in scope, pointing towards Nintendo wrapping things up for one of its most successful consoles. Plus, we still haven't heard anything about Metroid Prime 4, which seems all but guaranteed to be a next-gen title now.