Nintendo rumor mill in overdrive over new Switch

Speculation over Nintendo's new console, a successor to the wildly popular Switch, reached a fever pitch Thursday, with specialist media predicting an imminent announcement from the Japanese gaming giant.

The Eurogamer website said it had heard "industry whispers" that the new gadget would be unveiled Thursday, the exact date leaked by an influential podcaster.

A reporter from tech outlet The Verge said Tuesday on X, "I've heard it should be the Switch 2 reveal this week," further fueling buzz among fans.

Players have long been hungry for news on a follow-up to Nintendo's hybrid Switch console, which can be handheld or connected to a TV screen.

Since it hit shelves in 2017, more than 146 million units have been sold worldwide, making the Switch the third-best-selling console ever after Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's DS.

Nintendo Museum in Uji, Japan museum.nintendo.com

Nintendo estimates it has sold 1.3 billion copies of Switch titles, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which became a must-play among all age groups during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

However, as the blockbuster Switch ages and sales decline, the Kyoto-based company said last year it would reveal its next console by the end of March 2025.

On Thursday, a Nintendo spokesman told AFP that there was "nothing we can share" regarding the announcement.

In November, Nintendo promised users that games made for the original Switch would be playable on the new one.

While the firm has kept quiet on details of the new hardware, a steady stream of leaks has continued.

Some purport to show the gadget in production or accessories designed to fit the next console.

Joypad controllers for the Nintendo Switch are seen for sale in the gaming section of a shop in Tokyo on January 16, 2025. Photo by Philip FONG / AFP

Genki's manufacturer showed off a life-sized replica model of the console, featuring a bigger screen than its predecessor, at the CES tech show in Las Vegas this month.

But the new Switch is likely already being made at factories "to ensure there is enough stock, as demand for the new console will certainly be very high," said Darang Candra from game industry research firm Niko Partners.

Gaming rival Sony faced a supply bottleneck that led to empty shelves when it launched the PlayStation 5 in 2020, something Nintendo will be keen to avoid.

One fan, 29-year-old "Animal Crossing" streamer LottieRoseGames, told AFP her audience is "particularly excited" given the latest rumors.

"People are just looking forward to the prospects of what a new console will bring in terms of new features -- and, of course, mostly new games," she said.