An respected industry insider has confirmed a previous claim that Nintendo plans to release a new Switch model later in 2023. A well-known Pokemon leaker earlier suggested that an enhanced Switch edition will be released this year.
According to a February 27 leak claimed to a Pokemon outsourcing team employee, their company is presently working on a Pokemon Scarlet and Violet visuals upgrade aimed at the new “models” of Nintendo’s blockbuster hybrid machine, which is set to debut during the second wave of DLC for the new RPGs. While the judgement is still out on that allegation, it comes amid a slew of new facts concerning the first Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, all of which were verified during the most recent Pokemon Presents presentation. The source correctly anticipated the premium expansion’s title, the names and kinds of Paradox Virizion and Suicune, as well as a number of small upgrades to the most recent mainstream Pokemon games, as well as information on numerous new legendaries that Game Freak has been developing.
Jeff Grubb, a well-known industry insider, has now provided legitimacy to the remaining portion of that big leak requiring verification. In his most recent YouTube live broadcast, Grubb mentioned that he’s been hearing rumblings of a new Switch model in the pipeline, with a potential release date of winter 2023. The writer stated that his sources are divided on whether a new variation of Nintendo’s blockbuster platform would be introduced this year, and even if it is, it remains to be seen if it will be available over the Christmas season.
To put things in perspective, the only two Switch updates to date were both announced in July; the Lite variation was disclosed in 2019, while the OLED Model was confirmed two years later and took between two and three months to release. If Nintendo decides to release new gear in 2023, it’s possible the business would adopt a similar launch plan, especially given that the holiday season has traditionally been the most profitable time of year for the gaming industry. Switch Pro rumours have been circling the industry for years now, indicating that a small upgrade with a more powerful system-on-chip is a more likely prospect than a next-generation console.
In any case, this isn’t the first time information about a potential Switch successor has surfaced thanks to the iconic pocket monsters; in November 2022, one Pokemon developer mentioned “next-generation hardware” in a job listing, revealing that it’s looking for a 3D character modeller who’d be involved in research and development for a yet-unannounced platform. That official posting coincides with the latest rumour that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will receive a graphics update on the new system, as well as lending credence to the idea that the next Nintendo console will be another variant of the Switch, or at the very least offer backwards compatibility with its predecessor.
