An eagle-eyed gamer recently came across something on the Nintendo Accounts portal pertaining to the Switch 2 and what could be a new variant of the gaming handheld cum console. That is the speculation, at least.
The discovery was posted on Bluesky by a user known as dootsky, who found an unused model code under the name of “OSM”. For context, the current Switch 2 model goes by the model name “BEE”, so you can see why they seem a little excited. In addition, the portal also has images for each Switch model, and with “OSM”, the model gets an image of the Switch 2.
I think I’ve discovered something interesting, but I have no idea what it implies:On Nintendo’s Account Portal, there’s an unused model code under the name “OSM”. (The Switch 2’s model code is BEE.)The portal has images for each Switch model, and requesting OSM returns an image of a Switch 2.
Mind you, it’s an image of the normal Switch 2, so if you were excited about seeing something else or a slightly different variation, you’re going to be disappointed. For another matter, the “OSM” codename actually first popped up back in September last year, four months after the official launch of the console.
A (Very) Brief History Of Codenames
Nintendo’s use of three-letter acronyms is something of a tradition for the Japanese brand. When it launched the first Switch in 2017, it had the codename “HAC”, which was short for Handheld and Console. The Lite had the designation HDH, while the OLED model was HEG.
Codenames notwithstanding, we highly doubt that Nintendo intends to launch a new handheld anytime soon for a couple of reasons.
Timing Is Key
It took Nintendo almost two years before it would launch the Switch Lite, and four years for the OLED version. The Switch 2 is still less than a year old, meaning that if Nintendo actually launches a new console right now or before the current one has completed a full year in its lifecycle, it’d effectively be cannibalising the console. Of course, if it were a refresh of the current model (i.e. a model with better thermals), then that would make more sense.
The way we see it, Nintendo may just continue using its own timeline and roadmap to release new versions of its current generation console; a Switch 2 with non-detachable controllers could see next year, while a variant with an OLED display may only come about in another few more years, especially given the state and prices of components in the gaming industry right now.
Nintendo itself has been the subject of rumours that it will be upping the price of its current console, given how expensive DRAM and other components needed to manufacture the product currently is.
