Summary
- The September Nintendo Direct left some underwhelmed, potentially indicating a release window for the Nintendo Switch 2.
- The focus of the Direct was on updates to existing games and remasters rather than new major titles, suggesting a gradual transition towards the Switch 2.
- While an official release date for the Switch 2 has not been confirmed, the latter half of 2024 seems like the most likely window.
The September Nintendo Direct didn't announce the Nintendo Switch 2, but with what it did show, it might as well have locked in a 2024 release date for the console. Announced one day in advance, Nintendo held a showcase on September 14 focusing on Nintendo Switch games releasing in the winter. The Direct did step out of this time window to some degree, teasing some titles coming later in 2024, but what it didn't show bears as much significance as what it did.
2023 has been a big year for the Nintendo Switch, with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom marking the highly-anticipated follow-up to Breath of the Wild in May and the new side-scrolling platformer Super Mario Wonder set to release in October. The new reveals from the September Direct help to bolster this lineup but do little to transform it. Highlights mostly came in the form of updates to games already revealed or interesting remasters, with the return of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door serving to cap off the showcase as the final reveal rather than the announcement of a new title.
The Nintendo Direct Lineup Points To The Switch 2 Release
The library of games filling out the immediate future for the Switch lines up with a timeline that would place the release of a new Switch successor in the back end of 2024. Focusing on adding remasters to the console helps to keep releases steady while preparing for a graceful transition, with a summer release planned for Luigi's Mansion 2 HD bookending the current slate of titles. Major new ventures are likely to appear on the horizon with the Switch 2, generating hype for the console's launch once it's officially announced.
A Late 2024 Switch 2 Release Has Already Been Speculated
This window lines up nicely with current expectations for the launch of the Switch's presumed successor, which seems to have been demonstrated at Gamescom 2023. 2024 rumors have swirled for a while, with some indicating a spring launch but many speculating a fall/winter prediction over time. This would help bolster a strong 2024 holiday season for Nintendo and give the Switch a little more time to breathe as Nintendo's flagship console, as this generation has proven much more popular than the shorter run of the Wii U.
There's ultimately no way to establish a definitive release date for the Switch 2 until Nintendo makes an official announcement regarding the expected console, but the latter half of 2024 certainly seems like the most likely window so far. With a solid catalog of games but a distinct lack of major new titles, the Direct points to a swan song holiday season and plans to keep things going steady through the summer of 2024.
Although the September Nintendo Direct didn't reveal the Nintendo Switch 2 or talk about its release date, reading between the lines of the company's own announcements might just be more helpful than looking for news elsewhere.
