Summary
NintendoPresident Shuntaro Furukawa is addressing the recent rumors surrounding the next Nintendo console. The Nintendo Switch has been a major moneymaker for almost seven years as of this writing, having been crowned one of the highest-selling video game consoles of all time thanks to its novel console/handheld hybrid nature and a plethora of blockbuster first-party exclusives likeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomandSuper Mario Bros. Wonder. Of course, all good things must come to an end, and there is already talk ofNintendomoving on to the seemingly inevitable Switch successor sooner rather than later.
The past few years have been filled with rumor and speculation surrounding the next Nintendo system, which will supposedly combine the multi-screen functionality of the Switch with updated graphical hardware on par with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Many industry insiders are claiming that this so-called “Switch 2” console could hit the market as early as 2024, and that selecttriple-A developers are already working on gamesfor it. One especially big rumor is that Nintendo demoed its new system backstage during this year’s Gamescom 2023 event, and that it ran theMatrix AwakensUnreal Engine 5 tech demo from 2021.
This might not have been the case, however. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently spoke out about the Gamescom 2023 rumor in a financial call, which was written up by Japanese gaming websiteMainichiand translated byNintendo Everything. “The rumors online that appear to be public information are not accurate,” Furukawa stated, suggesting that the Switch 2 wasn’t shown off in Germany after all.
Furukawa also addressed thedual-screen patent that Nintendofiled a few weeks ago, which mentioned a device that could be split in half to form two separate gaming handhelds. While many have suspected that this patent could be related to the Switch 2, Furukawa simply said that while his company filed it with the knowledge that it could be leaked to the public, it doesn’t necessarily mean that future Nintendo products could feature the technology listed in it.
It’s worth pointing out that Shuntaro Furukawa’s latest denial of the nextNintendo system being shown off at Gamescom 2023doesn’t disprove any of the other rumors surrounding the much-speculated Switch 2 console. Nintendo could very well have its next console in development for release in a year or so, and Furukawa is playing coy to keep it a secret until his company is ready to unveil it properly. On the other hand, absolutely nothing official has been confirmed about said console (including whether or not it actually exists), so fans will have to keep their eyes and ears peeled for any additional information aboutNintendo’s future gaming hardware.
Switch
A late addition to the eighth console generation, the Nintendo Switch is a hybrid platform that can be experienced as a home or portable system. Launching with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the platform has amassed a wide selection of triple-A and indie titles. Since the console’s debut, Nintendo has released two other models: the Switch Lite and OLED.
