After weeks of leaks and wild speculation, Nintendo has finally announced the Switch 2, the long-awaited successor to its wildly popular hybrid handheld console. The game maker released a two-minute teaser today for a first look at the console, a handheld device that looks a lot like the original Switch, but bigger.
Nintendo also announced on Thursday that it will be holding a specific presentation to provide more information about the Switch on April 2. In the video announcement Nintendo released a large screen with a pair of black and pink, and black and blue, Joy-Cons. The video looks like a new joke Mario Kart a game with images that are displayed for a few seconds.
The handheld will play both Switch 2 and Switch games, Nintendo said in a press release, but added that “some Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.”
The original Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, at a time when Nintendo was still recovering from poor sales of its previous console, the Wii U. When the Wii U failed to find an audience, however, the Switch rose to the top. By 2023, it was the third best-selling console of all time behind Nintendo’s DS and the PlayStation 2, a position it still holds.
By 2024, however, it seemed that the console had reached its peak. Sales were falling, and rumors were already spreading that the next version was coming. About a year ago, when Nintendo announced Pokémon Legends: ZA will come to its “plans” in 2025, fans speculate that a new console is just around the corner. (Never mind that the plural “systems” here would just refer to the Switch’s Lite and OLED models.)
In May of last year, the company promised to reveal the new console in April 2025. Last month, information and alleged images of the device leaked from manufacturers, and later on platforms such as Reddit and X.
Nintendo diehards, at least, have been having fun with leaks—whether it’s using Tarot card readings to predict the announcement date, or making spoofs about features like “imported Italian air” or screws. “It has 10 grooves. So reveal January 10,” one Reddit user joked. One created a “calling circle” full of old games and Mario and Luigi figurines.
The next generation Switch will be released into a very different console ecosystem than its predecessor. In 2022, Steam released the handheld Steam Deck, allowing players to take multiple PC games on the go. During CES this year, Microsoft’s “Next Generation” VP, Jason Ronald, noted to The Verge that there will be updates this year to the Windows gaming experience. Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, also hinted at the possibility of a portable Xbox device.