A new Nintendo Switch 2 leak claims the new handheld’s joy-con controllers will connect magnetically to the console instead of sliding on.
Alleged Nintendo Switch 2 specs leaked a while back, but no official word has been released on the project’s existence. However, a new leak claims that the controllers, known as joy-con, will connect in a very different way.
Spanish games outlet Vendal, via VGC, claims that the Nintendo Switch 2 controllers will snap onto the side of the handheld magnetically. The current version of the small removal controllers use rails and a connector to mount them on the side.
This wouldn’t be the first portable console to have magnetic controllers. For example, the Android-based Switch rip-off Pimax Portal and the PC-based Lenovo Legion Go both use magnetic connections for their joy-con clones which also allows the devices to charge over time.
Venda’s reports that some peripherals will remain compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 such as the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. It’s also likely that any controller that connects via USB will also be able to still be used on the new device.
However, the functionality of the original Switch’s joy-con has been thrown into question. While each joy-con does offer a sync button for wireless connections, they likely won’t be able to be charged by the Nintendo Switch 2 natively.
At the time of writing, no Nintendo Switch 2 release date has been announced. However, multiple leaks have suggested a late 2024 or early 2025 release. If recent reports are to be believed, the console could release in March 2025, exactly eight years after the original Switch console.
Nintendo Switch 2 dev kits are currently available to developers with tech demos already shown off by Nintendo. With features such as DLSS image reconstruction and hardware accelerated ray-tracing, the upcoming handheld is expected to beat a PlayStation 4 in terms of performance.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has not been officially revealed by Nintendo.