More details on the successor to the Nintendo Switch have been revealed online, and they include a release date, the internal name for the console, and even the price.
There's also a suggestion that Nintendo will release two console variants, much like Xbox and PlayStation did with the current generation.
The new information was disclosed on the Discord server of industry insider "The Snitch" by user SoldierDelta. The same leaker revealed a screengrab and details on Team Ninja's Rise of the Ronin ahead of its official unveiling this summer, so has a small but accurate track record.
He claims Nintendo will release two consoles in September next year (via WCCFTech). However, he adds that there is also a "placeholder" for "early November", so it could be that pre-orders will take place from the end of summer and lead up to a release prior to the holiday season.
This matches earlier rumours that suggested Nintendo plans a "big marketing campaign" from June to August 2024.
The same leaker also claims that the internal name for what we're calling Nintendo Switch 2 is actually "NG". There's no final name right now.
And finally, the console variants – which will reportedly release at the same time – will be priced at $449 for a "standard" model, and $400 for digital-only option.
This latter detail suggests that the standard version will be compatible with game cartridges, a la Nintendo Switch – maybe even Switch games, themselves, through backward compatibility. And the digital edition will only play games bought on the Nintendo eShop.
We're not sure why the prices are so close together though. The PS5 Digital Edition was $100 cheaper at launch, making it more of an attractive option. A $50 price cut doesn't seem enough of an incentive to ditch the ability to play physical games for us.
Still, it's positive that there's the possibility Nintendo is considering models at different price points. And it might help persuade Switch owners to upgrade, even though they are still getting some incredible game releases more than six years after the console first launched.
That's if the latest leak is genuine, of course. Without official confirmation, it's always worth taking any speculation with a pinch of salt.
