For some time now, there has been speculation in the media about a successor to the Nintendo Switch. Especially in the last few days, the rumour mill has been bubbling. What is behind this?
There are more and more hints that suggest that the era of the Nintendo Switch is coming to an end. Although there is (still) no official statement from Nintendo on the subject, the rumours are growing thicker.
Binterinter?
Industry insiders give forecast
The reason for the increasing number of speculations about the end of the Switch is probably the predictions of two experts. They suspect that the new Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could be the last big title for the current handheld console.
One hint comes from Christopher Dring, head of GamesIndustry.biz. According to his information, Nintendo doesn’t want to release any more “significant” titles for the Switch for some time after the new Zelda game.
Wait what? You mean all next games are in development for the next hardware?
– Patrick Betar (@P_Betar) November 17, 2022
This is also the opinion of Andy Robinson, editor-in-chief of the online magazine Videogameschronicle. He hints on Twitter that he doesn’t expect to see any big releases for Nintendo’s current console after the new Zelda game. He also said he expects more concrete information from the gaming giant by 2024.
From what I’m hearing I wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo starts talking about new hardware by 2024. I’m not convinced another huge first-party game other than Zelda is left on Switch (usual Nintendo prediction caveats apply…) https://t.co/96CSoLd0Dn
– Andy Robinson (@AndyPlaytonic) December 29, 2022
But why is there even speculation about an imminent end to the popular console?
The Switch is getting old
Probably the biggest factor in the discussions so far is the Switch’s hardware performance. Released in early 2017, the console often no longer has the processing power it needs.
The best example of this is the latest Pokémon games, Crimson and Crimson, which have attracted attention mainly due to FPS drops and poor graphics, despite mostly positive content reviews.
Call of Duty on the Switch?
Graphics-intensive open-world games or FPS titles push the Switch’s hardware to its limits. There was therefore corresponding surprise in the community about the deal between Microsoft and Nintendo, which will allow Nintendo to publish CoD games on Nintendo platforms in the future.
It is questionable whether the Switch would even be able to handle current CoD titles. Since the deal was made, there has been no information that any of the games will be released on the Switch soon. So will Call of Duty only be released for its successor?
Regardless of whether Nintendo announces a new console this year or not – for now, fans of the Switch can still look forward to some new games. These include The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on 12 May, Fire Emblem Engage on 20 January and Hogwarts Legacy, whose Switch release has been postponed to 25 July.
