What the Most Reliable Leaks Say About Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 rumor mill has seemingly been churning almost since the Switch’s initial launch, but Nintendo has remained largely silent on the matter for the past seven years. The company recently broke its silence on its plans for its newest console, but surprisingly, it still hasn’t revealed much.
In the absence of any official information, it is easy to dismiss any new claims as mere speculation. However, I think some Switch 2 rumors are more compelling than others and may actually give us an idea of what Nintendo has planned for what may be the most anticipated new console in years.
Nintendo confirms existence of Switch 2
The best rumors aren’t rumors at all: On Tuesday, May 7, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying that the company will “make an announcement about a successor to the Nintendo Switch during this fiscal year.”
This doesn’t tell us much, but this is the first time the company has publicly acknowledged the existence of the Switch 2. Additionally, we now have a timeline for some official Switch news: by the end of this fiscal year, we’ll have at least an idea of what Nintendo is planning for its the newest console.
If the original Switch is any indication, we can get quite a bit of information from the initial announcement: the first video showing off the Switch showed off its now-famous ability to “switch” from TV to handheld mode, as well as its ease of use. portable multi-user machine. Let’s hope that any news about the Switch 2 will give us at least the same level of insight.
Rumors that are credible
Last month, writer Ramon Varela published a groundbreaking article for Spanish publication Vandal that made several claims that had not previously been circulated. These claims were then confirmed and expanded upon by Switch controllers and accessories company Mobapad .
While all rumors should be taken with a grain of salt (and a lot of grain of salt), there are reasons to appreciate Vandal’s reporting. The article about the Switch Pro in 2021 had many of the details correct and it turned out to be a Switch OLED . While Vandal was wrong in predicting that the Switch OLED would output 4K when connected to a TV, he did accurately report that Nintendo will increase the size of the display without increasing the size of the console, and that the company will use an OLED panel for the display rather than an LCD. He also correctly stated that the updated stand will resemble the Microsoft Surface stand and that the dock will have USB 3.0 ports as well as an Ethernet port.
That doesn’t mean you can expect every statement in Vandal’s latest report to be true. But it’s nice to know the rumors aren’t coming from a zero-trust source, and it certainly helps that the Switch accessory maker can confirm some of them.
Old Joy-Cons, New Connections
The rail design of the current Switch Joy-Cons is iconic: you line up the Joy-Con rail with the corresponding rail on the Switch, then slide it and click it into place (hence the Switch’s famous “click” sound effect).
As for the Switch 2, it looks like Nintendo is sticking with a similar Joy-Con design, and it makes sense: detachable controllers are a fun way to make a handheld console instantly multiplayer, although I hope they found a way to prevent sticky forward drift . One big difference, however, is that the new Joy-Cons can connect magnetically rather than by rail. Vandal doesn’t reveal details about how this magnetic technology actually works, but Mobapad claims they are created with “magnetic suction” and use an electric current. There may be some type of locking mechanism that snaps into place once the magnets are triggered, similar to the locking system in the current Switch.
In any case, switching to a magnetic connection instead of a rail option will likely mean that your old Joy-Cons won’t be fully compatible with the Switch 2 unless Nintendo or a third party makes magnetic rail mounts for them. However, Mobapad believes that the current Joy-Cons will be compatible, at least via Bluetooth, and both publications believe that the existing Pro controller will be compatible too.
Mobapad also reports that the Joy-Con buttons will be updated. The SL and SR buttons will presumably be metal, and Nintendo will add a third button to each of the Joy-Cons. Additionally, there will be a new function button below the HOME button on the right controller.
Full backwards compatibility
Vandal says the latest rumors don’t say definitively one way or the other whether the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with original Switch games, but they do report that manufacturers “believe and assume” that the console will be backwards compatible.
I agree with the manufacturers: if the Switch 2 is not backwards compatible, it sounds like a disaster for Nintendo. The Switch was the first Nintendo console since the GameCube that was not backwards compatible with the previous generation. (It would be difficult to fit a Wii U disc into the Switch’s cartridge slot anyway.) But given that the Switch 2 is the likely spiritual successor to the OG Switch, it would be foolish to expect buyers to upgrade to the latest console. generation without the ability to replicate the existing Switch library.
Nintendo, you’ve already made us buy all the best Wii U games as Switch ports. Please don’t make us do this again.
More powerful equipment
Hardware specification details remain hard to come by in Switch 2 rumors, but we do know that Nvidia will likely be involved. Back in February, an unnamed source told Reuters that Nintendo was planning to use its own Nvidia chip for the Switch 2, while a previous Vandal report indicated that Nintendo was planning to use an Nvidia chip based on the GeForce RTX 30 series. If rumors are to be believed, this chip is known as the T239 – a modified version of the existing T234 chip.
Vandal believes that the hardware will support DLSS (deep learning super scaling), which uses artificial intelligence to create scaled frames , and that the Switch 2 will support ray tracing, a modern lighting technique that creates realistic lighting environments. These changes, as well as the rumored 4K release, will definitely put the Switch 2 well above the original in terms of graphics. And if Centro LEAKS is to be believed , the Switch could also launch with 12GB of RAM. (Centro also confirms many of Vandal’s leaks.)
Even if we had the exact hardware specs, we wouldn’t know for sure how powerful the Switch 2 could actually be. That’s because Nintendo will likely lower the chip’s clock speed to balance the system’s power with its portability, like this happens with the current Switch. If Nintendo allowed us to use the full potential of the SoC, it would likely result in the battery draining too quickly and the system overheating. You can overclock your Switch , improving performance in demanding games like Tears of the Kingdom , but it’s not recommended.
That being said, it’s safe to assume that the Switch 2 will increase the graphics performance of the current Switch, but the difference won’t necessarily be huge, especially if you’re using a Sony or Microsoft console or even a possible PS5 Pro. . But Nintendo has never prioritized the best quality graphics: as long as the next generation of Nintendo IP looks and runs great, and the platform continues to be supported by third-party developers, the Switch 2 will do what it’s supposed to do. .
Games should also look good in handheld mode, with Mobapad claiming the system will feature an 8-inch display that’s larger than even the Switch’s 7-inch OLED display . and 1080p resolution. All current Switches have a 720p display, so while the Switch 2 won’t run at 4K in handheld mode, it should look sharper than anything we’ve seen so far. However, many publications, including Centro, believe that the Switch 2’s display will be an LCD rather than an OLED. This is a bit surprising:
Switch 2 most likely won’t release this year
If you’re waiting to get your hands on an OLED switch because you think the Switch 2 is just around the corner, you might have to wait a little longer. Vandal and other sources believe Nintendo is targeting an early 2025 launch, which would close the eight- year gap between console generations. This would be in line with Furukawa’s promise to make an announcement by the end of this fiscal year.
Vandal says accessory makers believe Nintendo is waiting until it has a larger catalog of games for the Switch 2 before launch, which isn’t a bad strategy: Nintendo launched the 3DS without enough killer games, and it tanked the handheld’s first year. (It was also too expensive, but that’s another story.)
Whatever the reasons why Nintendo held off on releasing the Switch 2, it likely won’t be on shelves anytime soon or in time for the holidays. If you’re holding out, you’re missing out on a lot of great games, so if you’re not willing to wait another year, you might want to pick up a Switch .