The number of leaks about Nintendo’s next console is growing – although the same cannot be said about the genuinely recent information emerging from these leaks. However, a particularly substantive report emerged Reddit user NextHandheldwho claims to have seen and interacted with the “final version” of the console and its dock, albeit disabled. Edge reports that he spoke with NextHandheld and “heard and saw enough,” including photos, to believe their claims.
Among these claims: The console appears to be called the Nintendo Switch 2 – the same moniker that almost everyone has used as a convenient shorthand since it became clear that Nintendo was making a elementary successor console to the Switch. (Say goodbye to your dreams, Super Switch fans). The Verge claims that the system’s dock displays “the same logo as the original Nintendo Switch, just with the number 2 attached.”
NextHandheld also claims that the Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers will feature Hall-effect joysticks. These sticks rely on electromagnetic fields and do not require physical contact between sensor elements, making them much more reliable and resistant to the drift issues that plague Switch Joy-Cons. Hall-effect thumbsticks are common on third-party controllers, but have been scarce on official console controllers until now, so this is a significant improvement.
Even more fascinating: the NextHandheld leak suggests that the Switch 2 will have extra power when docked. The leaker joked that asking whether the dock has its own cooling fan is “the right question,” and The Verge has seen evidence of vents in the dock. NextHandheld also said the dock can draw 60W of power compared to 45W for an undocked console. This means that the dock will augment the console’s graphical capabilities, either through its own scaling hardware or by allowing the Switch 2 to run in an essentially overclocked mode. This suggests ancient rumors about a “Switch Pro” device that never materialized – supposedly a Switch that, when docked, would display 4K resolution on a TV. It’s a bit iffy, but the report actually brings the dream of Nintendo gaming in 4K resolution one step closer to reality.
Elsewhere, The Verge said it saw a U-shaped kickstand on the back of the device – a more stable alternative to the original Switch’s single, slim kickstand. This is inadvertently backed up by some unsubstantiated, blurry, but nonetheless credible photos that were Separately posted to Reddit by Future31, showing a familiar-looking, slightly sleeker console with a dim gray finish.
NextHandheld also confirmed reports from earlier this year that the Switch 2 Joy-Cons will be attached magnetically rather than via a slide rail. The Verge claims to have seen photos of the side of the console that confirm this.
We may not have to wait too long for official confirmation of some or all of these details. NextHandheld claimed that Nintendo could announce Switch 2 as soon as January.
