What to Expect for the Nintendo Switch in 2024

Highlights

• The Nintendo Switch had a successful year in 2023, selling over 130 million units and becoming the 3rd best-selling console in the US.
• Fans can look forward to a variety of new games for the Switch in 2024, including both first-party titles and third-party releases.
• Despite rumors of a Switch 2, Nintendo is likely to continue supporting the current Switch with new games and updates for the foreseeable future.

The Nintendo Switch has had a great year in 2023. It received a ton of great games from both first and third-party developers and has continuously shown impressive numbers in terms of sales. It was reported in Nintendo’s November 2023 financial update that the hybrid console has sold over 130 million units in its lifetime, with around 12 million of those sales taking place in 2023. The Switch recently surpassed the Xbox 360 to become the number 3 best-selling console of all time in the US, bested only by the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s own DS handheld.

Fans will likely be wondering what the future holds for the Switch. It has been around for quite some time now, and in terms of hardware, its age is beginning to show. That said, 2024 could still be a very good year for the Nintendo Switch, as it continues to show healthy sales figures. According to some sources, the Switch sold more than twice as many units as the Xbox Series worldwide over the last year.

Confirmed Games For Nintendo Switch In 2024

There’s a boatload of new Switch games announced for 2024 from both Nintendo’s in-house development teams and third parties. On top of that, the Switch has established itself as something of a haven for indie games, and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.

Nintendo itself has already announced several games for Switch fans to look forward to in 2024. These games feature some of Nintendo’s most storied characters, but one of Nintendo’s lesser-known franchises, Another Code, is also getting some attention.

Below is a list of Nintendo’s currently known first-party games releasing in 2024:

• Another Code: Recollection (January 19)
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong (February 16)
• Princess Peach: Showtime (March 22)
• Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD (Summer)
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (TBD)

There might be more unannounced first-party Nintendo titles arriving in 2024, but the year is looking fairly stacked already. Of course, these will all be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. Many of the above titles are remakes, so it’s not difficult to imagine that Nintendo has 1 or 2 all-new titles that it will announce over the course of the year, but this is mere speculation. Metroid Prime 4 has been rumored to be releasing in 2024, but this remains speculation.

Big Third-Party Support For The Switch In 2024

Nintendo isn’t the only company working on games for the Switch. It might not have the processing power of the PS5 or Xbox Series consoles, but it seems developers are including the Switch where they can. With over 130 million Switch consoles sold worldwide, the aging console still commands a massive audience. Ambitious, visually impressive titles are starting to give the Switch a miss, but there are still plenty of third-party titles to look forward to.

Below is a sample of third-party titles set to release on the Switch in 2024:

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Ubisoft, January 15)
• Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Capcom, January 24)
• Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered (Crystal Dynamics, February 14)
• Unicorn Overlord (Vanillaware, March 8)
• Clock Tower Remastered (Wayforward, TBC)
• Little Nightmares 3 (Supermassive Games, TBC)
• Contra: Operation Galuga (Wayforward, TBC)
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Level 5, TBC)
• Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster (Konami, TBC)

There are many more titles, both first- and third-party, that have been announced for the Switch that don’t even have release windows yet, but Nintendo fans can expect new games for the platform arriving in 2024, even if most of them are remakes at this stage. Those looking forward to these games in 2024 must remember that any of them could be delayed, possibly out of the 2024 release window.

What Switch 2 Rumors And Leaks Mean For The Switch

When discussing the future of the Switch, it must be acknowledged that there have been a lot of rumors and supposed leaks about the Switch 2. Reports of the Switch 2 showing up at Gamescom 2023 were dismissed by Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, who described them as inaccurate. It’s a question of when rather than if the Switch will get a successor. The transition between old and new platforms is something Nintendo has historically handled as gracefully as possible.

Nintendo has a long history of supporting its hardware until the bitter end. The Wii U, for example, still got some excellent games even after it became clear that the console was a commercial failure. Arguably, the 3DS is a better example; it may not have enjoyed as much attention following the 2017 release of the Switch, but it still received a respectable amount of support from both Nintendo and third-party developers. The release calendar for the 3DS got more and more sparse as the years wore on, but it was still getting new games right up until 2022, over 11 years after the console was released. The last Nintendo 3DS update happened in May 2023. If this is indicative of a trend, the Switch is probably going to be around for a while yet.

The Switch already has a burgeoning library of excellent games, and fans can expect it to get many more in 2024 and beyond. Nintendo is notorious for keeping its plans tightly under wraps, making its Direct presentations exciting since they typically hold a few surprises. Nintendo usually has a Direct in February, so Switch gamers probably shouldn’t expect major game announcements any sooner than that.