Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 have been circulating incessantly, but the latest information surrounding the successor to the popular Nintendo Switch comes from an interesting source: Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser.

While Bowser is not yet ready to divulge Nintendo's plans regarding the Switch 2, he did preview in a recent interview with Inverse that players can expect a smoother transition to the company's next console compared to the previous generation. The difference this time around, Bowser explained, is that Nintendo is working on a single-sign-in Nintendo Account; since the Switch's launch in 2016, the Nintendo Account has been a unified account across all Nintendo products, from mobile apps to online services. It has served as a system.

"One of the things we did with the Switch to help with that communication and transition [to the new generation of consoles] was to form the Nintendo Account," Bowser told the outlet. 'In the past, every device we've transitioned to has had a whole new account system. By creating a Nintendo Account, we will be able to communicate with our players as we transition to a new platform to ease the process and transition."

Following reports that developers demoed the Switch 2 at Gamescom, rumors are swirling about what players can expect from the as yet unconfirmed Switch follow-up. Typical speculation about possible specs is rife, but backwards compatibility is the big question standing in Nintendo's way: will players be able to play their favorite games on the new system, as we saw with the transition from the WiiU to the Switch, or will the upgraded Will players be able to play their favorite games on the new system, as we saw with the transition from WiiU to Switch, or will they have to repurchase their game libraries to enjoy the upgraded technology? Thankfully, Nintendo seems to already be working on ways to facilitate a seamless transition.

"Our goal is to minimize the dip we typically see at the end of one cycle and the beginning of another," Bowser continued.

"But the Nintendo account is a strong foundation for communication as we transition.

Nintendo has not officially commented on future hardware plans, but the console's release date is said to be 2024 by multiple sources.

This isn't the only update on the Switch 2 this week. Prominent leaker Nate the Hate (who also shared spec details about the Switch 2's presence at Gamescom) shared several features that could be included in Nintendo's new hardware in a new YouTube video.

These two features are a really big deal for graphics performance and are part of what makes games look so great when played on a PC. Ray tracing is a rendering technique that creates a graphic image based on virtual light and how that light source interacts with virtual objects along the image plane. Raytracing can replace traditional lighting effects rendering in games and create much more realistic depictions of scenes based on how light actually interacts with the real world. DLSS 3.0, on the other hand, uses AI technology to upscale games from lower resolutions and significantly improve performance.

Nate also suggested that the Switch 2 will be available in two models, one for physical cartridges and digital downloads, and a less expensive digital-only option. Microsoft and Sony have taken this route to cut costs with the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, respectively, and it would not be surprising to see Nintendo take the same route with its next system.