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Nintendo isn\u2019t officially at CES, but it might have stolen the show anyway: accessories-maker Genki brought a 3D-printed mockup of what it says is Nintendo\u2019s Switch successor, and we got to hold it and take some high-resolution pictures. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Based on the mockup of what we\u2019ll call the Switch 2, Nintendo\u2019s next console appears to be wider than the original, with slightly larger Joy-Con controllers that seem like they\u2019ll be more comfortable to hold. Compared to a Steam Deck OLED, the Switch 2 mockup still feels noticeably smaller, in part because the Joy-Cons are not as pronounced and ergonomic as the Deck\u2019s grips. But the mockup still feels closer in size to Valve\u2019s handheld than the original Switch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
As previous rumors have indicated, the Switch 2\u2019s Joy-Cons will attach to the console via magnets instead of a sliding rail, Genki cofounder and CEO Eddie Tsai tells The Verge<\/em>. To detach a Joy-Con from the Switch 2, you press a big button at the top of the backside of each controller, Tsai says, and that button apparently pushes out a pin that nudges against the chassis of the console, disconnecting the magnets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You can remove the Joy-Cons with brute force if you really wanted to, according to Tsai, but he says, overall, they feel secure for regular use and that the big release button detaches the Joy-Cons with ease. Tsai declined to share where he\u2019d learned details of the new console.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Tsai also tells The Verge<\/em> that housed within the mounting channel of the Joy-Cons is an optical sensor, and by using another attachment the new Joy-Cons may offer mouse-like functionality. It sounds a bit like what Lenovo does with its Legion Go handheld<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nintendo has promised that it will announce the Switch\u2019s successor before April 2025<\/a>, and as that deadline creeps closer, there have been waves of leaks and rumors about the new hardware. In December, YouTube channel SwitchUp posted a video<\/a> showing a 3D-printed, non-functional Switch 2 mockup provided by a Chinese case manufacturer. That mockup basically looked like the current Switch but bigger, and it revealed a few other potential changes like a new USB-C port on the top of the device and a mysterious new square button under the Home button on the right Joy-Con.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Days later, accessories-maker Dbrand announced its \u201cKillswitch 2\u201d case, and CEO Adam Ijaz told The Verge<\/em><\/a> that it was designed based on \u201cactual dimensions\u201d\u00a0based on a \u201c3D scan of the real hardware.\u201d Ijaz also said that it was his \u201cunderstanding\u201d that the console\u2019s Joy-Cons are magnetically attached. And Dbrand\u2019s imagery showed that the new square button had a \u201cC\u201d printed on it, though Ijaz didn\u2019t know what it was. Days after that, our colleague Sean Hollister spoke with a Redditor who shared apparent photos of the Switch 2\u2019s dock<\/a> and the\u00a0inside\u00a0of what appears to be a Switch 2 Joy-Con.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n With that April 2025 deadline inching closer every day, it seems like it won\u2019t be long until Nintendo officially, finally reveals the Switch 2. But until that happens, at least we have these pictures to look at.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n