Will the Nintendo Switch 2 be revealed this week? Here's everything we know.

An accessories manufacturer called Genki. <a target="_blank" data-i13n="cpos:13;pos:1" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/nintendo-switch-2-mockup-revealed-by-gaming-and-tech-accessory-maker/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:accidentally leaked an alleged mockup at CES 2025 of the entire console;cpos:13;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>An alleged mock-up of the complete console was accidentally leaked at CES 2025. If the Switch 2 is coming sooner rather than later, it makes sense for accessory makers to have these types of mockups. There seems to be a mysterious “C” button at the bottom right and no one knows what it does. Could I start voice chat during the game? Could you calibrate the controllers? Could I create a room-sized hologram of Bowser in your living room? We'll have to wait and see, and there's always the chance that the button doesn't even exist.

Now, on the updated Joy-Cons, those same leaks seem to indicate a new sensor on the docking side of each controller. looks like a very similar to an optical sensorwhich is what a computer mouse uses. This has led to speculation that players will be able to flip the Joy-Con over and use it as a mouse.

But why would anyone want this? I can think of three words. New painting mario. In any case, take that whole Genki thing with a big grain of salt, since Nintendo came out and said that the The images and video were “not official.” The accessory manufacturer has also stated that His mockup was not based on a real consolebut rather “leaked information circulating in the industry.”

Is nintendo switch 2 compatible with previous versions?

If this is a Switch sequel, the next question should be about backwards compatibility. The Switch library is absolutely huge and continues to grow, so players would be rightly upset if they couldn't play. Tears of the Kingdom on its new next-generation console. There is good news on this front.

The company officially announced in a recent earnings report that the console will be fully backwards compatible. It will also have access to Nintendo Online, so users will be able to play all those old retro titles.

What about the specifications?

Rumors about the specifications are all over the place, so it's hard to pin down. One thing we know for sure: It will be more powerful than the old Switch hardware, which was already outdated in 2017. An analyst supposedly got his hands on a spec sheet for the United Korean Daily News that's what Switch 2 said It would have an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal eMMC storage. This is fine with me, as these specs are just as underpowered in 2024 as the original Switch was in 2017. However, some reports indicates that the console It would include 12 GB of RAM.

Another source suggests that the eight-core CPU will be packaged inside a processor produced by NVIDIA. Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Since the current Switch is powered by an NVIDIA chip, that makes a lot of sense. The CPU will be more powerful, but it's the Switch 2's new GPU that will be a big differentiator. It's all but confirmed that the Switch 2 will support DLSS, NVIDIA's “deep learning supersampling” upscaling technology, which would allow the console to render games at low resolution internally while outputting a high-resolution image. (Fun fact: We actually wrote about how perfect DLSS was for the Nintendo Switch 2 when the technology was announced alongside the RTX 20 series in 2018.)

There are still questions about Switch 2 and DLSS: Will the system support newer DLSS features, such as frame generation? Will NVIDIA's algorithm automatically sort existing games? Regardless of the exact implementation, the DLSS upgrade will be a big leap from the rudimentary techniques available to Nintendo Switch developers.

As for the screen, there are many conflicting rumors. Early reports from solid sources suggested that the Switch 2 would have an 8-inch LCD screen, but there have also been rumors about a 7-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. Some analysts have suggested it would be an OLED screen, while that others have said would be a Mini LED display. A Mini-LED display is basically an LCD display that has a backlight made of (surprise!) mini-LED instead of edge lighting. This allows for local dimming, making blacks blacker. I'm hedging my bets here. I think it will be a standard LCD screen, to reduce costs, with an OLED or Mini-LED model coming later. However, Mini-LED displays are slightly cheaper than OLED displays, so it's certainly a possibility at launch.

As for resolution, recent reports suggest the console will output 1080p handheld and 4K when docked. That's much better than the OG Switch.

How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?

We don't have too much information on the price, but we do have a lot of history to work with. The original Nintendo Switch launched at $300, which is pretty much the “magic number” when it comes to Nintendo console releases in recent years. The Wii U also cost $300.

However, there are many rumors circulating that Nintendo could increase the sales price of the Switch 2. Numerous media outlets I have informed that it will be $400.or potentially even more expensive. However, the same analysts who say the console will cost $400 were also pretty sure it would come out in late 2024 and, well, it looks like that's not going to happen.

Going back to history, there is some precedent for a price increase. The GameCube was $200 and the Wii was $250. The Wii U and Switch rose to $300 and, well, numbers like to go up. A $400 price tag would make it almost as expensive as a PS5 and an Xbox Series x. That would also put it at the same price as the 256GB LCD Steam Deck.

Do we know of any launch games?

No! But it's certainly been a long time since we've had a true 3D Mario adventure, right? He would be a great systems salesman. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. Beyond the prologue, we can expect something from Ubisoft and an unusual title like 1-2-Switch.

If there's a trick or hook involved with the console, we'll also get a game that takes advantage of it. A double version of Metroid Prime 4just like Breath of the wild and Twilight Princess before that, it is also a possibility. Finally, there have been rumors that the big launch title could be nothing less than mario kart 9.

That's all we know today about the Nintendo Switch 2. We'll update this article with rumors we trust and information we've gathered directly from sources. Any changes made to the article after its initial publication will be listed below.

Update, January 15, 2025, 12:10 pm ET: This story has been updated to include rumors about a possible console announcement this week.