Rumors about Nintendo developing a successor to its hit Switch game console have been coming in fast and furious. One leaker recently claimed that the Switch 2 dev kits could run the PS5 exclusive game Final Fantasy VII Remake and that it looks as good as the PS5 version.
Today, new reports claim that Nintendo showed off tech demos of the Switch 2 to developers behind closed doors at August"s GamesCom 2023 show in Cologne, Germany. Both Eurogamer and VCG claim to have heard about these demos from their own separate sources.
Eurogamer reports that one of the live Switch 2 tech demos showed off a version of the Switch game Zelda: Breath of the Wild. VGC offered up a bit more info on this demo:
One ‘Switch 2’ demo is understood to have been an improved version of the Switch launch title Zelda: Breath of the Wild, running at a higher framerate and resolution than the original game did, on hardware targeting the new console’s specs (but there was no suggestion the game will actually be re-released.)
VGC added that another Switch 2 demo showed the hardware running Epic"s Unreal Engine 5"s The Matrix Awakens demo that was released in 2021 for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. The report claims that the demo used NVIDIA"s DLSS upscaling technology and advanced ray tracing effect. The visuals in the Switch 2 demo were reportedly on par with the ones in the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions.
Nintendo is likely showing these demos to developers to get them ready to make games for the Switch 2. Officially, Nintendo is not commenting on plans for a next-gen console. Having said that, unconfirmed reports claim the company is getting ready to launch the Switch 2 sometime in the second half of 2024. However, Eurogamer reported today that "Nintendo is keen to launch the system sooner if possible.