Alex Connor, who we have previously reported on under his handle OreXda, has come back with a wild new rumor about the Nintendo Switch 2.
We had reported a few months ago the rumor that Nintendo chose to delay the Switch 2’s release. This was a widely reported rumor, and led credence by games media, and influencers. A major reason for this was because it was also reported by Japanese news outlet Nikkei.
However, Connor also seems to have some sort of access to information about Nintendo’s products. He was one of the first to share rumors that matched up with Nintendo commissioning the T239 chip for their console. While he had to clarify his statements later on what he was and was not sure of, it’s clear that his sources do know things about the console, and we have to be discriminating on which parts of his claims to believe.
Now, Connor has this to say about the Switch 2, on Twitter:
“ [Exclusive] #Nintendo_Switch_2
-The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to launch as early as the second half of this year. Significant contracts have already been negotiated in the component industry for initial production.
* Tegra T239 – produced by Samsung Foundry 7LPH
* Display – Samsung OLED
* With the exception that LCD models may be released first (Using Sharp Display)”
When prompted further, Connor stated that he did not hear any rumors about a delay to 2025.
You may choose to believe that the Switch 2 really is coming in the second half of 2024, sometime between July and December, or not. Of course, interestingly, that time frame occurs after June, a major period for video game announcements because of the now defunct E3. Every company has an event in that month, and Nintendo has been hosting Nintendo Digital Events to showcase games and products for the year and the near future. So, it would be very convenient for Nintendo to announce the product then, and release it months later.
But I think the really useful information here are the claimed contracts. It’s widely believed that Nintendo is working with Nvidia again for their Switch successor. We have also known for years that Nintendo works with many Japanese companies, including Panasonic, who licensed their optical disc technology from the GameCube to the Wii U, and Sharp, who had made displays for their consoles.
But Samsung would be a new one if it were true, and it would be even more interesting if Nintendo did go for Samsung’s OLED displays. Connor has been saying Nintendo used Samsung’s Foundry for their chips since March 2023, and there are newer rumors that they commissioned Samsung’s 5th generation V-NAND technology.
Samsung would be a key partner for Nintendo if they are working together. Samsung has been competing closely with Apple for years, and recently took the lead from them again as the top smartphone manufacturer in the world.
If the Switch 2 is close to getting announced, we will also likely find out if their new partnership with Samsung is real. And if it is, it’s a partnership that’s going to rattle not only Sony and Microsoft, but every tech company out there.
