Images of the Nintendo Switch 2 have been unveiled on the official manufacturer’s site, Genki, a well-known company for its numerous video game accessories. At their booth at CES in Las Vegas, this company decided to reveal these images along with the release date for Nintendo’s next console. Our colleagues at Numerama filmed these images at the Genki booth. Just a few days after leaks emerged over Christmas regarding the motherboard, NVIDIA chip, magnetic Joy-Con, and new features, more leaks continue to surface and are confirmed. There is little left to discover about the hardware of the Nintendo Switch 2, and one question lingers on everyone’s mind: what is Nintendo doing?
It has been barely 24 hours since the CES 2025 in Las Vegas began. NVIDIA held its customary conference, unveiling their new graphics card series, the 5000 line, while Sony Group Corporation made several announcements that went beyond hardware and video games to include cinema and TV series releases as well as an electric vehicle. For a few hours now, journalists and industry professionals have been able to explore the showroom and discover the new offerings from manufacturers for 2025 and beyond. Nintendo is not physically present at CES, but it remains the focus of many discussions… Given that the company has been dealing with a significant leak for several weeks regarding what is still referred to as the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo announced its release in 2025, with an early-year reveal planned, yet so far, the Japanese manufacturer has remained tight-lipped about details. This silence has allowed leaks to proliferate, suggesting that the console is already complete.
At several booths at the CES in Las Vegas, accessory makers are discreetly showcasing upcoming accessories for Nintendo’s next console, accompanied by mock-up models of the console itself, according to industry owners who claim these are molds built from an authentic original. This is expected as the machine is due out in a few months, prompting third-party publishers and manufacturers to start showcasing their products. Some even assert they possess the console, already circulating on the black market since production has reportedly begun in Chinese factories. As of now, I haven’t seen Nintendo so significantly outpaced by third-party companies, and their silence is indeed concerning. Typically, leaks are not welcomed by businesses, as no one in a healthy business likes to have surprises spoiled, and this holds especially true for Nintendo, known for enforcing contracts, breaking them, and altering methodologies. So why is a manufacturer of Genki’s stature revealing the console prematurely? According to a Numerama journalist who spoke with team members at their booth, Genki reportedly has no contract with Nintendo, thus avoiding potential legal repercussions…
Regarding the Genki booth, one can see a video presenting accessories for what appears to be the Nintendo Switch 2, confirming recent rumors. The console will indeed be significantly larger by 20-30% compared to the base model of the Nintendo Switch. The Joy-Con controllers are magnetic and have excellent structural integrity, with a button available for removing them. The presence of a second USB-C port on top of the console is confirmed, as well as optical connectivity seemingly designed for using the Joy-Con like a mouse. Numerama also observed what seems to be a new Joy-Con 2 with a colorful joystick but were unable to film it. However, the purpose of the C button that will appear on the right Joy-Con remains unknown and will likely remain an enigma until Nintendo’s official announcement.
The Genki presentation video was uploaded to their official channel, and upon first visiting, a message asks if you can keep a secret since they cannot. This has been viewed as a form of trolling directed towards Nintendo. It remains unclear whether there will be any future collaboration between Genki and Nintendo. However, it is not just Genki that has been leaking information at CES in Las Vegas; other manufacturers have also showcased their product catalogs explicitly mentioning the Nintendo Switch 2. Whether this will become its official name is uncertain. If Nintendo wishes to distinguish the new console from the original Switch while avoiding past mistakes such as those with the Wii U upon its release in 2012, naming it the “Nintendo Switch 2” could be a strategic choice rather than alternatives like “Super Nintendo Switch.”
Accessory makers appear to concur on the release date of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is reportedly set for April, shortly after the fiscal year’s end. Given this information, it is now imperative for Nintendo to provide updates on the user interface and games that will be part of the anticipated Nintendo Switch Pro XL.Context:Images purportedly showing the Nintendo Switch 2 have emerged at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, displayed by video game accessory manufacturer Genki. These leaks include specifications such as a larger design (approximately 20-30% bigger than the original), magnetic Joy-Con controllers with a solid feel, an additional USB-C port on top, and potential optical connectivity for using Joy-Con like a mouse. Various manufacturers’ booth displays are corroborating these details despite Genki reportedly having no contractual obligations to Nintendo. This premature disclosure has placed Nintendo in an unusual situation as third-party companies are now dictating the narrative around their upcoming console. The absence of official communication from Nintendo regarding the Switch 2 has fueled speculation and enabled leaks to proliferate further. While some manufacturers like Genki are showcasing potential accessories, others are explicitly mentioning the Nintendo Switch 2 in their product catalogs, suggesting that this could be the official name for the device. This scenario underscores a significant departure from Nintendo’s customary tight-lipped approach to new hardware releases and raises questions about how they intend to handle these ongoing leaks and their impact on their marketing strategy.
