Rumors of a supposed “Super Switch,” “Switch Pro,” or “Switch 2” have been circulating for years, but following a recent report, it would appear that Nintendo is going full steam ahead with plans to toss the hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch upgrade onto store shelves as early as September. Aside from a slightly larger OLED screen and the ability to output games in 4K when docked, not a whole lot is known about the little machine. In fact, nothing is “known” at all. But at the same time, the current host of rumors all have an air of believability and reason to back them up.
Should the speculation prove true, the versatile console could offer something new for every type of player. Handheld users will get the boosted pixel density and color profile of a 720p OLED screen, whereas TV lovers will get a crisp 4K image on their fancy flat-panel TVs. But Nintendo’s console refreshes tend to come with a moderate performance boost on the side, opening the door to some games or graphical flair that isn’t possible on the previous iteration. Here are three games we think could launch alongside the Switch 2 later this year.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles X is one of the last remaining Wii U titles still in need of the port treatment … and it’s not because of a lack of fan demand. Developers Monolith Soft shattered preconceptions of Nintendo’s badly marketed last-gen console with its gargantuan open-world JRPG complete with massive mechs, biomes brimming with life, and some brilliant online boss battles that too many weren’t able to experience.
In interviews, the game’s director Tetsuya Takahashi blamed both money constraints and the game’s size as being major hurdles a port would need to overcome, but he hasn’t ruled out a sequel. Given how few people managed to play the original, it wouldn’t surprise us to see Nintendo pony up the cash to get the project off the ground for a big reveal: Nintendo gets a gorgeous, hotly-requested title to showcase its new hardware, and Monolith Soft gets the chance to find the kind of audience needed to convince the Big N to greenlight a sequel.
They did it with the Xenoblade Chronicles New Nintendo 3DS port (under a different developer) prior to the announcement of its sequel, so why can’t we expect them to do it again?
Breath of the Wild 2
Although Nintendo has, on numerous occasions, delayed mainline Zelda games long enough for them to appear on a generation of hardware unannounced at the time of its reveal, it always ensures they show up on the previous one, too. Nintendo’s not one to break its promises. It’s why we can’t see The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 being a Switch 2 exclusive. That isn’t to say it isn’t being held back to showcase the improvements the new Switch 2 hardware could bring to the lofty plains of Hyrule.
Years after its reveal, we still haven’t really seen a single frame of gameplay. With the release still penciled in for the year, the timing couldn’t be more perfect for it to launch alongside new hardware. Again, it likely wouldn’t be a Switch 2 exclusive, but expect the new hardware to show the game at its best: Crisp 4k visuals, increased foliage density, and improved wacky physics for bashing Billy the Bokoblin around.
Shin Megami Tensei V
Sorry, Metroid fans, your time hasn’t come just yet. Despite being revealed years ago now, development woes and a shelved project mean that the eventual Metroid Prime 4 likely isn’t in a state to be shown yet, never mind released alongside a new piece of hardware in just a few months’ time. Something that was revealed alongside the original Nintendo Switch, though? Now that has a decent chance of finally resurfacing — especially after the recent release of the Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne remaster.
Shin Megami Tensei V, the darker cousin of the Persona franchise, was one of the biggest games revealed alongside the original Nintendo Switch hardware all those years ago. Other than confirmation that the project is still in the works, we haven’t really heard of much else since then outside of a recent trailer.
There’s no reason to believe the development team overpromised on the scope of the game and is now struggling to make it work on current hardware. After all, it wasn’t much more than a teaser trailer back then, a sign production has barely begun. While the Switch Pro likely won’t be necessary to enjoy the latest entry in this historically bleak and socioeconomically entrenched JRPG series, that isn’t to say a gameplay premiere won’t show up alongside the updated hardware.
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