Nintendo Switch 2 is real, for really real this time. The long-awaited reveal confirms many of the design rumors we’ve had over the past few months. Not only is the Switch 2 bigger than the previous console, but Nintendo reconfirms you’ll be able to play your original Switch games—or at least most of them. And yes, it’s just called the Switch 2, and it’s—in every way—a sequel to the original Switch.
Nintendo revealed Switch 2 console in a new trailer released early Thursday. It’s now bigger with an 8-inch screen and a revised black-on-black color scheme with blue and red accents around the joysticks. The sticks now sit on a rounded, beveled edge that looks pretty classy in Nintendo’s close-ups.
You can try it sooner rather than later, if you’re lucky enough to beat the bots and scalpers. The company will hold a “series of hands-on events around the world” that will let you get your hands on the device. Nintendo will draw from “randomly selected” participants. You only have to have a Nintendo account, though for the U.S. there will be events in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, Texas Ticket sales are only available on Nintendo’s website, and registration begins Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT.
Nintendo showed the console with its new U-shaped rear kickstand that can bend to what appears to be a 140 degrees angle or greater. Plus an all new Switch Dock with rounded corners. The top portion of the console now sports a USB-C port while the bottom still appears to use Nintendo’s proprietary connector when docked. There’s additional cutouts for air vents and speakers that the original Switch didn’t have. When docked, the screen juts out from the top far more than the current Switch Dock. The video doesn’t offer an idea about what ports it has available, though we can safely assume it will have at least one HDMI connection.
The redesigned, pop-in JoyCon controllers now sport a colored inside—either red or blue—with all-new attachment points and covers to use as their own dual-fisted controls. There’s a small port in between the typical SR and SL buttons and pairing button that may connect to these new covers and to the console itself, though it may have some other, unknown utility.
Unlike the original Switch’s rail system, these JoyCons snap onto the display via what appears to be magnets. There’s two buttons on the back of the Switch 2 underneath the shoulder buttons which appear to disconnect each JoyCon separately. Similar to the original Switch, there’s a peripheral to use the JoyCons as a single controller. Hopefully, Nintendo updated the sticks to Hall effect to avoid the routine stick drift issues of the original console.
The trailer doesn’t run through any of the games that will be available for the upcoming console, though Nintendo showed off a level in a Mario Kart game that could hint at a new upcoming title, rather than just another rerelease of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo also failed to offer a hint to its new handheld’s specs or capabilities. Instead, we still have to rely on leaks, rumors, and speculation.
Further, Nintendo said the Switch will be backwards compatible, though—as we expected—only to a certain extent. The Switch 2 can play your downloaded games and your cartridges. However, Nintendo made it clear that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” The Japanese game maker promised to share more details on its website “at a later date.”
Nintendo will hold a Nintendo Direct on April 2. That’s a long time away from now, and a lot more time to speculate on what else may be coming down the pike. The company emblazoned a “2025” logo on the screen at the start of the video, which means the console should arrive this year, at the very least. Sites like Best Buy already have a page dedicated to the Switch 2, hinting that preorders could start shortly after Nintendo’s April Direct.
This story is developing, and we will be updating this post as we learn more.
