Here's a third post in a row here on my Blogger since a lot of what I'll say here will be moot in a few months and would thusly be deleted from the future speculation section of my main Nintendo AGENDA page.
This will be about the timing of Switch 2 pricing & release thoughts I have in this moment in time after the first-look trailer. I have a timeline on my main Nintendo AGENDA page discussing an order of events of the transition from Switch 1 to Switch 2, but I'm putting this here since it's very relevant to the Switch 2 price & release. Here's the timeline:
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-confirm backwards compatibility::CHECK (2024)-
-give it a clear name::CHECK (JANUARY)-
-continue current Switch support::*rumored* Switch 1 Direct (FEBRUARY)-
-bring back "Nintendo Selects" budgeted games::??? (MARCH)-
-lower current Switch price::??? (MARCH)-
-Switch 2 Direct::(APRIL)-
-Switch 2 Experience::(APRIL to JUNE)-
-Switch 2 Launch::(JUNE?)
-GameBoy-to-GameBoy-Color-like transition*::???-
-patch certain Switch 1 games with improvements on Switch 2::???-
-budget "Switch Jr." console**::???-
*ie: Switch 1 games that work on the old Switch but have enhancements on Switch 2
**see my "SWITCH HOME" idea below (on the main Nintendo AGENDA page)
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So if Switch (according to leaks & rumors) has been ready for a while, why wait so long to roll it out? Besides getting everything ready and the marketing ramp-up there's a possibility that they wanna pad the timing (well after 2024 holidays) of a potential budgeting of Switch 1 games & hardware:
$50 - $60 select games to $30 - $40
Switch OLED to $300
Switch Lite to $150
Switch to $250
This leaves more ($100 difference) padding for a base Switch 2 at $400.
I say potential, though...since Nintendo may be aiming for a higher Switch 2 launch price leaving less room for lowering Switch 1 game & hardware prices. And with $100 of padding between generations, a base Switch 2 may start at $450...which could be a problem?
Either way if the rumored Switch 1 Direct in February is true then they plan to transition Switch 1 out strong is higher...even higher if they couple new games with a lower software & hardware prices, though!
My above timeline was to reflect that Nintendo should continue to support Switch 1 going into Switch 2 so as to instill brand confidence by giving the original Switch a strong send-off.