Nintendo Switch 2: All the leaks and rumors so far

Nintendo’s Switch sequel announcement is imminent. It’s anyone’s guess as to whether the company will reveal information about the console before the end of its fiscal year in March. Rumors about a new Switch have been swirling for over a year, but with less than two months until the promised deadline and no real information from Nintendo themselves, rumors about the console, its specs, physical profile, and more have reached fever pitch. Here’s everything we think we know about Nintendo’s next console ahead of its official reveal.

The only concrete information we know about the new console that Nintendo has confirmed is that it will be backwards compatible with the Switch. Everything else came from information and leaks provided by third-party manufacturers. Late last year, one such manufacturer, Dbrand, introduced its Killswitch carrying case for the Switch 2. According to Dbrand CEO Adam Ijaz, Killswitch is based on the “actual dimensions” of the new console obtained from “3D scans.” Real hardware.” But in the interview The VergeHe declined to say exactly how and where Dbrand obtained such information.

If Killswitch’s design is indeed derived from the real thing, the new console will be larger than the Switch OLED, with an 8-inch screen and feature a kickstand that runs the length of the console, similar to the OLED model. That the new Switch will be larger than its predecessor is supported by leaks and information from other accessory manufacturers, as well as the idea that the Joy-Con controllers will attach via magnets instead of sliding or locking into place. The new controller design will also integrate magnets into the joysticks to combat the dreaded “Joy-Con drift” that still plagues the Switch.

At CES 2025, accessory manufacturer Genki gave more information to the rumors by showing off a 3D printed mockup of the console on the show floor. In an interview with The VergeGenki CEO Eddie Tsai went into detail about what he knows about the new Switch, reconfirming rumors about its larger size, magnetic Joy-Cons, and more.

There’s a lot of speculation and potential evidence about what the new console will look like, but less is known about what it can actually do. Not much is known about the hardware specifications of the console other than what is believed to be a photo of the console’s motherboard. Nintendo has never made a console that was on the cutting edge (or, let’s be honest, cutting edge) in graphics or processing power, so it’s hard to guess how well the console will perform or what additional features it might have, like a microphone.

The console’s internals remain a mystery, but we do know that it will be backwards compatible with Switch games. We can also make a reasonable guess at least one game that will be a launch title. Metroid Prime 4. Announced in 2017 and following a studio change and development reboot two years later, Nintendo showed off gameplay footage for the first time last year and shared a soft release window of 2025. twilight princess Released in 2006, the game served as a launch title for the GameCube and Wii. breath of the wild It is also a cross-gen that debuted on Wii U while being released on Switch in 2017.

new switch and Metroid Prime 4 Both are scheduled to be released in 2025. twilight princess and OTW For example, I suspect that the reasons are as follows: metroid 4The long time in development hell was at least partially due to the game being tooled for both the Switch and its successor. Also, you can’t have a new Nintendo console without a new Nintendo console. mario game. super mario odyssey Although it was a Switch launch title and there were other new releases such as super mario wonderThere was nothing new. standalone (Put down the rake Bowser’s Fury fan) 3D mario games since then. It’s certain that it will be announced alongside the new Switch. recently announced Pokemon Legends: ZA It’s also a good launch title candidate, as Nintendo interestingly described the game’s debut trailer as “simultaneous worldwide launch on Nintendo Switch in 2025.”

Despite all the rumors and reasonable speculation backed up by increasingly convincing evidence, it’s helpful to remember that, at the end of the day, we’re still talking about Nintendo. The company has always taken an unpredictable path separate from the other two major console manufacturers, and that strange strategy has worked very well for the most part. While the company isn’t immune to the same layoffs and delays that are plaguing its peers (Switch 2 was originally scheduled for a 2024 release), it actually has its own variety of issues with how it treats and pays employees and contractors at major publishers. He seems to be the one best equipped to navigate the current crisis ravaging the industry.

Trying to predict what Nintendo will do is foolish, and that applies to the new console as well. All we can count on is that it’s coming soon, and that it will be big when it arrives.