Curtis Joe / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A new report claims Nintendo delayed the launch of the Switch 2 into Q1 2025 to avoid hardware shortages and solidify its software lineup.
- It’s believed Nintendo is preparing to launch the new console in March 2025.
- It’s possible the Switch 2 could be delayed again depending on manufacturing and how much software is ready.
If you remember when the PS5 launched, Sony ran into serious supply shortages that kept units from getting into homes for years. A new report claims Nintendo was looking to avoid that same fate when it delayed the Switch 2’s launch into 2025.
The Japanese news publication Nikkei has published a report claiming that preventing hardware supply issues was part of the reason Nintendo decided to delay its next console launch. That same report also claims that Nintendo is aiming for a March 2025 release now.
It was believed that Nintendo was initially planning to launch the successor to the Switch in late 2024. However, reports have recently claimed that Nintendo internally delayed the console into Q1 2025. It was then unknown what month in the first quarter of 2025 would be picked.
It appears the issue extends past simply not having enough units to sell. Nintendo may have also been thinking about the resell market. According to the outlet, “priority was given to ensure the initial inventory of the successor console and a lineup of software titles at the time of its launch” in an attempt to avoid widespread reselling, something that the PS5 struggled with at launch.
Before you start marking your calendars, know that this March 2025 date may not be safe either. Nikkei points out that there’s potential for the system to be delayed again depending on if there are any manufacturing issues and how much software is ready at launch.
If the Nintendo Switch 2 does launch in March, it would mirror the launch date of the original Switch.
