15 hours ago
1
Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was initially teased in 2019, then gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021. Now that Nintendo has properly confirmed that it’s working on a new console, rumors have only gotten more frequent. We’ve even hit the point where we’re seeing more credible photos and spec leaks trickle out.
There’s no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console — it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it’s still our favorite portable console — but it isn’t without its flaws. But there’s plenty of room for improvement in a follow-up console.
Credible leaks are starting to appear weekly and fans are eagerly waiting an official announcement about the Switch 2. Here’s everything we know so far.
Switch 2 release date speculation
NintendoIn May 2024, Nintendo finally confirmed the existence of its Switch successor and that we’ll learn more about it before the end of the company’s fiscal year in March 2025. Toward the end of 2024, Furukawa did restate in its latest forecasts that the plan to reveal the Switch successor by March 2025 is still in effect.
It’s unclear if the new console will launch soon after in spring 2025 or if it will simply be unveiled and released later.
According to Numerama, which recently reported on a Switch 2 design leak from Genki, the console will launch in April. Supporting that report, a December 2024 leak from Bilibili that supposedly shows the new Joy-Cons also mentions that the production volume for the Switch 2 is not at a level that would support a early spring release.
Switch 2 rumors and news
NintendoAside from the release date, a few other credible rumors about this new system are floating around. Take everything here with a grain of salt, of course, because Nintendo has yet to acknowledge that a new console is in the works. These may also contradict the features we want, but since they are still just rumors, our wish list can still be answered.
Switch 2 Backward compatibility
This is Furukawa. At today's Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about…
— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) November 6, 2024
It was heavily suggested that the Switch 2 would be backward compatible, but Furukawa officially confirmed it during Nintendo’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing and with the above post on X in November 2024. Not only will Switch titles be playable on the Switch 2, but your Nintendo Switch Online account will carry over as well. More information is promised soon, and we don’t know if current Switch games will get any kind of performance or visual benefits on the Switch 2, but this is a major confirmation for the new console.
Switch 2 Design
GenkiAccessory manufacturer Genki recently posted the most plausible and extensive look at the Nintendo Switch 2 yet. According to Numerama, reporting from CES 2025, Genki is showing off a mockup of the Switch 2 on the trade show floor. While it’s not the official console, it’s a realistic replica that just looks like a bigger Switch. There are a few differences, like a mysterious new button underneath the Home button, but the main change shown off is the console’s rumored magnetic Joy-cons. In a video, we see someone easily popping a Joy-con off by pressing a release trigger.
Previous glimpes of the console included a massive Switch 2 leak that appeared on the GamingLeaksAndRumors Reddit that featured images of what the Switch 2 prototype apparently looks like. It mostly appears identical to the current Switch model, but does show a noticeably larger screen and the previously leaked magnetic Joy-Con controllers. The only other notable change we can glean from these mock-ups is what looks like a much more sturdy kickstand. Note that while some users have debated the validity of the CAD renders of the systems, real photos of the console also leaked, which seem a bit more plausible.
In December of 2024, we reported on a possible glimpse at the Switch 2. Peripheral manufacturer Satisfye posted a now-deleted trailer for a new item called the Zengrip 2 featuring what looks like a Switch 2 for a few blurry frames. The fact that the trailer was removed does lend a bit more credibility that it did accidentally show something it shouldn’t have. From what we and others can make out, the device does appear to line up with all the leaked images we’ve seen thus far.
Two additional leaks hit in December 2024, starting with a Reddit user who claims to have somehow gotten a finalized Switch 2 system. They were willing to answer some questions but said they wouldn’t post actual proof until Christmas Day. What gives this some credibility is that the subreddit’s mods asked for proof to leave the post up, which they were able to provide.
The other leak came from an accessory company called Dbrand that posted a case holding a Switch 2. From what we can see on the site, the Switch 2 matches all the leaked designs we’ve seen up until now.
Price
Coming from the same report by Hideki Yasuda mentioned earlier, it is claimed that the Switch 2 will cost $500 at launch.
Internal specs
According to Centro Leaks, a popular source for Pokemon-related rumors, the next-gen Switch will have 12GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
That same leak we got the supposed design images from corroborates those prior specs, but also provides many more details. Besides the 12GB of RAM (over the original’s 4GB) and 256GB of storage (the original had only 32GB), this leak outlined that the Switch 2 will come with an 8-inch display, HDMI 2.1 support, two USB-C ports, magnetic controller attachments, upgraded SL/SR buttons, dual cooling fans, a SoCL CPU + GPU model GMLX30-R-A1, MT62F768M64D4EK-026 (6GX2 dual channel, LPDDR5X, 7500 MT/s) memory, Ruiwu ALC5658-CG audio chip, built-in microphone, and Gigabit Ethernet chip.
Another leak from a Reddit post claims to show the motherboard of the Switch 2. If this is a real look at the internals, then we can see that it will be using an Nvidia chip, though we can’t tell specifically which one. We also see that there are two 6GB LPDDR5 modules, which would equate to 12GM of RAM and lines up with the prior leak above.
Finally, it reveals that there will be two USB-C ports on the bottom and no microSD card slot from what we can see.
It has also been discovered that Nintendo filed a patent in the summer of 2023 for what sounds like its own AI model for upscaling, similar to DLSS or PSSR. Laura Kate Dale reported that one example use case given is explicitly to reduce overall game sizes, to fit a modern game onto “smaller capacity physical media,” e.g. Switch carts, which get exponentially more expensive for larger cart capacities. They also state that this technology would be able to do a “4X upscale on the device in real time” up to 4K resolutions. This technology would be able to upscale a 540p image up to 1080p, or take a 720p image and bring it up to 4K. This would allow the Switch 2 to stay competitive with more powerful hardware while keeping its price down. While the patent is indeed real and is very likely what Nintendo has planned, we do need to consider it speculation because companies file many patents on technologies such as this that never amount to anything.
Laura Kate Dale came back with their own new photo of the Switch 2 Dock they claim to have gotten from a reliable source. The image shows just the back of a Switch 2 dock with some blurred information, but the important thing to note is that, assuming it is legitimate, the dock will ship with a 60W charger. This means it will not be compatible with the current charger. Sadly, this is the only leak Dale is going to give us for now.
Screen quality
In terms of tech, the biggest disappointment is regarding a Bloomberg report stating the Switch 2 will launch with an 8-inch LCD screen rather than OLED. In terms of power, the Verge reported during the Microsoft-Activision acquisition that Activision executives were informed about the potential power of a Switch 2 and compared it to being similar to the PS4 or Xbox One. While Digital Foundry does say we know that Nvidia’s T238 chipset will power it, it isn’t clear if it will be able to use DLSS 2 to potentially upscale graphics to 4K.
Joy-Con improvements (and problems)
According to multiple reports, but originating from video game website Vandal, the Joy-Cons for the Switch 2 will connect magnetically instead of using a plastic rail system. While this is great news for anyone who has ever struggled to remove a Joy-Con from their Switch (it can be surprisingly difficult), it’s unclear if old Joy-Cons will be compatible with the Switch 2 with this swap. The existing Nintendo Switch Pro Controller will reportedly work with Switch 2.
Vandel found this information through sources at peripherals manufacturers.
That same Bilibili leak mentioned earlier was mainly focused on the Joy-Cons and, if true, it confirms the magnetic design. The controllers appear nearly identical, but with a new button to release them from the console.
Wireless dock
One user on the Famiboards site who claims to have seen shipping manifests for the Switch 2 claims that “the main gimmick would be a wireless dock Stream/Switch which could explain the fans in it.”
Assassin’s Creed Shadows + ports
Editor in chief of Universo Intendo Nash Weedle, who has been a reliable leaker in the past, has stated that both the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows and ports of previous entries in the series are due to receive Switch 2 ports at or near the console’s launch.
Features we want in a Switch 2
4K resolution and faster processing
While the Switch surely wasn’t built to compete with the Xbox Series X or PS5 in terms of raw horsepower, it can feel woefully underpowered running even Switch exclusives, let alone multi-platform titles. Trailers for upcoming Nintendo titles are often met with “that looks great … for the Switch,” and new launches don’t always run as smoothly as fans hoped. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were unusually buggy at launch, Sonic Frontiers couldn’t hit high frame rates on Switch, and games like Hogwarts Legacy and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum are coming to the Switch well after initial launch dates as those ports require extra work to fit them on the system. While the upcoming Legend of Zelda installment looks great, we can’t help but dream about how well it’d run on another console or PC.
Nintendo has certainly carved out its own piece of the gaming market for players who don’t need improved graphics or processing power (do we really need high-res Kirby or Pikachu?), but the Switch’s limitations certainly hold it back, and that issue is only going to get worse moving forward.
The current Switch can hit 720p to 1080p resolution and has a 60fps frame rate limit. We’d love to experience full 4K gaming on the Switch 2 and bump up that frame rate potential (so it can, at the very least, consistently hit 60fps). We aren’t going to get into the ins and outs of processing power and preferred chipsets here, but we definitely need more power from Nintendo going forward.
Make the OLED screen the new standard
NintendoThe Nintendo Switch has always been full of bright, colorful gaming experiences compared to other consoles that focus on mature titles that tend to trend darker (visually and content-wise), and its successor will need a screen to reflect that content. When the Switch OLED model launched in 2021, the standard Switch’s LCD screen immediately looked washed out by comparison. OLED screens are steps ahead of their counterparts, boasting improved black levels, brightness levels, and color accuracy while using less power overall.
We’d be really disappointed if Nintendo walked back on such a great update and didn’t standardize the OLED screen on its next console, at the very least.
More built-in storage
Image used with permission by copyright holderAny longtime Switch owners have run into storage issues and have been forced to archive game data to make room for new games regularly. The standard Switch and Switch Lite come with 32 GB of internal storage, while the Switch OLED model bumps up storage to 64 GB. With new games becoming more demanding and needing more space with each passing year, the idea of fitting more than a handful of premium titles within 64 GB is laughable. And even some of that limited storage is reserved for use by the system!
Switch users can easily expand the storage on any of these consoles by purchasing a large microSDHC or microSDXC card up to 2TB, but those are sold separately and can cost as much as a new game if you go with a large one. This a weird cost to pass off to players when it’s going to be 100% necessary to maintain a decent digital library of games.
Nintendo should make the switch over to an internal solid-state drive when the Switch 2 comes out. An SSD would allow for greater internal storage and drastically improved load times compared to the Switch’s standard flash memory or external SD card data transfer times. Current games would perform better and faster, while developers would have a lot more to work with when developing new games. It’s a win for everyone.
Improved Joy-Cons
Shutterstock by saksorn kumjitEveryone loves the ability to move the Switch back and forth between docked and handheld modes. What’s better than doling out Joy-Cons to all your friends for a game of Mario Party Superstars or Mario Kart 8? The simplicity of the Switch’s controller design works — we’re not asking for anything complex — but their quality just isn’t up to industry standard. Joy-Cons feel cheap for how much they cost, aren’t the most ergonomic shape for comfortable long gaming sessions, and will inevitably suffer from drift issues. This is when a Joy-Con thumbstick will move without a player touching it, causing obvious gameplay problems.
Joy-Con drift is the big issue here because it has existed since the console’s launch and Nintendo really hasn’t done anything about it with newer models. The company has been repairing out-of-warranty Joy-Cons since 2019, but the process isn’t exactly smooth, and Switch owners shouldn’t have to send their very basic controllers off for problems with the design.
Color customization options
NintendoNintendo has released some spectacular special edition Switch models for games like Splatoon 3, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but there aren’t a whole lot of customization options outside of buying an entirely new console or a separate set of Joy-Cons that you might not need. There are several color schemes available for the Switch Lite and a few different color first-party Joy-Con colors, but outside of that, there are a lot of third-party accessories that might not meet Nintendo standards.
Obviously, there needs to be a color scheme for the base model, but wouldn’t it be cool if you could order a Switch 2 online and pick your own styles for the console, dock, and Joy-Cons? That level of personalization could make a Switch successor feel a bit more special, giving players a good reason to upgrade. It’d be great to see that energy extended to its UI as well, bringing back the Nintendo 3DS’ themes and adding new ways to customize the current Switch’s barebones menu screen.
And please, Nintendo, bring back translucent controllers.
English (US) ·