Nintendo Formally Announces Switch 2 After Months Of Leaks And Speculation

After months of leaks and speculation that began in the Summer of 2024 and culminated in the first leaks of finalized hardware during the 2025 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show last week, Nintendo has formally unveiled the forthcoming successor to the wildly successful Nintendo Switch in the Switch 2.

The Switch 2 seeks to iterate substantially on the first Nintendo Switch, which was released all the way back in March of 2017.

As can be seen in the above preview video, the Switch 2 updates the core Nintendo Switch design to reflect current trends in portable console design taking inspiration from the wave of portable PC-powered consoles.

An overall larger body reminiscent of the OLED Nintendo Switch revision is featured, as well as updated Joycons with magnetic attachment points replacing the failure prone sliding rails. An updated U-shaped kickstand now spans the width of the console, replacing the narrow I-shaped kickstand of the original console and the wider rectangle-shaped kickstand of the OLED revision.

Of note in the announcement is also the confirmation that the Switch 2 will not only be backwards compatible in terms of physical games by carrying over the Game Card slot from the first Switch, the console will also support the digital Nintendo Switch game library, presumably by carrying over the eShop and Nintendo Online service.

The only confirmed exceptions are Switch games that required specific peripherals that will likely not be fully compatible with the physical dimensions of the Switch 2 hardware such as the tablet and updated JoyCons, along with selected digital software. Nintendo will provide further updates in the near future.

To celebrate the Switch 2 reveal, Nintendo will conduct a Nintendo Direct on April 2, suggesting that Nintendo will intentionally skip the previously rumored March 2025 release window to fully detail the console prior to its release, now slated for sometime this year.

This is also confirmed by the announcement that Nintendo will hold dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 Experience preview events in Los Angeles, New York City, and Dallas in the US, following the Direct. Information on how to attend the events is available at the above link and registration begins tomorrow.