Everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2

It’s safe to say that people are amped up for the Nintendo Switch’s successor. When the first Switch console released back in 2017, it was a revelation; a vision of a portable gaming future. Now, seven years later, its successor is on the way, and folks are once again scrambling over rumours and tidbits.

Despite recent Nintendo Direct conferences avoiding the topic, we’re keeping our ears to the ground for any information that could lead to the upcoming console. Will it be the Nintendo Switch 2? Will it be called something entirely new and different?

All eyes are on Nintendo‘s upcoming console, and despite the company’s consistent candour in affirming there’s no official Nintendo Switch 2 news as yet, the hype is increasing every day. To satisfy your curiosity, here’s everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 (so far).

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Nintendo Switch 2: Latest news and updates

January 8th, 2025: Nintendo Switch 2 dock allegedly revealed in new image

A new image has seemingly revealed a first look at the Nintendo Switch 2’s docking system.

Journalist Laura Kate Dale posted an image of this dock on Bluesky, reportedly sent by a “trusted source.” The image is a large close-up of the left half of the Nintendo Switch 2’s dock, with input and output visible, and other details blurred – likely for security, as serial numbers may lead back to the original source.

The dock itself appears fairly plain – it’s a dark grey, like its predecessor, and features vents for air, as well as a stopper of sorts at the top. Its power input is noted as being 20V/3A, and its output is 15V/2.8A. Dale also reported their source claimed the dock supports a 60W charger.

January 6th, 2025: Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons allegedly revealed in new photos

As recently posted on Reddit, it appears the first images of the Nintendo Switch 2’s Joy-Cons have been revealed via online forum Baidu Tieba, with new images showing off the back and sides of a single controller.

The Joy-Con features a dark grey chassis and light blue sides. There’s SL and SR shoulder buttons on the side, a connector button, and multiple different ports. Notably, the light blue side of the controller sticks out from the main chassis, suggesting it will still slide into the main body of Nintendo’s upcoming console, as with its predecessor. Prior leaks suggested the new Joy-Cons will also feature a magnetic locking system to better attach to the main body of the console and strengthen their pairing.

December 14th, 2024: NextHandheld claims to have hands on the console

In mid-December, a Reddit user named NextHandheld claimed to have obtained a Nintendo Switch 2 console, and offered to answer questions from other users. Moderators of the Q&A were reportedly sent evidence suggesting NextHandheld did have the Nintendo Switch 2, which lends credence to new rumours revealed in this Q&A session:

• The Nintendo Switch 2 may be officially called the “Nintendo Switch 2”.
• Mario Kart 9 could be a launch title.
• The console may come in dark grey and white.
• The official console reveal could be coming in late January or early February 2025.
• The game cart slot remains the same.
• The Joy-Con controllers could be magnetic, and “the magnets themselves are buttons.”

As with all rumours, these are not officially substantiated, despite claims of legitimacy.

December 9th, 2024: Job ad fuels rumours for Nintendo Switch 2 details

The gossip mill is abuzz with news that a job advertisement for an Electro-Mechanical Engineer at Nintendo may have given away a new detail about the upcoming Nintendo Switch successor. According to Nintendo News, the ad specifies a need for “experience with high speed signalling and power delivery on PCB designs that contain elements such as PCIE, DDR4, MIPI, SD/SD Express.”

From that line, optimistic users are speculating that the Nintendo Switch successor will support Samsung’s new line of micro SD cards, SD Express – meaning the successor would have significantly higher transfer speeds if proven to be true.

While the rumour remains just that, the higher transfer speeds would certainly be an attractive addition to any upcoming Nintendo console.

November 6th, 2024: The Nintendo Switch 2 will officially be backward compatible

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has officially confirmed that the Nintendo Switch’s successor (whether it’s called the Nintendo Switch 2 or otherwise) will definitely be backwards compatible with Nintendo Switch games – as shared during Nintendo‘s recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing, and later shared on Twitter / X.

“This is Furukawa. At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch,” Furukawa said. “Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well.”

“Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date.”

November 6th, 2024: Nintendo still plans to announce the Switch 2 by April 2025

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed the long-awaited “Nintendo Switch 2” will be announced by April 2025, the end of the company’s current financial year. At this stage, we’re no closer to learning when exactly we’ll hear more about the console, but Furukawa’s confirmation is a positive sign that its announcement remains on track.

September 19th, 2024: Alleged Nintendo Switch 2 prototype surfaces online

New images posted to Reddit are alleged to show off the design of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, thanks to leaks from a China-based warehouse. The images include a range of photos of updated Joy-Con shells, and CAD renders of what the final console could look like.

Per these images, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be rather similar to the original Nintendo Switch, but with rounder edges, a larger 8-inch screen, magnetic-attaching Joy-Cons, and USB-C ports on the top and bottom of the console. Further details allege the Switch 2 will have 12GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, and support for HDMI 2.1.

September 10th, 2024: Reddit leak suggests backwards compatibility, production experts speculate on a launch window

While all leaks should be taken with a grain of salt (especially those that arise from Reddit), reports from known Redditor NatetheHate2 have set the community ablaze, suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 will have confirmed backwards compatibility. The comment, which was posted on a thread discussing imminent news from Nintendo regarding production and release dates, didn’t go into any detail on the potential inclusion.

Meanwhile, per HotHardware.com, tweets from Senior Analyst at MST Financial David Gibson indicate that production is ramping up fast, and might be indicative of an even earlier release date than expected. With rumours abound that Nintendo will make an announcement as early as this week (in large part due to comments from Andy Robinson on the VGC podcast), we’re keeping our eyes peeled.

August 30th, 2024: Amazon Games intends to support the new Nintendo console

According to an interview with IGN, Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann spoke highly of his regard for the upcoming console and how willing he is to wait for the perfect product.

“Yeah, we obviously plan to develop games for it and I can’t wait for it to be out,” he said. “I mean, honestly, I’d rather have them wait a year and get it perfect than rush it to the market and then we all complain about what doesn’t work. Switch has been such a fantastic product, I can wait another year if I have to.”

August 27th, 2024: Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase and Indie World set for tonight

“In addition to announcing the dual shows, Nintendo has also confirmed this Nintendo Direct won’t include any news or announcements for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. That said, we can still expect a few nice surprises.”

August 5th, 2024: Nintendo reports significant year-on-year financial downturn

“In its newly-released financial report, the company has confirmed significant drops for net sales (-46.5%), operating profit (-70.6%) and net profit (-55.3%), with this comparative loss attributed to “special factors” in Q1 2024, including the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

“For now, there’s no news about the next Nintendo console, and until a release is firmly locked in, Nintendo is likely to continue its temporary downturn. Based on colour in its financial report, the Q1 result is not unexpected for Nintendo, and it will likely continue in a holding pattern until the launch of its next console. When this happens, we can expect a sharp uptick in Nintendo‘s results.”

June 19th, 2024: Nintendo Direct June 2024: Every major game announcement

“Though we knew for sure there would be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor console, that doesn’t mean we weren’t blown away. There were plenty of trailers that were primed and ready for us to lay our eager eyes on – including The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and much more.”

May 8th, 2024: Nintendo will announce Switch 2 console by March 2025

“Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has taken to Twitter / X to formally announce the company will reveal its next console – colloquially known as the Nintendo Switch 2 – by March 2025. While the announcement was light on detail, that hasn’t stopped the excitement, as fans anticipate the long-awaited console.”

April 29, 2024: Nintendo Switch 2 rumoured to feature magnetic Joy-Cons

“Per Vandal, which accurately reported on the Switch OLED prior to reveal, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 will have refreshed Joy-Con controllers that attach magnetically, rather than by sliding rail. This suggests the new Joy-Cons will feature a refreshed design, and that older Joy-Cons may not be compatible with the main chassis of the Nintendo Switch 2.”

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When is the Nintendo Switch 2 release date?

While Nintendo has said we’ll see the Switch’s successor released in this fiscal year, that may not be the case. Journalist Christopher Dring said during a recent GamesIndustry.biz podcast, “No developer I’ve spoken to expects it to launch in this financial year, in fact, they’ve been told not to expect it in this financial year.”

Further, in August 2024, a report from Japanese analyst Hideki Yasuda (translated by Automaton Media) indicated the Switch’s successor will launch in the first half of next year. Given Nintendo‘s fiscal year will end in March 2025, speculation online has led to an assumed release date between April 2025 and June 2025 – though there’s no word as yet about how legitimate those rumours may be.

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When is the Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct?

If there’s one thing Nintendo is good at, it’s keeping the public informed, especially when it comes to whether we will or won’t be hearing any news about its next console. For the past few Nintendo Direct broadcasts, posts have gone out on Nintendo‘s official X/Twitter accounts making it very clear to fans that they’re not quite ready to share more.

The upside of this candour is that the chances of a surprise drop of information are slightly lower. Eager fans should keep an eye on Nintendo‘s social channels for any insight.

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How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?

While we’re still waiting on any details of the console’s release, specs and price, we do know that when its predecessor released in 2017, it retailed for around AUD $469.95 in Australia. Nowadays, you can purchase a Nintendo Switch for just over AUD $400, with OLED versions retailing for closer to AUD $500.

Given inflation, demand, and the fact that there’s so much hype surrounding it already, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Nintendo Switch 2 has a higher starting price point on release.

According to analyst Dr. Serkan Toto in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, “I believe the next hardware will drop next year for $400 [USD]. There is a high chance that games will cost more, too: $70 [USD].”

If that holds true, then in Australian dollars, we’d be looking at a price somewhere about the AUD $600 mark for the console.

Read: Pokemon Legends: Z-A: What is the next Pokemon game?

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What are the launch titles for the Nintendo Switch 2?

While we’re still waiting on any concrete information about the Switch successor, we can have a little fun hypothesising about which titles are likely to come along with it. There are some clear frontrunners – a new Luigi’s Mansion is our top pick – but there’s actually a pretty good rationale behind some games over others, and some we can rule a few out.

It’s unlikely to be a Legend of Zelda game, given the upcoming release of Echoes of Wisdom. It’s unlikely to be anything that hasn’t yet been announced. But you know what is likely? According to VDGMS, “7 out of 11 times (64%) that Nintendo launched a console, there was a new Mario game to go with it.”

Chances are high that Pokemon: Z-A will feature as one of the first games in the line-up, and thanks to the above statistics, there’s a decent chance there will be a Mario instalment.

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Will the Nintendo Switch 2 be backward compatible with Switch games?

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has officially confirmed the Nintendo Switch successor will be backward compatible with Nintendo Switch games.

Read: The Nintendo Switch 2 will officially be backward compatible

“This is Furukawa. At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch,” Furukawa said. “Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well.”