The Switch 2 is the most leaked console of all time – time for an official announcement

Leaks in the tech world are nothing special in themselves. Details and snapshots of unreleased hardware usually circulate on the internet weeks or months before launch. Nevertheless, the extent of the leaks surrounding the successor to the Nintendo Switch is surprising. Case manufacturer Genki reached a preliminary climax by presenting new accessories for the as yet unannounced console at CES 2025.

Reporters at German-language online magazine Netzwelt claim they held a 3D-printed replica of the console in their hands behind closed doors at the trade fair. Apparently, the device feels significantly larger than the original Switch. Videos of this imitation can also be seen on X. The case manufacturer also exhibited dummies of the new Joy-Cons at its stand to showcase its new charging accessories.

There’s even a short video on the manufacturer’s website showing the complete console, including controllers and a TV dock with the name Switch 2. The footage also confirms that the Joy-Cons are magnetically attached to the console and that the controllers have a new C-button as well as an integrated optical sensor (?).

Genki isn’t a licensed Nintendo accessory manufacturer. However, it seems very likely that the 3D prints and renders shown correspond to reality. According to French magazine Numerama, several unlicensed case manufacturers have already gained access to retail versions of the Switch 2 on the black market. Other well-known accessory manufacturers, such as Dbrand, already announced unofficial accessories with a few released images for the as yet unannounced hybrid console a few weeks ago. Other case manufacturers have already sent various influencers their 3D prints of the console. The dummies also match CAD renders that have been circulating online for a while.

Update 09.01.

By now, IGN and The Verge have also visited the Genki stand at CES and taken a close look at the dummy. In an interview, the company reveals that they «didn’t expect this much media attention». The company also reveals further details about the console – including that the magnets on the Joy-Cons hold well and that the Switch 2 doesn’t fit into the dock of the original Switch. The company doesn’t wish to disclose where Genki got this information.

Update 10.01.

Nintendo has made a statement about the dummies shown. According to an official statement in Sankei Shimbun, the devices shown are «not official».

A veritable avalanche of leaks

The new images and information from CES appear even more credible when compared with numerous leaks over the past few weeks.

Shortly before Christmas, Reddit user NextHandheld published new information about the console in a cryptic post titled «I’ve come from the future». They claimed to possess a release version of the new device and dock. They backed up their claims a few days later with heavily cropped images of the final hardware. Since then, further images of the dock have appeared on X, confirming the authenticity of the leak.

Last week, another Redditor published pictures of the Switch 2 motherboard. Based on the leak, experts suspect it’s an Nvidia T239 chip manufactured by Samsung using the 8 nm process. The size of the chip could potentially have a significant impact on the performance and battery life of the device, as Digital Foundry explains in its analysis:

A few days ago, one user published a photo of a Joy-Con controller in black and blue on a Chinese website – similar to Genki’s dummy controller at CES.

The picture also shows an optical sensor, which Genki included in their video too. It’ll be located between the SL and SR buttons. Fans are speculating that the new Joy-Cons can be used as mice. Lenovo offers a similar function with the Legion Go – only here the controller is used vertically, not horizontally.

Please, Nintendo, save us

As a Nintendo fan, the current state of things is absurd. We know almost everything about Switch 2 hardware before Nintendo has even officially unveiled the console. According to insider reports, the Japanese company started mass production in the last quarter of last year to avoid supply bottlenecks at launch. An official announcement was most likely postponed until 2025 so as not to spoil the last Christmas sales of the current Switch. The consequences of this decision can be seen in all these leaks.

I think it’s a shame all these surprises are leaked in advance – there’s nothing like a spectacular debut of a new console. I have fond memories of the reveal trailer for the first Switch, which left me sitting in front of my screen mouth agape.

At last year’s investor conference, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa announced that there’d be new information on the successor console before the end of the current financial year – 31 March 2025. I can’t imagine that the Japanese company will wait that long – especially not when leaks from the production chain are mounting ever faster. At the very least, I expect the announcement to be made shortly.

With all these spoiled surprises from leaks, we get at least one small consolation – we know virtually nothing about the software so far. Nobody knows which launch titles Nintendo will present, or how good games will look on the more powerful hardware. One of the Reddit hardware leaks has only revealed that we can expect a game with the number 9 in its name. The actual functions of the mouse sensor and the new C-button also remain a mystery.

In the newest episode of the Tech Affair podcast (podcast in German), we discuss the topic too.