Nintendo is expected to reveal information about the Switch successor before the end of its fiscal year in March. While there's no official word from Nintendo, leaks and rumors point towards a larger console with an 8-inch screen, magnetic Joy-Con controllers, and backward compatibility with Switch games.
Nintendo ’s announcement of the Switch successor is imminent. Just how imminent is anyone’s guess with the company stating that it would reveal info on the console before the end of its fiscal year in March.
Rumors regarding the new Switch have been circulating for more than a year, but with less than two months to go until the promised deadline, and in the absence of any real information from Nintendo itself, speculation about the console, its specs, physical profile, and more have reached a fever pitch. So before the official reveal, here’s everything we think we know about Nintendo’s next console. The only concrete, Nintendo-confirmed piece of information we know about the new console is that it’ll be backwards compatible with the Switch. Everything else has come by way of leaks and info supplied by third-party manufacturers. Late last year, one such manufacturer, Dbrand, debuted its Killswitch carrying case meant for the Switch 2. According to Dbrand CEO Adam Ijaz, the Killswitch is based on the “actual dimensions” of the new console obtained from a “3D scan of the real hardware.” But in an interview with The Verge, he declined to say exactly how or where Dbrand obtained such information. If the Killswitch’s design is indeed derived from the real thing, the new console will be larger than the Switch OLED with an 8-inch screen, and feature a kickstand that will span the length of the console similar to the OLED model. That the new Switch will be larger than previous iterations is supported by leaks and info from other accessory manufacturers as well as the idea that the Joy-Con controllers will attach via magnet instead of sliding and snapping into place. The new controller design will also incorporate magnets in the joysticks to combat against the dreaded “Joy-Con drift” that plagues the Switch even now. CES 2025 provided even more fodder for the rumor mill, with accessory manufacturer Genki showing off a 3D printed mock-up of the console on the show floor. In an interview with The Verge, Genki CEO Eddie Tsai went into detail about what he knows about the new Switch reaffirming rumors regarding its larger size, magnetic Joy-Con, and more. While there’s a lot of speculation and potential evidence about what the new console will look like, there’s less circulating about what it can actually do. Beyond an alleged photo of the console’s motherboard, there hasn’t been much out there about the console’s hardware specifications. Because Nintendo has never made consoles at the bleeding edge (or, honestly, even the cutting one) of graphics or processing power, it’s hard to guess how well the console will perform or what additional features, like a microphone, it’ll have. Though the console’s internals remain a mystery, we do know that it’ll be backwards compatible with Switch games. We can also reasonably guess at least one game that’ll be a launch title: Metroid Prime 4. Announced in 2017, and undergoing a change of studio and a development reboot two years later, Nintendo debuted gameplay footage for the first time last year and shared a soft launch window of 2025. When Twilight Princess launched in 2006, it debuted on both the GameCube and served as a launch title for the Wii. Breath of the Wild was also cross-gen, debuting on the Wii U while launching with the Switch in 2017. Knowing that the new Switch and Metroid Prime 4 both launch in 2025 and with Twilight Princess and BotW as examples, it’s speculated that the reason for Metroid 4’s long stint in development hell was, at least in part, because the game was being tooled for both the Switch and its successor. Also, you just can’t have a new Nintendo console without a Mario game. Super Mario Odyssey was a Switch launch title, and though there’s been other new releases like Super Mario Wonder, there hasn’t been a new, standalone (put down your pitchforks Bowser’s Fury fans) 3D Mario game since then. It’s all but assured one will be announced with the new Switch. The recently announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A is also a good launch title candidate as Nintendo curiously worded the game’s debut trailer with “releasing simultaneously worldwide on Nintendo Switch in 2025.” For all the rumors and reasonable guesses supported by increasingly convincing evidence, it’s helpful to remember that at the end of the day, we’re still talking about Nintendo. The company has always tread a separate and unpredictable path from the other two major console manufacturers and that oddball strategy has mostly worked very well. Though the company is not immune to the same layoffs and delays (the Switch 2 was originally pegged for a 2024 release) plaguing its peers and indeed has its own manifold issues with how it treats and pays its employees and contractors, of the major publishers, it seems to be the one that is best navigating the current crisis ravaging the industry. It is folly trying to predict what Nintendo will do, and that applies to its new console. All we can count on is that it’s coming soon, and when it arrives, it’ll be big
Nintendo Switch Successor Rumors Console Backward Compatibility Joy-Con Leaks Release Date
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Handheld Gaming PCs Pose Challenge to Nintendo Switch SuccessorThe upcoming Nintendo Switch successor faces a much more competitive market with the emergence of powerful handheld gaming PCs, particularly after the announcements from CES 2025. Valve's SteamOS allowing installation on other devices, along with other impressive handheld gaming hardware showcased at CES, could present a significant challenge to Nintendo's dominance.
Read more »
Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors: Release Date, Specs, Features and MoreRecent weeks have brought feverish speculation regarding all aspects of the forthcoming gaming console. We don't exactly know when Nintendo will hold an event to reveal the console, but there are parts that have to be sourced and shipments that have to be made. This article explores all the rumors regarding the Nintendo Switch 2, from its release date and specs to its potential features and launch games.
Read more »
Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors: Breath of the Wild Remake in the Works?A new leak suggests that Nintendo is developing a better version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the rumored Nintendo Switch 2.
Read more »
Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors: Don't Expect PS4 Pro PowerWhile the Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to have a significant power boost compared to its predecessor, it likely won't reach the level of Sony's PS4 Pro. Nintendo insider indicates that expectations should be tempered.
Read more »
Everything We Know About Nintendo Switch 2 – Magnetic Joy-Cons, Backward Compatibility and MoreHere's what we know about Nintendo's next console, the successor to the Switch.
Read more »
Nintendo’s Presence at The Game Awards May Bode Well for the Nintendo Switch 2Nintendo's major absence in huge categories at The Game Awards may seem off, but it points to a very exciting future.
Read more »