Even the biggest companies in the world struggle to get all of their press releases noticed, but Altec Lansing has found that namechecking an unreleased and — bluntly — far more exciting product is a great way of setting the internet alight.
In a fairly humdrum press release about the rebirth of the GameShark game cheat brand with Ai Shark, the company originally included the following line:
“The official launch is planned to coincide with the Nintendo Switch 2 in September 2024.”
Not only has Nintendo not announced a release date for the Nintendo Switch 2, it hasn’t even confirmed the console is a real thing. So had Altec Lansing just landed the year’s first big scoop?
Uh, no. When pressed by Digital Trends, the company “backtracked on the September release month, but confirmed that the tentative launch for the platform is ‘Fall 2024’”. Then it followed up again to clarify that “Nintendo has not officially clarified launch.”
Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier got an even more blunt response:
Despite all of this, it’s entirely possible that the Switch 2 — or whatever whimsical name Nintendo gives its next console — will arrive in September. The Switch is rapidly approaching its seventh birthday this March, and Nintendo consoles typically have a lifespan of between five and six years. The Wii U managed just over four, for… obvious reasons.
What’s more, the Switch’s successor has reportedly already been shown off to developers. The top-secret console was apparently showcased privately at Gamescom and shown running a ray-tracing Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, suggesting the next-gen console’s graphics could be powerful enough to let players count the hairs on Mario’s moustache. What a time to be alive.
With both these factors in mind, a release this year seems very likely. Though September feels a little early, given Nintendo’s accountants do love the sales thrill of a Christmas rush.
