As the end of the year approaches, Nintendo fans are growing ever more restless for more information about the Nintendo Switch 2, which was long assumed to be revealed before 2025. Though there have been occasional announcements from Nintendo regarding the Switch successor, most online discussion and speculation about the forthcoming console has spawned from myriad leaks and rumors, some of which are more substantive and plausible than others.
With Nintendo confirming certain tidbits of information, like that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible and remain a hybrid system, gaming audiences have turned their attention to more tangible matters, literally; speculation has swirled about the actual physical design of the device, since the idea of it being a more direct follow-up to the Switch is somewhat unprecedented for modern Nintendo, which has historically taken a revolutionary approach with its new consoles, rather than an iterative one. One commonly touted rumor on the hardware front is that the Switch 2 will not only keep the Joy-Cons of its predecessor, but alter them to be magnetically attached to the console instead of secured by hard plastic rails. A recent leak allegedly showing a build of the Switch 2 seemingly confirms this.
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The Nintendo Switch 2 Could Have Magnetic Joy-Cons, Per a Recent Leak
The Implications of Magnetic Joy-Cons
A video stemming from Chinese video sharing platform BilliBilli shows what appears to be an iteration of the Nintendo Switch, though with Joy-Cons that look and function noticeably differently from the current Switch model. At the start of the video, a user appears to pull these controllers away from the console rather than slide them up and out, which supports the notion that the Switch 2 will have 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 serve to detach them from the console.
Assuming, for a moment, that this leak is reliable, it’s hard to say exactly why Nintendo would take this route with the new Joy-Cons. Current Joy-Con models suffer from a number of issues, including spotty connection when playing in handheld mode, so perhaps a magnetic attachment could be somehow more reliable. Magnetic controllers could also be much safer, as they could simply disengage from the console in the event of a fall or some other sort 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 functionality of current Joy-Cons.
This Joy-Con Leak Should Be Taken With a Particularly Heavy Dose of Salt
Though the BilliBilli video in question confirms previous Nintendo Switch 2 rumors, it’s far from credible. For one thing, the BilliBilli user doesn’t seem to have any credentials that would support their claims. Additionally, and more obviously, the video provided is excessively blurry and doesn’t show crucial elements of the device. It’s possible that the uploader simply has a low-quality camera, but this seems like an easy obstacle to overcome, especially for someone genuinely interested in sharing information about the Switch 2. Similarly, if the device in the video is indeed the Switch 2, it’s strange that more wasn’t shown. It could presumably get to some sort of boot screen, for instance, if it were representative of the final product.
Then again, the subject of the video appears legitimate. It’s nothing like previous “leaks” of the Nintendo Switch 2, which are obviously fake or 3D-printed. But the poor video quality and inexplicable lack of additional information definitely paints this leak in a suspicious light, so it should be taken with even more salt than usual, especially as this information spreads throughout the gaming community.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console launched in 2017, capable of being played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh coming in 2021.