With certain accessory manufacturers blowing the lid on their upcoming Switch 2 merchandise, the rumor mill for Nintendo’s hotly anticipated followup console is growing stronger by the day. Following some “leaks” from Reddit that showed another mockup of the device, a new set of rumors coming from The Verge suggests that the Switch 2 will have some massively upgraded Joy-Con and even a better-designed dock.
To recap a little, following Dbrand’s posting of a Switch 2 render, a user on Reddit named “NextHandheld” claimed to have seen and touched a finalized retail unit of Nintendo’s next console. While they couldn’t show any pictures publicly for fear of invoking Nintendo’s lawyers, they described a ton of details that were more specific than past rumors. Wishing to get to the bottom of things, The Verge spoke privately with the user and has peeled back even more information.
The first bit of new info concerns the Joy-Con and its slight redesign. We’ve heard rumors of a magnetic connector replacing the current rail system and that is apparently true. The Reddit user claims there is a click when connecting or disconnecting the Joy-Con from the Switch 2 with a larger button on the back used to remove them from the console. The best change deals with the joysticks, themselves. As we had hoped for in one of our wishlist pieces, the new controllers will have Hall Effect joysticks to practically eliminate stick drift.
Another significant change for the Switch 2 comes in the form of its kickstand. The original Switch launched with a rather unique idea for dropping the console up in handheld mode with its singular kickstand. It was kind of flimsy and not very adjustable, but the Switch OLED model redesigned it to not only encompass the entire back of the device but also have a modular height setting. The Switch 2 will reportedly have a U-shaped stand that retains the modular height but allows for a sleeker appearance.
The last big change deals with the dock. The design, itself, isn’t too different, but there are reportedly feet on the back of it that can allow the console to be placed horizontally. This is probably to better accommodate different home theater setups as pulling the Switch out from the top while under a cabinet can be difficult. The power supply in the dock is also rated for 60 watts, which is higher than the current dock and suggests that this device will require more power.
Overall, this rumor feels like the most plausible one yet. We already have a sighting of what the final design of the console will be thanks to Dbrand, but the constant rumors hinting at these very changes make it feel realistic. We won’t know for certain until Nintendo finally pulls back the curtain, but this is likely to wind up true.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
