It looks like game developers don't just have their hands on a prototype of the Nintendo Switch 2, they're already busy making their games for the still-unannounced console.
The 2024 State of the Game Industry report from the Game Developers Conference (GDC) provides compelling, if not clear, evidence that the next iteration of Nintendo's popular console is more than just a rumor, and is instead a near-future reality.
This report, which encompasses feedback from over 3,000 game developers, reveals that 8% of respondents, which is roughly 240 developers, are actively working on projects for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Despite Nintendo's consistent denials and labeling these reports as mere "rumors," fans are celebrating the prospect of the Switch 2's arrival. The anticipation has been fueled further by a Japanese retailer's premature listing of the Nintendo Switch 2 on their website, suggesting that the console's launch could be imminent. The listing, likely a placeholder, is a sign of the increasing likelihood of the console's imminent release, corroborated by industry insiders predicting a launch in 2024.
The Switch 2's development appears to be an open secret, with reports of hardware capabilities showcased to studios and developers as early as August 2023 around Gamescom in Cologne. These reports suggest that Nintendo displayed an improved demo version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to flaunt the technical prowess of the next-gen console.