splinters

Well, we have images now and a direct lined up so hopefully a breather from the avalanche of leaks and speculation for a short while at least.

@Pillowpants when are Nintendo not confident?

Is it ok to be underwhelmed now? Looks like the leaked versions, no real innovations that are apparent here other than possible mouse control and magnetic rails. Not sold on that Salmon pink colour (it doesnt age well) and putting an OG Switch next to it to make it look 'much' bigger is a bit cheeky when the OLED is out.

@Dazman pretty much sums up my thoughts.

These news items are getting really poor now. 'Nintendo is upset' headline followed by a few ex employees, who I believe, have also shared a few leaked details, then suggest 'nintendo would likely be upset'..nothing more than click bait. Come on Nintendo Life, you can do better than this.

I would be happy if the eshop loaded anywhere near that speed

At this point I would be happy with a Metroid 4 release date

@Ks123 I agree about the reveal, but I don't think DK is important (or good) enough to worry about the clash. It just makes no sense however to reveal a new console on release date of a new Nintendo game especially when there isn't much happening release wise after that. Nor has much else been announced by Nintendo lately.
Hopefully 'Nate' will shut up with the leaks if it doesn't happen.

What niggles me about these leaks is the apparent lack of innovation. Nintendo have a history of innovation in controllers or features. I find it hard to imagine after 8 years that they would just say ‘we made it a bit faster’ . Think NES to SNES, N64 to GC, Wii to Wii U, GB to Advance, DS to glasses free 3Ds. So are we really expecting a Switch version 2 which is slightly bigger than Switch OLED (but with an LCD screen) and some magnets. Really?

Actually, given the mediocre DK reviews, a Switch 2 announcement on release day might be a nice diversion.

Vowed I wouldn’t buy this, and just rediscovered it on 3DS, but also reminded how uncomfortable the 3DS can be for long play sessions. Got it for just over £36 so will give it a whirl then pass it on without losing too much.

He did say software will not be the focus i.e not the usual game showcase type direct, not that there wont be any games shown.

I have DK coming, just started Prince of Persia, Hades untouched and a fair few more. Love my OLED switch with Skull and Co grips especially for travel. At this point I'm just curious...and hope to see some interesting and genuine news articles return once the 'leaks' stop.

@johnedwin I really don't think they care. Unless their stocks drop and shareholders get twitchy, they will just stick to their plans. A few companies there who traded 15 minutes of fame for a potential Nintendo license on their products. Hope it was worth it.

On a plus note, if this isn't true then it might stop ' Nate the bait' being referred to as notable or reliable in future. Win, win.

@jesse_dylan maybe not removable SSD l, but will have larger internal storage plus the faster SD cards.

Nintendo always announce a Direct so you should know by Wednesday if this is 'happening'. Even if there is a direct, it could just be some DK stuff to promote the game or highlighting other games to maintain sales. Unless I hear it from Ninty, I'm taking it all with a big pinch of salt.

@LexKitteh losing control of the narrative? Nintendo have absolutely no obligation to meet any sort of expectations buyers now believe they are entitled to just because of some dodgy 'leaks'. Good on them for just brushing them off and continuing with their plans. Its that stoic attitude that makes them the company they are.

I realise you need 'news' for your feed, but it's just becoming a rumour mill here. I'm getting Switch 2 rumour fatigue.

@Spider-Kev original Switch?
Still, that has proved itself a great seller so a new one shouldnt have the same effect.

Its business, nothing else. If Nintendo's stock prices are holding strong, or rising, they don't need to do anything that the public 'want'. If stocks start to dip, watch how they react

I am as curious about the Switch 2 as everyone else, but I actually love that Nintendo are just sitting back, watching this all unfold while sticking to their own plans and not addressing every image, leak and rumour. it will come out when its ready, regardless of what it looks like or its internals, you wont get one before release date and, if some slight deviation from the expected price causes some sort of financial problem for you, I would ask if owning the latest tech is really that high a priority in your life.

@garfreek not a Pikmin fan, and I have all Mario, Zelda, Metroid, DK games etc. Thanks for the recommendation though

Chatting with a friend last night, we were discussing how Nintendo always have some innovation in new products. These leaks appears to have none other than minor improvements just like 3DS and Switch models.
Will Metroid be the Zelda that spans generations like GameCube/Wii then Wii U/Switch? And will there just be one game cart for both consoles with the innovation being tech that scales up the graphics, textures etc. for the new console rather than being two different versions?
Also, I suspect Nintendo will want you to specify a primary console for your existing library. Can't imagine them letting you access your games on Switch 1 and 2 at the same time...

Speculation aside, the grip for the OLED is great. Skull and Co are not a 'nobody grip maker', been making good stuff for years.
Still, unless Nintendo are behind this, I'm surprised the companies would risk their future working relationship for a bit of exposure. Also, why are we not hearing of Nintendo issuing cease and desist notices? Not like them to just sit back and watch...

I have just spent £40 on this....well, what I actually did was buy a mint condition 3DS XL and redownload the library of games I had including this. Win for me.
For the record, you can preorder this for £36.79 at Currys in the UK, but that's still too much for a no frills remaster.

@Bigmanfan @garfreek I still have one voucher left and nothing I want to buy other than Metroid 4. If that doesn't release before June, I may have to use it for this. Literally nothing on the release schedule I want 😩

@Wilforce thanks for the recommendation, but I need a simple set up of handheld and dock for TV. I think OLED should be a given on any new premium handheld

Earth magnets lose around 2% of their power...over 100 years, so I'm not too worried about losing connection that way.
However, I love the OLED Switch and updated my Steam Deck to the OLED model, so I wont be keen to go back to LCD.

Would love if it had even more backwards compatibility (download my massive, but now lost digital DS and 3DS games) but we know thats a cash cow for their remakes so no hope of that. I was really hoping for something new and ground breaking as previous consoles have been. This just looks like 'bigger' Switch

@BoFiS the thumbsticks are the highest point. The case sits above the joycons rather than just moulding over them. I quite like the case...assuming of course any of this is real. Very much looks like a Switch V3 rather than Switch 2...

For me, what Nintendo do better than the competitors is get the best from their hardware. From N64 and Mario (my first Nintendo console) to the Switch i have had every console and handheld. I still gawp at the 3D effect on the 3DS XL and the Switch has some belting games. Metroid remastered blows me away when i see it on the OLED screen. PS may have power, Steamdeck a huge library of games (and I have both), but the Switch has been the ‘go to’ for years now. Should add that I found myself living alone in Thailand when Covid struck. Animal Crossing kept me sane and in touch with my family who joined me on my little island each day. Memories of ‘sitting’ on a bench with my wife watching the virtual sun set while we were 10000 km apart will live with me forever.

Paper mario, mario RPG, and Luigi 2 were all a bit of a let down (brought nothing new), and I still have the 3DS version so I will pass.

Still on my 'to play' list once it's off my 'to buy' list. Massive backlog of games on various platforms is still delaying that...

When emulating on a deck or similar, you can switch between screen layouts at the touch of a button. Would work, especially for games where one screen is the main one for most of the game. Even the side by side option on a 7" screen like the OLED gives more screen real estate than a DS. Keep it simple, and don't design a new console around DS emulation.

This generations Zelda methinks, just as Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild were AAA titles on both outgoing and incoming consoles. I think anticipation for this has been greater than those titles so it seems like a no brainer.

@MegaVel91 all the time of course 😂😂

@MegaVel91 it's rumoured that they have been finished for some time....Xmas surprise??

I only hope it's out before my last voucher expires. Can't see anything else I would want to buy with it.

Given that that sketch looks like a school kid drew a standard Switch, Im not confident in this one.....

I managed to try the leaked version just to reassure myself that it was worth the pre-order given the lack of a demo on the eshop. I have since cancelled it. Im edging nearer to the IGN score than Nintendo Life but I was never a massive fan of the mario luigi series and Im just bored of entering into endless battles when something is hiding out of view to bump into you. Maybe when my backlog clears and its on sale I might give it a go.
My order was with Currys which seems to be the best price at the moment.

With 400gb of games on my Switch and many still to be completed, (some not even played), this would have been a big factor in deciding to move to Switch 2...so its pretty much a no brainer for me at this point.
I tend to keep one cartridge/disc in my consoles (same with every console I have had since the advent of digital) so I am not worried if it goes digital. I only buy carts when they are at a low price for a game Im not sure I would play again, if at all.

I watched Joker 2 on Saturday, just to see if it was as bad as the reviews said. Quite enjoyed it, so....there is no good/bad (apart from actual technical issues) here. If it's a series you like give it a go, can always sell it on.

@Ulysses I was playing both Banjo titles on Xbox and it is difficult to go back to the N64 version afterwards. Its blocky and chugs. A shame Ninty can’t update these games on the Switch to the same standard.

I'm sceptical of this being Wii titles as Ninty can still make money with HD and remastered versions, although the same goes for some GC titles (Metroid etc) and they could easily sell millions of Windwaker Remastered. Still, plenty of other titles they could add.

Other than online play and cloud saves, the NSO expansion offers classic games so logic says this is a new classic console (DS, Wii, GC) or streaming. However, Ninty already know if this would work and don't need 10000 testers. That suggests something bigger, but what would require the NSO + Expansion (and over 18) to be qualified to test?

@aaronsullivan indeed, I was just playing Metroid Prime remastering and thinking how good it looked. But, given the Switch is seven years old, the Switch 2 need to be a little more future proof and at least be on par with consoles that are now approaching a refresh or update i.e. Steamdeck.
Will be interesting to see how Sony move forward with their rumoured handheld as the PSP and Vita were very well specced on launch....yet Ninty seemed to win with quality of games.

Has Ninty ever released a 'Pro' or MK2 version of a console with just a minor speed bump and same chassis/buttons etc other than the Switch which had a V2 and then an OLED version?
Surely the Switch 2 needs something more or else its essentially a MK4

@aaronsullivan rumours put this at Steam deck performance (I hope its better) while some compare the internals to X Box series XS, so it will be interesting to see if Ninty can get on par with something current or if its still a gen behind in performance.