What’s True in Switch 2 Leaks
Early this morning, Nintendo finally revealed the Nintendo Switch 2 in a surprise video announcement. That in itself wasn’t that much of a surprise: recent rumors suggested the company would do the same, sooner rather than later. But Nintendo took a somewhat unexpected step and posted the video on YouTube without much fanfare. Along with a praising post on X , the company essentially said, “Here you go.”
Perhaps it’s because the Switch 2 itself has been leaked that the company is feeling less excited about the announcement. After all, accessory maker Genki essentially showed off the Switch 2’s design to the tech world at last week’s CES (though Nintendo says Genki’s products are based on unofficial hardware, so perhaps Nintendo felt the drawn-out reveal was unnecessary. Either way , it’s you You’re really interested in the Switch 2, chances are you already knew a lot about it, now you’ve actually seen it.
This is Switch 2
In the video announcement, Nintendo makes a head-to-head comparison between the original Switch (not the Switch OLED) and the new console. You can see how much larger the Switch 2’s display and hardware is, as well as some subtle I/O tweaks. The stand design is very different and much more flexible as you can bend the console back more steeply.
But the biggest changes, at least aesthetically, are to the Joy-Cons. Nintendo decided to make them bigger, change the shape a bit, and increase the size of the shoulder buttons. The company also changed the color scheme: the colorful Joy-Cons on the OG Switch had black accents on the rails, but the new Joy-Cons are almost entirely black, with colors added as accents on the rails and under the joysticks. As expected, the Joy-Cons connect to the new Switch magnetically, rather than having to align rails with the console and snap into place.
The appearance doesn’t allow you to look at the dock very closely, but it looks similar to the Switch’s OLED display, but in black – except, of course, for the large “2” next to the Switch logo. The same goes for the Joy-Con grip: it looks like a larger, more refined version of the OG Switch’s grip, although Nintendo showed off how you can “flip” the Joy-Con to the side, showing off its magnetic connection.
Have we had any news about exclusive games for Switch 2?
Yes! Although we don’t know many details yet. In the trailer, we appear to be seeing a new Mario Kart , as the character designs are definitely not the same as in Mario Kart 8: Deluxe .
Beyond that, there’s no word on the actual games available at launch or otherwise. However, Nintendo said the Switch 2 will support both exclusive and original Switch games, as well as physical and digital copies, so your existing cartridges should work with the new console. However, some Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible with the Switch 2. Nintendo hasn’t revealed details, but this may be a situation where it makes sense to keep your original Switch rather than trading in for a new one. console.
Was there anything else in the Switch 2 announcement?
Not really! Nintendo being Nintendo, this is just a sneak peek that more or less confirms the massive amount of leaks and rumors we’ve already seen. Nintendo has long promised to unveil the Switch 2 in the first quarter of 2025, and we got it. Now we are waiting for additional information.
Nintendo directs customers to a page on its website for more detailed information about the Switch 2, but in this article it simply provides a link to a demo video. Perhaps over time they will update the site and add more information. For now it’s the Switch 2. Perhaps unsurprisingly, after so many years and so many leaks, it’s hard to believe it’s finally going official.