Six years on from the release of the Nintendo Switch, rumours and leaks for the console’s successor are abundant. However, this latest high-profile Nintendo Switch 2 leak is one of the fakest we’ve seen yet.
Reports regarding Nintendo’s follow-up to its massively successful handheld/console hybrid are everywhere, even Microsoft has commented on the Nintendo Switch 2 release date in recent court documents.
Posted on Twitter by ChicoGamingLive, a new Nintendo Switch 2 leak claims to show off the new console’s look and controllers. However, the leaked console is obviously fake.
In one picture of controller documentation, the leak claims that the new console’s controller will slide into the device instead of attaching to the sides. The proposed next-gen Joy-Con look almost identical, but lack a home button. It also seems that you would have to slide the controllers into the device in such a way that the bumpers and triggers become flush with the outside casing of the Switch 2.
Another image of the fake Nintendo Switch 2 is a full mock-up render of the console. In this image, the Switch 2 is shown as a sizeable tablet with minuscule bezels with controllers that slap onto the sides. Furthermore, the leaked console’s dock is hilariously tiny, barely even holding the Switch 2, leaving everything exposed.
This render also decided to include a UI interface for the console that some have fallen for. Including only previously released Switch games, the fake Nintendo Switch 2 leak has a much cleaner UI than Nintendo would ever release. Additionally, the top of the fake UI is the top bar from the Apple TV application, an obvious tell.
Nintendo Switch 2 is obviously in the works, it’s been in the works for at least half-a-decade now. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot was even told by Nintendo to wait until the new console before releasing Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
However, this Nintendo Switch 2 leak isn’t it, chief. For starters, the concept is too complicated even for Nintendo, and the dock concept is far too precarious for a company that has always prioritised long-lasting build quality for its younger customers.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to release sometime in 2024 or early 2025.