The latest round of Nintendo Switch 2 rumors suggests that the upcoming console, whose name has yet to be revealed, could have entered mass production.
That's according to MST Financial senior analyst David Gibson, who took to X/Twitter to post something interesting about Nintendo's lead assembler, Hosiden.
“No one seems to have noticed Nintendo's assembler: Hosiden is spending ¥2 billion on production equipment and ¥1 billion on automation in fiscal 2025 for its largest customer in the entertainment sector (Nintendo),” Gibson writes. He adds that he expects “news in September and a launch in March 2025 for [the] “next device.”
The chart included in the post shows an increase in spending on automation, as well as the addition of spending on production equipment and a new factory based in Vietnam. If anything, it shows that some form of hardware manufacturing could be underway at the Osaka-based assembler.
In related news spotted by VGC, industry leaker Nate the Hate took to the comments section of a post on the r/GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit about Hosiden's spending increase. Nate simply comments that the Nintendo Switch 2 “has backwards compatibility.”
This isn't the first time we've heard about the possibility of backwards compatibility on Nintendo's next console. Last year, a Nintendo executive hinted at backwards compatibility for the Nintendo Switch 2 during an annual Q&A session for shareholders.
At the time, they said, “With Nintendo Switch, we can connect directly with multiple customers via Nintendo Accounts.
“As we transition from Nintendo Switch to the next-generation console, we will do everything we can to make the transition seamless for our customers.”
While backwards compatibility isn't directly confirmed for the Nintendo Switch 2, the notion of a smoother transition (at least compared to people making the jump from the disc-based Wii U to the cartridge-compatible Switch) could indicate that things like Nintendo Switch games and Nintendo Switch Online accounts could carry over to the new console.
Additionally, Nintendo has traditionally aired a Nintendo Direct presentation in September of each year. If that precedent holds this year, we could finally see an official Nintendo Switch 2 announcement this month.
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