UPDATE: 9/18/2023 — A new report from The Verge cites details from court documents that stem from the FTC v. Microsoft case. In these documents, it is revealed that Nintendo briefed Microsoft about details surrounding its next system back in 2022. During this meeting, it was apparently revealed that the system’s specs would be in the realm of power of the PS4 and Xbox One. Regardless, this is still considered a rumour.
The original story is as follows:
As the hearing between the FTC and Microsoft over its proposed buyout of Activision-Blizzard continues to draw out, an unexpected nugget of info has dropped—the apparent power level of the next Nintendo console.
This appears to have come out as part of the discussion during the hearing involving Activision boss, Mr. Bobby Kotick. As reported by personnel who have been viewing the hearing, Kotick apparently mentioned that he has engaged in “active talks about the next-generation Nintendo console” with Nintendo itself. With that, he’s been told that its performance will be similar to that of the PS4 and Xbox One. Despite these apparent quotes, however, the exact wording from Kotick is being disputed.
Power dynamic
The news initially broke via Twitter by well-known industry journalist Benji-Sales who reported what Kotick mentioned.
While this initial Tweet spread rather quickly, Sales then clarified with more details in a short series of follow-up Tweets. In part, he mentions that Kotick “is saying the console is aligned with Gen 8 power”, and then further clarifies by saying that “Some of this [is] redacted so who knows if he was given exact specs or just rough performance targets.”
Many other outlets and industry personnel have repeated this report, but then there other well-known heads who disagree, such as “ModernVintageGamer” on Twitter, who does have a sizeable following:
Narrowing down the odds
Considering that the Nintendo Switch is well over a half-decade old and is using a chipset that was already two years old by the time it launched, it only makes sense that its successor would have power comparable to that of the PS4/Xbox One.
As it stands, the current Switch is a notch above the Wii U in terms power, which itself was slightly more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360. This puts it in between the gulf of the PS3/360 and PS4/Xbox One. More current devices that are similar to the Switch, such as Valve’s Steam Deck, are already more powerful than the Switch and within range of the PS4/Xbox One. Thus, it is incredibly likely that Nintendo’s next system should also at the very least be comfortably within this range. And this is assuming Nintendo’s next system is another hybrid.
That said, we still have to wait for Nintendo itself to come forth with a formal announcement. This reporting from the FTC v Microsoft hearing can more or less be added to the batch of Switch successor rumours that have piled up over the last few months.
Nintendo is still being incredibly tight-lipped about its plans for the next system. In the meantime, it is still very much pushing the existing Switch as its primary console for at least until 2024, as shown by its release lineup.
In short, calm down folks, the Switch will still live on.
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