Nintendo is inching closer to the promised deadline to reveal the Switch's successor by April 2025. But new leaks from case makers appear to reveal exactly what Nintendo's next console could look like and some notable improvements it could have with compared to the original Switch.
We were inspired to write this article first by Dbrand's newly announced “Killswitch 2” case. The product website. features a moving rendering of the case and, inside, a hardware mockup that has some key differences from the Switch and Switch OLED: the new console appears to be larger and has a mysterious new second button on the Joy-Con. With below the Home button. Accessory leaks in recent days have shown a similar effect. potential design for the hardware.
It seems Dbrand is reasonably confident in its case, but we asked CEO Adam Ijaz to be sure. He says Dbrand has “real dimensions” (not an educated guess) based on a “3D scan of real hardware.” (When asked how he knows that, Ijaz just said, “Nice try, Nintendo.”.“)
According to Dbrand's measurements, the next Switch (which we'll call Switch 2) will be larger and taller than Nintendo's Switch OLED, but about the same thickness. Nintendo Spec Sheet shows that its previous handheld is 242mm wide, 102mm high and 13.9mm thick, while Ijaz says the Switch 2 should measure 270mm wide, 116mm high and 14mm thick, and the console part occupies 200 mm of that width.
Ijaz also says that the kickstand will still measure about half the height of the console, around 55mm; The diagonal measurement of the glass cover supports previous rumors that it will have an 8-inch screen.
Ijaz says it's his “understanding” that the Joy-Cons are “magnetically attached” with an “eject button” that's on the back of the Joy-Cons near the top, and his new case takes advantage of the detachable controllers; It says that the controller parts of the Dbrand case may come off with them inside.
He doesn't know which second square button is below the Home button, which he says has a “C” printed on it. The left Joy-Con on Dbrand's mockup still has a button on the left Joy-Con, which is where you'll find the capture button on the original Switch, so it's unclear if this “C” button now stands for capture or If both buttons work differently. (Nintendo originally introduced the C buttons on the Nintendo 64 controller in 1996 as a way to control a game's camera, before gamepads introduced a second joystick to let you change perspective.)
Ijaz says the joysticks measure 6.27mm tall and the D-pad and ABXY buttons protrude 1.57mm, with a 180mm wide kickstand and rear triggers extending 9.1mm.
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While Dbrand seems to know a lot about the console, Ijaz is “really unsure” about its possible release date. However, he says Dbrand is working to launch its case in late March or early April. Ijaz also doesn't know about Nintendo's possible TV dock for the Switch 2, but says Dbrand's guess is that “the form factor will be similar to the previous generation.” You don't know if the screen will be LCD or OLED.
While it's highly unusual for an accessory maker to publicly reveal so much about a product from a powerful and litigious company like Nintendo, it's no surprise that it's Dbrand that's stepping forward. Getting in trouble with console makers is an intentional (and often fun!) part of their marketing strategy, and Nintendo is a frequent target, like that Zelda mask that gave the middle finger to Nintendo's lawyers, or that of “(not) Animal Crossing.” .
Much of what Dbrand shows and what Ijaz says aligns with a SwitchUp video showing what it calls a Switch 2 mockup sent by a case manufacturer. That mockup is clearly larger than the current Switch OLED, and the new Joy-Cons are clearly larger than the old Joy-Cons. You can also see the second square button below the home button, the larger button below the triggers that presumably ejects them from the console, and a wide kickstand similar to the one on the Switch OLED.
Another nice addition? A second USB-C port on the top of the mockup, which in theory means you'll be able to plug in a charging cable while using it in tabletop mode; With the current Switch, the charging port on the bottom gets blocked when you place it on a table.
While we're still waiting for Nintendo to announce concrete details about the Switch 2, the company has shared that the console will be able to play current Switch games and will also have Nintendo Switch Online.
Correction, December 13: Ijaz says he mistimed the Switch 2's triggers; they extend 9.1mm, not 14.1mm.
