It seems that the Nintendo Switch 2 may be repeating a tried and true marketing strategy. With Nintendo finally giving an official update on the Switch 2, interest in the now-confirmed console has risen considerably. Moreover, given the new details, Nintendo appears to be keeping to a winning formula for the console’s eventual release.
Various rumors of a Switch 2 console have circulated for years, but until now there has been no official word of its existence. Moreover, there may still be a long wait until more is known about the console other than its existence; while a Nintendo Direct is now scheduled for June, it will not address the new console. Instead, a proper announcement regarding the console will be made before the end of the current fiscal year (March 2025). Nevertheless, as it stands, the features of the Switch 2 are still largely a mystery, and even its official name is uncertain.
The currently-known circumstances of the Switch 2’s reveal actually line up very well with those of its predecessor. Originally known by the codename NX, in April 2016 the Nintendo Switch was given a release window of March the following year. Notably, the Switch was not unveiled at E3 2016, which took place between these two events in June. Instead, the first official announcement trailer for the console came in October 2016, when both the Switch’s name and basic functions were formally unveiled. Now, the Switch 2 may be following the same pattern in its announcement.
As it stands, it is known that the Switch 2 will not be announced at the June Nintendo Direct, which can be seen as analogous to the original Switch not being presented at E3 2016. If so, then a full announcement being made at some point from late summer to fall, perhaps even October specifically, could logically follow this. Even though the fiscal year runs until March 2025, this does not mean that the Switch 2’s announcement cannot come months earlier. In fact, it may even be released early next year, again following the pattern set by the original.
Given that this same marketing strategy clearly worked for the Nintendo Switch, it seems entirely reasonable for Nintendo to repeat it now. After all, Nintendo’s simple announcement of a second future announcement alone has greatly raised the anticipation for its next console. With the Switch having already exemplified a timeline that can capitalize on such interest, a repetition seems well-advised. Moreover, as there is a stated time frame to focus on, the wait for more information will not be nearly as frustrating as it may otherwise be, especially when considering the continuing release of interesting games for the Nintendo Switch.
Although the Switch 2 console itself will likely not see any more official developments for a while, a first glimpse of its launch titles may not be so far off. While not the stage for the Switch, E3 2016 did have a demo for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Likewise, the upcoming June Nintendo Direct may also introduce a Switch 2 launch title. A perfect candidate for this would be a new SuperMario game, given that Super Mario Odyssey is now over six years old, although other possibilities like Pokémon titles naturally also exist.
Of course, it must be acknowledged that this is only speculation at present. The similarities appearing between the Switch 2 and its predecessor’s debut may be merely coincidental. On the other hand, however, the fact that there are multiple points of commonality cannot be ignored. When taking all of them into account, it does make the idea of an early 2025 release for the Switch 2 seem very plausible.
The way in which the Nintendo Switch was unveiled over the course of many months clearly didn’t harm its sales. Instead, this strategy was successful, and it seems that Nintendo may now be aiming to repeat history. It is easy to match the expected timeline of events relating to the Nintendo Switch 2 to those preceding the release of the original, and the degree of similarity can easily be interpreted as deliberate. Ultimately, only time will tell when more information on the Nintendo Switch 2 is released, but many will be eagerly waiting as the March 2025 deadline approaches.