TOKYO, Jan 16, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Speculation over Nintendo's new console, a successor to the wildly popular Switch, reached a fever pitch Thursday with specialist media predicting an imminent announcement from the Japanese gaming giant.

The Eurogamer website said it had heard "industry whispers" that the new gadget would be unveiled Thursday, the same date leaked by an influential podcaster.

A reporter from tech outlet The Verge said Tuesday on X: "I've heard it should be the Switch 2 reveal this week", further fuelling buzz among fans.

Players have long been hungry for news on a follow-up to Nintendo's hybrid Switch console, which can be handheld or connected to a TV screen.

Since it hit shelves in 2017, more than 146 million units have been sold worldwide, making the Switch the third-best-selling console ever after Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's DS.

Nintendo estimates it has sold 1.3 billion copies of Switch titles, including "Animal Crossing: New Horizons", which became a must-play among all age groups during Covid-19 lockdowns.

But as the blockbuster Switch ages and sales decline, the Kyoto-based company said last year it would reveal its next console by the end of March 2025.

A Nintendo spokesman told AFP on Thursday that there was "nothing we can share" regarding the announcement.

In November, Nintendo promised users that games made for the original Switch would be playable on the new one.

While the firm has kept tight-lipped on details of the new hardware, that hasn't stopped a steady stream of leaks.

Some purport to show the gadget in production, or accessories designed to fit the next console.

A manufacturer called Genki even showed off a life-sized replica model of the console, featuring a bigger screen than its predecessor, at the CES tech show in Las Vegas this month.

But the new Switch is likely already being made at factories "to ensure there is enough stock, as demand for the new console will certainly be very high", said Darang Candra from game industry research firm Niko Partners.

Gaming rival Sony faced a supply bottleneck that led to empty shelves when it launched the PlayStation 5 in 2020, something Nintendo will be keen to avoid.

One fan, 29-year-old "Animal Crossing" streamer LottieRoseGames, told AFP her audience is "particularly excited" given the latest rumours.

"People are just looking forward to the prospects of what a new console will bring in terms of new features -- and of course mostly new games," she said.