As the end of the year approaches, Nintendo fans are becoming increasingly anxious for more information about it Nintendo Switch 2which was long thought to be released before 2025. Although there have been occasional announcements from Nintendo about the Switch's successor, most online discussions and speculation about the upcoming console have come from countless leaks and rumors, some of which are more substantial and plausible than others.
After Nintendo confirmed certain information, such as that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible and remain a hybrid system, the gaming public has literally turned its attention to more tangible things; There is speculation about the device's actual physical design, as the idea that it could be a more direct successor to the Switch is somewhat unprecedented for modern Nintendo, which has historically taken a revolutionary rather than iterative approach to its new consoles is one. A common rumor on the hardware front is that the Switch 2 will not only retain its predecessor's Joy-Cons, but will also modify them so that they attach magnetically to the console instead of being secured by hard plastic rails. A recent leak purporting to show a build of the Switch 2 seems to confirm this.
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According to a recent leak, the Nintendo Switch 2 could have magnetic Joy-Cons
The implications of magnetic Joy-Cons
A video from Chinese video-sharing platform BilliBilli shows what looks like an iteration of the Nintendo Switch, albeit with Joy-Cons that look and function significantly different from the current Switch model. At the start of the video, a user appears to be pulling these controllers away from the console rather than sliding them up and out, supporting the belief that the Switch 2 will feature magnetically attached Joy-Cons. The video also shows what appears to be an additional trigger-like button on at least one of the controllers, which could be used to detach it from the console.
Assuming this leak is reliable, it's hard to say exactly why Nintendo would go this route with the new Joy-Cons. There are a number of issues with current Joy-Con models, including a faulty connection when playing in handheld mode. Therefore, a magnetic attachment could potentially be more reliable somehow. Magnetic controllers could also be much safer, as they could easily detach from the console in the event of a fall or other type of trauma, rather than breaking off and potentially damaging the system. It could also be a simple quality of life change, as a magnetic attachment is arguably easier and more satisfying than the sliding function of current Joy-Cons.
This Joy-Con leak should be treated with a particularly high dose of caution
Although the BilliBilli video in question confirms previous rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2, it is far from credible. For one, the BilliBilli user does not appear to have any credentials to support his claims. Furthermore, and even more obvious, the video provided is excessively blurry and does not show important elements of the device. It's possible that the uploader simply has a poor quality camera, but that seems like an easy obstacle to overcome, especially for someone genuinely interested in sharing information about the Switch 2. If the device in the video is indeed the Switch 2, it's strange that more wasn't shown. For example, it could get to some kind of start screen if it was representative of the final product.
On the other hand, the topic of the video seems legitimate. It is nothing other than previous “leaks” of the Nintendo Switch 2, which are obviously fakes or 3D printers. But the poor video quality and inexplicable lack of additional information definitely cast this leak in a suspicious light, so it should be viewed with even more caution than usual, especially as this information spreads throughout the gaming community.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console introduced in 2017 that can be played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh in 2021.
