Is this the Nintendo Switch 2?

Nintendo isn’t officially at CES, but it might have stolen the show anyway: accessory maker Genki brought a 3D-printed mock-up of what it says is the successor to the Nintendo Switch, and we’re going to get some high resolution photo.

Based on the mockup of what we’ll call the Switch 2, Nintendo’s next console appears to be wider than the original, with slightly larger Joy-Con controllers that appear to be more comfortable to hold. Compared to a Steam Deck OLED, the Switch 2 mockup still feels noticeably smaller, in part because the Joy-Cons aren’t as pronounced and ergonomic as the Deck’s grips. But the mockup still feels closer in size to Valve’s handheld than the original Switch.

As previous rumors indicated, the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons attach to the console via magnets instead of a sliding rail, Genki co-founder and CEO Eddie Tsai said. The Virgin. To detach a Joy-Con from the Switch 2, press a large button at the top of the back of each controller, Tsai says, and that button apparently pushes a pin that pushes against the chassis of the console, disconnecting the magnets. .

You can remove the Joy-Cons with brute force if you really want to, according to Tsai, but he says that in general they feel safe for regular use and that the big button release detaches the Joy-Cons with ease. Tsai declined to share where she learned the details of the new console.

Tsai also says The Virgin that housed in the mounting channel of the Joy-Cons is an optical sensor, and using another attachment, the new Joy-Cons can offer functionality similar to the mouse. Sounds a bit like what Lenovo does with its portable Legion Go.

Nintendo has promised that it will announce the successor of the Switch before April 2025and as that deadline approaches, there have been waves of leaks and rumors about the new hardware. In December, the YouTube channel SwitchUp published a video which shows a 3D-printed, non-functional Switch 2 mockup provided by a Chinese case manufacturer. That mockup looked like the current Switch, but bigger, and revealed a few other potential changes like a new USB-C port on the top of the device and a mysterious new square button below the Home button on the right Joy-Con.

Days later, the manufacturer of accessories Dbrand announced its case “Killswitch 2”, and the CEO Adam Ijaz. said The Virgin which was designed based on “actual dimensions” based on a “3D scan of the actual hardware”. Ijaz also said it was his “understanding” that the console’s Joy-Cons are attached magnetically. And Dbrand’s image showed that the new square button had a “C” printed on it, although Ijaz didn’t know what it was. Days later, our colleague Sean Hollister spoke with a Redditor who shared the apparent photos of the Switch 2 dock and the inside of what appears to be a Switch 2 Joy-Con.

With that April 2025 deadline getting closer every day, it looks like it won’t be long until Nintendo finally officially reveals the Switch 2. But until that happens, at least we have these pictures to look at.

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge