Since launching last June, the Switch 2 has given players new games from Nintendo franchises (such as Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders), as well as ports of games from other consoles, such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, proving that the Switch 2 is capable of running more demanding games than its predecessor. However, the launch has also faced some issues, such as criticisms of the Game-Key Card medium and shortages of consoles (especially in Japan, where high demand meant Switch 2 sales being restricted to a lottery system for most of 2025). Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently dropped some hints at what is next for the Nintendo Switch 2 as it enters its second year.
As spotted by Nintendo Life, Japanese newspaper Kyoto Shimbun recently interviewed the Nintendo president about the future of the Switch 2. Nintendo Patents Watch gave a summary of the paywalled article, which is referenced here.
There have been concerns about possible price increases for the Switch 2, with the current economic situation and memory costs. Memory prices are on the rise because powerful AI chips have high requirements, with news outlets like CNBC reporting that there won’t be enough memory to meet worldwide demand in 2026.
According to Furukawa, current memory prices will have no immediate impact on Nintendo’s financial performance thanks to Nintendo’s inventory and contracts with suppliers. However, the Nintendo president noted that “we must monitor the situation closely.” As to whether or not consumers would have to deal with price increases, Furukawa said “I cannot comment on hypotheticals.”
According to CNBC, there won’t be enough RAM to meet demand this year because companies like Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Google need so much of it for their artificial intelligence chips, and those companies “are the first ones in line for the components.” As a result, prices for memory are rising. In December, Micron – one of three primary memory vendors – said it would discontinue a part of its business that aimed to provide memory for consumer PC builders so the company could save supply for AI chips and servers.
As for what offerings we can expect to see on the Switch 2 in the future, Furukawa hinted that “we are developing popular series titles that many fans are waiting for, but also completely new software.” On that note, the Switch 2 has yet to receive a new mainline The Legend of Zelda game, although series producer Eiji Aonuma recently suggested that the next Zelda title might draw on elements from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. As for new first party titles on the horizon in 2026, Mario Tennis Fever is coming in February with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book due later in the year. Furukawa’s comment suggests that Nintendo will announce more games in the near future.
As well as visual, performance and storage-related improvements over the original Switch, the Switch 2 has already introduced some new features like GameChat, GameShare, and the new JoyCon’s ability to be used like a mouse. It will be interesting to see how upcoming Switch 2 exclusives make use of the new console’s features.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
