According to several trusted sources, the next console from Nintendo was at Gamescom 2023 in Germany.
The Nintendo Switch 2 (as it's being called for now) was apparently demoed by the Japanese gaming giant to multiple developers in behind closed doors sessions. No-one else was invited.
Eurogamer claims that partners were shown tech demos including a beefier version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While VGC adds that it ran at a higher frame rate and resolution than the original, which comes as no surprise considering the new console is said to have near-PS5 power.
According to another of VGC's sources, Nintendo also ran the Matrix Awakens Unreal Engine 5 demo on the new machine. It used Nvidia DLSS upscaling technology and had ray tracing enabled, it is said.
In addition to the Gamescom demos, Nintendo has reportedly started to seed development kits to different partners, with an eye on a public announcement next year. It has also been claimed in recent times that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available in time for the holiday season next year.
This could all be the reason why the company is so keen to sell as many Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite units as it can before the end of 2023.
It has recently announced several bundles and special edition versions to give the six-year-old console a fresh boost.
That includes two Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch Lite models, plus new bundles for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Nintendo Switch Sports.
They will each be available from October in the US and UK.
The Nintendo Switch 2, on the other hand, could be first confirmed around spring time next year, which is a similar announcement window as the original Switch, and then sold later in 2024.
Some analysts have said that it will allow Nintendo to avoid posting financial losses in the next fiscal year. Otherwise, the decline in the sales of the existing Switch might make the company's books look a little threadbare over that period.
