Nintendo Direct: 25-Minute Showcase to Highlight Early 2024 Switch Games
Nintendo enthusiasts have reason to rejoice as the gaming giant gears up for its inaugural Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase of the year, slated for February 21 at 6am PT (7.30pm IST). Clocking in at approximately 25 minutes, the showcase is primed to shine a spotlight on upcoming Nintendo Switch titles set to debut in the first half of 2024. Viewers can catch the action unfold on-demand via Nintendo’s official YouTube channel.
While specific details regarding the showcased games remain under wraps, anticipation runs high for potential surprises, especially following Microsoft’s recent revelation that four Xbox-exclusive titles are slated for release on PS5 and the Switch. Nintendo’s confirmation of the showcase via its post on X signals an exciting start to the gaming calendar, promising a glimpse into the future of Switch gaming courtesy of its esteemed publishing and development partners.
The announcement comes days after reports of Nintendo telling game publishers that its successor to the Nintendo Switch will be delayed till the early months of 2025. Nintendo Switch 2 was expected to debut around the holiday season of 2024, but now the console may not arrive until March 2025 at the earliest.
Nintendo reportedly has a relatively slim lineup of games coming to the Switch this year; analysts believe that the company is saving its biggest first-party titles for the Switch successor. Fans have long expected Nintendo to announce a sequel for Super Mario Odyssey, which came out for the Switch in 2017. The Mario maker, however, is unlikely to do so until it reveals the next-generation Nintendo Switch.
Last week, Microsoft confirmed that four of its first-party games would be released on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. While the Xbox owner refrained from naming the games coming to Sony and Nintendo’s consoles, sources familiar with the company’s plan have said its exclusive titles going multi-platform include Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded. The upcoming Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase could see one or some of these games confirmed for the Nintendo Switch.
Both Xbox and PlayStation have already held their first games showcase of the year. Xbox announced Bethesda’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle at its Developer Direct event early last month, while PlayStation provided details on over 15 games at its first State of Play of the year on January 31.