The wait will have been as interminable as the comments surrounding the slightest rumor will have been numerous. Nintendo has finally revealed the first official images of its future star console, the Switch 2.
We are there. After long and painful months of leaks, rumors, comments, more or less inspired analyzes and often calamitous predictions, Nintendo put an end to the ordeal for everyone, by officially unveiling the Switch 2. Moreover without fanfare, in a form of communication that hardly resembles it, by publishing almost without warning a short video finally revealing its new console to the whole world.
On this Thursday, January 16, 2025, the Japanese manufacturer is therefore rewarding us with a nice trailer of just over two minutes, in which the Switch 2 finally shows up. The staging is also quite successful, with a first Switch of the name which gradually transforms into its descendant, in order to clearly highlight the developments between the two generations. Although this formalization is welcome, little concrete information has nevertheless been revealed, and we will still have to wait two and a half months before learning more about Nintendo’s new gaming machine.
Nintendo Switch 2: a winning formula gently refined
As one might expect, Nintendo has not started a complete overhaul of its console, as it did with the transition from the Wii U to the Switch. All the features that made the small hybrid gaming machine so successful have been retained and improved. The console therefore still consists of a central part, a sort of touchscreen tablet, on the sides of which the controllers, the famous Joy-Cons, are grafted, which now seem to fit together directly via a magnetic attachment system.
The most notable change, and the one that is immediately obvious in the video, concerns the dimensions of the console. Although no precise measurements are given at this stage, we can clearly see that the Switch 2’s screen benefits from a larger diagonal, and that the Joy-Cons lengthen as a result. The triggers and joysticks also seem to have been reworked, in order to offer better grip and precision, which is not a luxury when we know to what extent the Joy-Cons of the first Switch of the name were particularly unergonomic.
On the side of the body of the console (the “tablet” between the two controllers), the edges are more rounded and the kickstand on the back, which allows the console to be placed on a flat surface, has been completely redesigned and now offers a adjustable and much wider tilt angle. In terms of connectivity, the Switch 2 has a second USB Type-C port on the upper edge, in addition to the one already present on the lower edge as on the previous model, as well as a classic audio port in 3.5 mm jack, for connecting headphones or a pair of earphones.
Aesthetically, the first visuals shared by Nintendo reveal a classic design but more sober than that of its big sister for the Switch 2. The blue and red controllers, emblematic of the first Switch of the name, become almost entirely gray for the Switch 2. occasion, and the console’s characteristic color touches are relegated to the magnetic attachment system and the base of the joysticks. It’s more discreet and overall quite elegant.
The dock, that is to say the docking station which allows you to recharge the console and connect it to a television or an external screen, also has a small facelift, with rounded corners and the “2” proudly displayed. This is purely cosmetic, and what interests us most, namely the technical improvements of the dock (graphics scaling capabilities, numbers of HDMI and USB ports, etc.) remain completely unknown at the moment.
Nintendo Switch 2: price, launch dates, backwards compatibility
At the end of 2 minutes and 22 seconds of this “trailer”, it is an understatement to say that Nintendo leaves us a little unsatisfied. The Japanese manufacturer has not revealed any precise technical information, nor the price or the launch date of its future console. We feel that the company, overwhelmed and quite annoyed (not to say very annoyed) by the multiple indiscretions of its commercial partners over the last few months, has had to comply with a poorly controlled emergency communication exercise.
For a company accustomed to almost absolute control over its calendar and its communication, and which has elevated the culture of secrecy to the rank of cult, we suspect that the potion must have been bitter, and that the firm would certainly have preferred to reveal its news console in better conditions. Moreover, the fact that the appointment for the official presentation of the Switch 2 is set for April 2, 2025, that is to say in more than two months, further accredits this feeling of precipitation.
As for the little information that we can try to deduce from the meager images revealed today, the very probable development of a new Mario Kart game, of which we can see images scrolling on the console screen and on a television during the video. This is not really a scoop but rather a confirmation, since rumors on this subject have been circulating for quite a while, and the last original game in the license, Mario Kart 8, is already more than ten years old. counter.
Finally, as we announced to you last November, Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with games from the first Switch of the name. Titles developed for the previous console can therefore be used on the new one, whether they were purchased in physical or digital version. Nintendo, however, warns players of possible incompatibilities in certain games, as can be seen in the video extract below.
Excellent news for all owners of the original Switch, who will therefore be able to continue to enjoy their games library with the new addition, and even continue their games of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom or Super Mario Party Jamboree started on the previous model.
Although the information revealed today is quite meager, it will at least perhaps have the merit of calming the rather painful frenzy that has been going on for several months around the slightest leaks and rumors surrounding the console. The Switch 2 exists, it has been shown, all that remains now is to wait wisely (and patiently) for Nintendo to reveal a little more about its future champion.