Nintendo is definitely working on a successor to its Switch console, but the new hardware will be nowhere near as powerful as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. This is according to new internal emails from Activision stemming from the FTC v. Microsoft case, one of which, from Chris Schnakenberg (head of Activision’s platform strategy and partner relations), includes a PDF that discusses how the console is “closer…to Gen8 platforms in terms of performance and our previous offerings on PS4 / Xbox One.” Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who testified during the FTC v. Microsoft hearing to discuss Call of Duty coming to the Switch, met with Nintendo in December 2022 to discuss its next-gen hardware.
Given the closer alignment to Gen8 platforms in terms of performance and our previous offerings on PS4 / Xbox One, it is reasonable to assume we could make something compelling for the NG Switch as well. It would be helpful to secure early access to development hardware prototypes and prove that out nice and early.
FTC: So even without Microsoft buying Activision, it’s likely that Activision would on its own make Call of Duty available for Nintendo’s future console, right?
Kotick: We would consider it once we had the specs, but we don’t have them at present. We missed out on the opportunity for this past generation of Switch, but we’d have to wait until the specifications. We don’t have any present plans to do so.
FTC: It’s likely that Activision on its own would make a Call of Duty game for Nintendo’s future generation console, right?
Kotick: I think once we get the detailed specifications. We missed out on this past generation of Switch, so I’d like to think that we’d be able to do that. We’d have to wait until the specifications, but we don’t have any present plans to do so.