New source agrees on Nintendo Switch 2 release date but warns about retail leaks

June does seem to be the favourite prediction (YouTube)

There’s increasing agreement over the likely release date of the Nintendo Switch 2 but apparently retailers are not to be trusted.

Although the Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially announced we still know very little about the console, with the reveal trailer explaining almost nothing. It did state a 2025 launch, but it wasn’t any more specific than that.

Traditionally, new consoles launch in the autumn, but spring is the second most popular choice, as it was with the March release of the original Switch.

Anytime in summer is extremely rare and yet the most persistent rumour for the Switch 2’s launch has been in or around June – and that’s also the prediction of a former member of Nintendo of America’s sales team.

Speaking on the Kit and Krista podcast, Sean was convinced that Nintendo will release the Switch 2 before the end of the summer and announce the exact release date at the Nintendo Direct in April.

‘They’re going to want the system to be out before the end of the summer. I would say at the start of the summer, at the end of the school year, so you have kids talking about what they’re excited for,’ said Sean, as transcribed by VGC.

‘I think we’ll see a June launch. I’m thinking maybe mid-June, or a little bit later than that. But definitely before the end of the summer, that thing’s coming out… there are good strategic reasons why that would be part of the consideration.’

Interestingly, Sean is certain that retailers know nothing, beyond a possible confirmation of which quarter it will be released in, and will be told nothing further until the last minute – which makes sense as so far most retail rumours have been fairly obvious fakes.

Whether Sean has any insider knowledge about the release date, or if it’s purely a prediction based on his experience with the company, is not entirely clear, but his comment about retailers certainly seems believable given his history.

‘They don’t have that information. There’s no way that even Target in the US would know anything… when we know the launch date, that’s probably when the retailers are going to know the launch date. Maybe a week or two in advance. I would imagine maybe March 27th the retailers will find out – a couple of days in advance [of the Nintendo Direct],’ said Sean.

Although a summer release date has been rumoured multiple times there has been no clear explanation for why Nintendo would opt for such an unusual launch time, given general video game sales – in terms of both hardware and software – are usually at their lowest ebb at the midpoint of the year.

There’s unlikely to be one single reason for it, but it no doubt includes factors such as a lack of new releases for the Switch 1 and the Switch 2 being a portable console, suitable for taking on holiday.

Many have speculated that Nintendo is also attempting to avoid the launch of GTA 6, as while the two products are very different it’s certain that Rockstar’s long-awaited sequel will soak up all the attention in and around the industry for several months – and yet without a release date it’s impossible for Nintendo to avoid it with certainty… other than via a summer launch.