Happy Friday, everyone! Welcome to Bonus Round, a look at some of the week’s biggest gaming stories. Look, let’s be honest: if you usually read this, you’re probably not reading this. It’s Zelda day! I’ve booked the day off work, and Tears of the Kingdom is burning a hole in my Switch. So let’s get into it – as quickly as possible!
No new Switch hardware in 2023
In many ways, the Nintendo Switch still feels a bit magical. Sometimes I’ll be playing a game, and my wife will want to watch TV. Every time this happens, I still get a little jolt of excitement when I remember I can pick it up out of the dock and keep playing.
But the Switch was already modestly powered when it released in 2017, and the years haven’t necessarily been kind. When system sellers like Pokémon are displaying huge performance issues, gamers will naturally cry out for new hardware.
Well, they’ll have to wait a little bit longer: Nintendo has stated that no new hardware is coming in 2023. In fact, during an earnings call, Nintendo actually announced that no new hardware is coming within the financial year, which ends on 31 March 2024.
For years, there has been a simple counterargument to wishes for a Switch successor. Why would Nintendo release a new console when the current Switch is still selling like hotcakes? Well, the console giant also announced that Switch sales have finally started to slow down. A Switch 2 isn’t coming in 2023, but the time may just finally be right in 2024.
Hollow Knight: Silksong delayed
This one’s a bummer, but not entirely unexpected. Hollow Knight: Silksong, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2017’s Hollow Knight, has been delayed. Yes, again. Silksong was previously slated for a release in the first half of 2023. Now, though, developer Team Cherry has announced that the game has been pushed back to the second half of this year:
Why is this not unexpected? Well, Silksong was first announced in February 2019. That’s a pretty long time ago! Babies who were born in 2019 are probably driving and smoking cigarettes now. Updates on the game have been very sporadic since then, with no firm release date ever announced. I’m sure Silksong will be worth the wait – I loved the first Hollow Knight – but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it get delayed again.
The Legend of Zelda review roundup
Okay, I admit it: I’ve got Zelda on the brain. And why wouldn’t I? The game sounds simply incredible, earning a 96 average score on Metecritic. It’s also the highest rated ever game on OpenCritic. None of that guarantees that you or I will like it, of course. But it certainly sounds like Tears of the Kingdom not only lives up to Breath of the Wild, but possibly even surpasses it.
Gamespot has a comprehensive roundup of Zelda reviews, which you’re very welcome to read. I, on the other hand, am off to play Tears of the Kingdom. Bye!