Switch 2 Release Month And More Accessories Apparently Revealed
Nintendo has not announced the Switch 2 yet, but an accessory company is already hyping the console.
In the absence of any official news about the Switch 2, rumors and reports about it are popping up all over the place, including at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. The latest rumor stems from peripheral company Genki, which is showing off accessories for the Switch 2 at CES and even reportedly telling one journalist that the system will launch in April.
Accessory manufacturers like Genki might get advance notice of upcoming hardware announcements, but there is no indication here that it's the case. Genki is also displaying what it claims to be a genuine replica of the Switch 2. The company apparently created a mock-up of the Switch 2 as a stand-in to show how Genki's accessories, including a docking station and case, will work for it.
The report from Numerama (via VGC) also states that the Switch 2's new Joy-Cons have an optical sensor and a "C" button, the purpose of which is unknown. Again, all of this information should be taken with a grain of salt.
Genki also has a website set up for "NS2 Accessories." The page states: "The Next Evolution in Gaming is Coming… We're working on something extraordinary for the next handheld."
Genki (who makes gaming accessories for the Switch and other hardware) claims the Switch 2 will launch in April. It also claims their Switch 2 mockup is based on a real Switch 2.
— Wario64 (@Wario64) January 8, 2025
They also say the optical sensor on the Joy-Con is a new feature of the Switch 2 but doesn't know… pic.twitter.com/XulMOgHa7d
In a follow-up from IGN, a Genki representative expressed surprise at the attention, saying they thought anything they were sharing had already leaked. That said, Genki reiterated that it can't speak to the internals of the device, only the physical body and features like the magnetic Joy-Con controllers. The representative also confirmed the presence of an extra USB port at the top of the Switch 2. IGN did its own measurements of the mock-up device, finding it to be no more than an inch larger than the original Switch in any direction: 10.5" instead of 9.5" width, 4.5" instead of 4" height, and an 8" screen instead of a 7" screen. The thickness of the new Switch appears unchanged, if the Genki mock-up is accurate.
Recently, a report emerged claiming that Nintendo's upcoming system will in fact be called Switch 2. Apparently the hybrid system will utilize magnetic Joy-Cons as well, which was previously rumored for the console. It's unknown specifically when Nintendo will officially unveil the Switch successor, though it will be before the end of March.
Switch became the second-best-selling system in US history recently with 46.6 million units sold in the region. However, Nintendo DS still holds the top spot.
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