Audio firm Altec Lansing caused somewhat a stir among gamers eager to find out more details on the Nintendo Switch 2 yesterday. It revealed that the Japanese gaming giant's next-gen console will be released in "September 2024".
However, it seems that the excitement was premature as the company soon after withdrew its statement, saying that it was just a "guess".
Altec Lansing originally made its estimation in a press release about a new partnership with peripheral manufacturer Ai Shark (formerly GameShark): "The official launch is planned to coincide with the Nintendo Switch 2 in September 2024," it said (via Eurogamer).
It then replaced the online release with an adapted version that now reads that it "plans on introducing its new offering in time for the holiday season 2024".
That was followed by an X (formerly Twitter) post by renowned games journalist Jason Schreier. He claimed to have spoken to an Ai Shark spokesperson who revealed the company was "just guessing".
FYI: An Ai Shark spokesperson tells me they're just guessing about the next Nintendo console's release date https://t.co/CqPE9oBSDrJanuary 11, 2024
In all honesty, it's not a bad guess if that's the case. We'd put the new console announcement around summertime, with a release in the autumn (fall).
Nintendo often likes to unveil its new consoles months before release, and many analysts share the belief that the new machine will be available later this year. And, if Nintendo wants to make a mark during holiday season 2024, it needs to ramp up the hype.
We wouldn't be surprised, therefore, to see Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it is called) hit stores in September / October time.
As for Altec Lansing's announcement, it has revealed that it will be the first licensee of Ai Shark's new AI-powered gaming software, which is aimed at helping players through hints and assistance rather than the old GameShark cheat systems.
It will be integrated in future headphones, it says, which is interesting in its own right. However, the details were somewhat overshadowed by the other, sexier information that first appeared in the company's CES press release.
