A Japanese analyst has suggested that the Nintendo Switch 2 may be both less powerful and more expensive than expected, but it will be out early next year.
There have been a lot of leaks and rumours about the Switch 2 in the last few weeks, a clear sign that Nintendo is edging towards an announcement – or rather that the console has started manufacture and certain collaborators are not being as secretive as they should be.
Officially, the only thing we know about the new console (even the name Switch 2 is just a fan invention) is that it’ll be announced before April next year, but despite whispers of a reveal this year the rumours about the release date remain vague and contradictory.
According to Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda though, the Switch 2 is still most likely to be released in the first half of 2025 and will have a price of $499, which he describes as ‘relatively cheap in dollar terms’.
As with most Switch 2 rumours it’s not entirely clear whether Yasuda’s information is speculation, something he’s read elsewhere, or his own inside knowledge.
However, it’s one of the few times the price of the new console has been brought up, so that at least is presumably from his own sources. $499 is £386 but it’s perhaps more helpful to consider that the Switch was $299.99 when it was first launched in the US, and £279.99 in the UK.
So, if it has the same percentage increase in both countries that could mean a UK launch price for the Switch 2 of around £450. Although that’s the same price as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at launch, it’s unusually expensive for a Nintendo console.
It’s also more expensive than the cheapest model of Steam Deck (the 256GB LCD version at £349) but less than the 512GB OLED (£479) and 1TB OLED (£569) models.
The price could make sense if the Nintendo Switch 2 is significantly more powerful than the current model (which some rumours have suggested is the case) but it seems very contrary to Nintendo’s usual approach, unless the rumours of two separate models are also true.
The final kicker is that Yasuda describes the performance of the Switch 2 as ‘lower than the PS4 Pro’. Estimates of the Switch 2’s graphical power have been the most inconsistent element of the rumours so far but less powerful than a PS4 Pro is right at the extreme end of the scale, with other rumours suggesting it’s roughly equivalent to an Xbox Series S.
As an analyst, Yasuda should know what he’s talking about, or at least be using good sources, but if this is accurate then the Switch 2 is not going to be at all what most people expect.
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