Nintendo is said to have pushed the launch of its next-generation console, with reports earlier this year claiming that the successor to the Nintendo Switch would launch in early 2025. Little is known about the Nintendo Switch 2, but it is likely that the console will retain the hybrid design of its predecessor and is expected to come with a larger screen. Now, new details have reportedly surfaced about Nintendo's next console.
The Nintendo Switch 2 could come with redesigned Joy-Con controllers that magnetically attach to the handheld console. The information comes from Spanish publication Vandal, citing information received from accessory manufacturers who have seen the Switch 2.
The magnetic Joy-Cons would represent a change from the current design of the Joy-Con controllers on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch OLED, which attach to the console via a rail system. Therefore, a new connection system could mean that the current Joy-Cons might not be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. However, the report said that existing Nintendo Switch Pro controllers would be compatible with the new console.
Also, based on the experience of the manufacturers, who were reportedly able to get an idea of the dimension of the next console, the Switch 2 could be “larger than the Switch, although it's not the size of the Steam Deck.”
The makers also provided information on the launch window for Switch 2. According to the report, the console was probably ready for the market, but Nintendo would prefer to wait for a stronger game catalog to be ready at launch. Thus, the Nintendo Switch successor would not launch at the end of the year and debut in early 2025, as previous reports have claimed.
In February, Japanese publication Nikkei had reported that the Nintendo Switch 2 would launch as early as March 2025. The report claimed that the decision to delay the console's launch was motivated, in part, by the threat of scalpers: people who buy products in bulk to resell at a profit and worry about supply issues at launch.
The report also claimed that the Nintendo Switch 2 would retain the hybrid console features of its predecessor, functioning as both a handheld and a stationary console for the TV in docked mode. The Switch 2 would also have a larger screen. The standard Nintendo Switch has a 6.2-inch screen, while the OLED Switch has a 7-inch screen. The Nintendo Switch 2 is also likely to be a more powerful console.
The Nintendo Switch is one of the most successful consoles ever made and is still selling well seven years after its release. It was launched in March 2017 and has since sold over 139 million units.
