Nintendo has commented on the various mockups and photos of the Switch 2 that have leaked in recent days, insisting that they are not official.
The Japanese branch of CNET has issued a statement in response to accessory maker Genki’s Switch 2 mockup, which it showed off at CES 2025 in Las Vegas and showed off to the press. According to Automaton, Nintendo told CNET that “the gaming hardware Genki presented as Nintendo hardware at CES is unofficial and was not provided to the company by us.”
Genki also released a video showing a render of the Switch 2, which followed numerous leaked images of the next-gen console. Automaton said Nintendo told Japan’s Sankei Shimbun that these images and videos “are not official.”
IGN caught up with Genki at CES 2025 to learn more about its Switch 2 mockup. At the time, Genki insisted that the mockup was based on a real Switch 2 system that it had seen and used as the basis for its accessories. A representative for Genki expressed surprise at the fervor surrounding the company’s mockup, saying he felt all the information about the Switch 2 had already leaked and that Genki wasn’t saying anything new. “I didn’t expect this much media attention, to be honest,” they told IGN at CES.
Now, Genki appears to have reversed course. Automaton reported that a Genki representative admitted to Japanese publication Game*Spark that its Switch 2 mockup was based on leaked information circulating in the industry and that the official size of its product was undecided. Genki also reportedly admitted that he hasn’t actually seen Nintendo’s next-gen console, despite saying so just a few days ago.
While the Genki mockup appears to add significant weight to a growing number of past leaks about what the Switch 2 will be, it’s worth noting that Nintendo has yet to officially reveal anything about the system, and all these Claims are subject to change or complete debunking. . An official announcement is expected in the first quarter of this yearby Nintendo.
Other reports suggest that the Joy-Con’s supposed sensor could be used to turn the controller into a mouse. Meanwhile, purported retail listings for Switch 2 Express MicroSD cards suggest that the console supports the new SD card standard in 256GB and 512GB forms.
So what was Genki’s Switch 2 mockup based on if it wasn’t real Nintendo hardware? Following the appearance of alleged images of the internal components of the Nintendo Switch 2fresh pictures allegedly showing the next-gen console’s Joy-Con appeared online late last week. The images, which show a left Joy-Con, were reportedly first posted on a Chinese social media website before spreading to the Nintendo Switch 2 subreddit and Western social media.
They include larger SL and SR buttons than on the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, which is to be expected given that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be a larger console than the original. These new Joy-Cons would have ditched the rail lock method used by the current Switch in favor of electromagnetic suction controllers.
In September, unverified images – a mix of computer-aided design (CAD) images and printed circuit board (PCB) photos – allegedly originated from a Chinese website before being posted on Reddit, depicted a device similar to the existing Switch console but with a larger screen and magnetic Joy-Con. There would also be a USB-C port on the top and bottom of the console.
The images were accompanied by a purported specs list mentioning 12GB of RAM (the original Switch had 4GB) and 256GB of internal storage (the original Switch had 32GB). There appears to be a new “C” button on the right Joy-Con, but no one seems to know what it’s for.
We also have a patentfiled in July 2023 but first published last week, which describes AI image scaling technology that would help keep video game download sizes small enough to fit on a game cartridge physical while offering textures up to 4K.
Here’s what we know for sure: Nintendo has confirmed that the yet-to-be-announced Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with the original Switch games and will feature Nintendo Switch Online.. Nintendo also said it will announce the Switch 2 by the end of March 2025, meaning the reveal is just around the corner. As for the release date, the console is not expected to launch during Nintendo’s current fiscal yearit will therefore arrive in April 2025 at the earliest.
We even have developers openly state that they plan to release their next games on the consolewith others are teasing a Switch 2 version for their games. When Switch 2 finally releases, Nintendo expects to have plenty of stock availablewhich will hopefully combat scalping.
Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
