![Nintendo Switch](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YzA4ykQYWsYZz8YQpC7DE-960-80.jpg)
Quick Summary
Nintendo's president has revealed that we shouldn't think of the company's next console as a replacement, rather the Switch Pro style device we've been predicting for years.
It's the strongest indication yet that it will be fully backward compatible, ensuring all your current Switch games will still work.
Fresh from confirming that it'll reveal its next games console before the end of this fiscal year, Nintendo apparently had one more little surprise to drop about the Switch's successor.
As quoted by analyst David Gibson after Nintendo's recent investor call, the company's president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked if the company's next console could be considered brand new.
Furukawa allegedly replied that a "Switch next model is the appropriate way to describe it".
In the results call when asked if the next gen console was brand new or ... Furukawa answered "Switch next model is the appropriate way to describe it" :) #NintendoSwitch #NintendoSwitch2 https://t.co/ytF4oh0fN0May 7, 2024
It sounds, therefore, like we can expect a similar console to the Nintendo Switch when the wraps are finally taken off, albeit one that will presumably bring much beefier specs to that table.
In truth, this isn't much of a surprise – for years, now, the rumours and leaks around the Switch's successor have focussed on the idea that it'll probably be a sort of "Switch Pro" rather than Nintendo Switch 2.
This would retain the detachable controllers and portability that have made the Switch such a rampant success, but would be able to benefit from the pretty sizeable leaps forward in GPU tech that have taken place since the first Switch was designed.
In fact, the latest intel suggests that the Switch successor will have similar Joy-Con controllers to the current generation, but that they'll be upgraded with magnetic attachments to the main console, rather than the sliding rails currently used.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Whether they'll also be redesigned to be more resistant to stick drift, a problem that has plagued the Switch, will be harder to gauge until the console launches and people can break it down.
Still, it's great to know that we're going to find out about the next Switch sometime in the next six month – even if Nintendo has made it clear that we shouldn't expect a reveal this summer.
While late 2024 was reportedly the initial target for the console's launch, that has been widely reported to have slipped back into early 2025, now, so the Switch still has a little bit of time left alone on the pedestal as Nintendo's flagship console.
Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.
-
10 best retro games on Nintendo Switch Online to download and play right now
Here are our recommedations for classic Nintendo games you can enjoy today
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Forget the next Xbox, I want a Nintendo Switch 2 instead
I'm more excited for the Switch 2 than the next Xbox console, especially after Microsoft's cross-platform announcement
By Mike Lowe Published
-
Nintendo Switch OLED review: the Big N’s games console just got bigger and better
The Nintendo Switch OLED is this year’s must-have gaming gadget
By Yasmine Crossland Last updated
-
Apple shows off a Pixar-style robot lamp that dances, projects and talks to you
Apple has made its own Pixar lamp – and it’s the next thing I want for my smart home
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Lotus Belle Air Bud review: bringing instant-pitch elegance to the campsite
Exquisite inflatable polycotton tent for well-heeled glampers
By Derek Adams Published
-
Nintendo Switch 2 will come with a hidden new trick, according to patent find
Those new Joy-Cons aren't just magnetic – they're magic, too
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Nintendo suggests Switch 2 price will be "affordable", as it confirms launch time
Previous price leaks could be true, with Nintendo's president revealing that "affordability" is important
By Rik Henderson Published
-
I've fallen in love with my PS5 Pro at last thanks to this huge new game
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has put my console through its paces
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
This Nintendo Switch 2 price leak is seismic, if true
Italian retailer lists the Switch 2 for pre-order already
By Rik Henderson Published
-
There's one Nintendo Switch 2 feature that'll make it a massive upgrade, and it's not the screen
Say goodbye to Joy-Con drift forever
By Rik Henderson Published
-
The Switch 2 could be the greatest console ever, thanks to one key detail
That back catalogue is going to be genuinely crazy
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
How to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and what to expect
We should get a deep dive and more details on the Switch 2 in April
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Nintendo Switch 2 official – and here's when you can see the games too
Nintendo has finally announced its worst kept secret
By Rik Henderson Published