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Following yesterday’s reports about Nintendo’s reveal plan for the Switch 2, a number of games were alleged to be set for the unannounced next-gen console.
Leaker Nate the Hate, who was first to publish Nintendo’s alleged Switch 2 reveal release date via their podcast, speculated that a new Mario Kart will launch alongside the console itself in May or June, with a 3D Mario set for holiday 2025. IGN has asked Nintendo for comment.
Third-party games allegedly set for Switch 2 from Square Enix include Final Fantasy 7 Remake in 2025, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in 2026.
According to Nate the Hate, a number of Switch 2 games are coming from Ubisoft, including a port of Assassin’s Creed Mirage in the console’s launch window. The upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows, currently only down for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC, is also reportedly coming to Switch 2, although at a later date outside the launch window.
Other Ubisoft ports allegedly include games from The Division series and Rainbow Six Siege. The Mario + Rabbids games are also reportedly coming to Switch 2, potentially in a single package, which wouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the Nintendo link and previous comments from Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot.
Nate the Hate also reported that Konami is preparing a Switch 2 port of Metal Gear Solid Delta, which is due out at some point this year. Nate the Hate suggested it may launch day and date on Switch 2.
In a previous podcast, Nate the Hate said a number of Xbox games are coming to Switch 2, including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Windows Central’s Jez Corden subsequently corroborated that report, saying it’s likely that most, if not all Xbox games, will launch on Switch 2 if the console is able to run them well enough.
We can make some informed speculation ourselves about what to expect on Switch 2. It seems likely that games Nintendo has announced as coming to the Switch this year and beyond will also make their way to the Switch 2. Metroid Prime 4, for example, is a safe bet. As is Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. The question is, will these games look and play significantly better on the Switch 2 compared to the Switch?
Switch 2 leaks have come thick and fast in recent weeks, with CES 2025 featuring a high-profile mockup from accessories maker Genki that reportedly sparked the interest of Nintendo’s lawyers.
While Genki's mockup did appear to add significant weight to a growing pool of past leaks on what the Switch 2 will be, Nintendo has yet to officially reveal anything about the system, and all these claims are subject to change or total debunking. A formal announcement is expected in the first quarter of this year, Nintendo has said.
Other reports suggested the Joy-Con’s alleged sensor may be used to turn the controller into a mouse. Meanwhile, alleged retail listings for Switch 2 MicroSD Express cards have suggested that the console supports the newer standard of SD cards in 256GB and 512GB form.
Following the appearance of alleged images of the Nintendo Switch 2’s internals, fresh images allegedly showing the next-generation console’s Joy-Con appeared online earlier this month. The images, which show a left Joy-Con, were reportedly first posted to a Chinese social media website before they made their way to the Nintendo Switch 2 subreddit and western social media.
They include larger SL and SR buttons than on the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, which you’d expect given the Nintendo Switch 2 is reportedly a bigger console than the original. These new Joy-Con allegedly ditch the railed lock method used by the current Switch in favor of electromagnetic suction controllers.
In September, unverified images — a mix of Computer-aided design (CAD) images and printed circuit board (PCB) photos — that were said to have originated from a Chinese website before making their way onto Reddit, depicted a device similar to the existing Switch console but with a larger screen and magnetic Joy-Con. There is reportedly a USB-C port on the top and bottom of the console, too.
Accompanying the images was an alleged specifications list that mentioned 12GB of RAM (the original Switch has 4GB), and 256GB of internal storage (the original Switch has 32GB). There’s a new "C" button on the right Joy-Con, allegedly, but no-one seems to know what this is for.
We also have a patent, filed July 2023 but published for the first time last week, that describes AI image upscaling technology that would help keep video game download sizes small enough to fit on a physical game cartridge while offering up to 4K textures.
Here’s what we know for sure: Nintendo has confirmed that the yet-to-be-announced Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with original Switch games and will feature Nintendo Switch Online. As for a release date, the console is not expected to launch during Nintendo's current financial year, so it will arrive April 2025 at the earliest.
We even have developers outright saying they plan to release their upcoming games on the console, with others teasing a Switch 2 release for their games. When Switch 2 does eventually come out, Nintendo expects to have plenty of stock available, which in turn will hopefully combat scalping.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
