We’re still nearly two months out from the launch of the Switch 2, but the rumor mill has already moved on to Nintendo’s next console. Unbelievably, the first Switch 3 rumor surfaced online this week, likely a good seven to eight years before its reveal.
As spotted by Wccftech, KeyBanc Capital Markets senior research analyst John Vinh shared his thoughts on Intel’s stock earlier this week. The full article is behind a paywall, but a single line of his analysis managed to grab the attention of gamers everywhere:
“We believe [Intel] has won the GPU gaming socket for the Nintendo Switch 3 on 18A.”
Intel first announced the 18A process technology back in January. The company describes 18A as “a milestone in the history of chipmaking,” and says high-volume production is set to begin in the second half of 2025.
Remember, Nintendo waited over eight years between the release of the Switch and the Switch 2. In fact, it was the longest wait between Nintendo console launches since the NES debuted in 1983. Therefore, we wouldn’t expect Nintendo to start utilizing Intel’s chipmaking process for its so-called “Switch 3” until the 2030s.
If you want to learn more about 18A, Intel shared a helpful explainer video earlier this year:
In the meantime, we’re still waiting for a new Switch 2 preorder date. Nintendo at first planned to open preorders in the US and Canada on April 9, but after President Trump levied new tariffs on dozens of countries, Nintendo delayed preorders indefinitely.
