An internal email has been revealed as part of the US Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) probe into the purchasing of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. It states that executives at Activision were briefed on a next-gen Nintendo console as early as last year. 

A December 2022 email between Activision execs, shows Chief Financial Officer Armin Zerza sharing a briefing for a call with Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, which included an attachment titled ‘NG Switch Draft.pdf’ which refers to a “next-generation device.” 

The document appeared heavily redacted but has a paragraph comparing a next-gen Switch to current gaming consoles. 

“Given the closer alignment to gen8 platforms in terms of performance and our previous offerings on PS4 / XboxOne, it is reasonable to assume that we could make something compelling for NG Switch as well. It would be helpful to secure early access to development hardware prototypes and prove that out nice and early.” 

The Nintendo Switch was launched in 2017, selling over 129 million units, and since Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation have each had a next-generation console released. This is leaving some in the industry expecting a next generation Nintendo Switch. 

Just this month, Eurogamer noted Nintendo showed the Switch 2 to developers behind closed doors, taking place at Gamescon in Cologne. 

This isn’t the first time Nintendo appeared in FTC’s case against Microsoft. Previously, Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer at Activision said he would like the opportunity to release ‘Call of Duty’ onto Nintendo’s next device, dependent on the technical specs. 

Additionally, a new email showed Activision execs suggesting a next-gen Switch could be better at handling a technically demanding game, with analyst Serkan Toto from Kantan Games saying, “There are not many third-party developers out there as big as Activision. It’s clear Nintendo wants to make sure that Call Of Duty, for example, appears on their new hardware this time around.”