The era of the rumor mill is over: The Nintendo Switch 2 is just a better Switch. That’s fine.
For years—YEARS—Nintendo fans have been craving the announcement to the successor of the Nintendo Switch. Pining for it, even. The Nintendo Switch is on track to become the best-selling gaming system of all time, after all. Its successor is bound to be a huge deal. It got so intense, for the last year, Nintendo has felt the need to say ahead of time that their Directs wouldn’t have information about the successor to the Switch.
Perhaps that’s why, on the morning of January 16, 2025, the first-look trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2 simply dropped online. It’s here. The Switch 2 is real, and it’s coming out in 2025.
Granted, if you’ve been paying attention to gaming news this week, there were signs this might happen. A seemingly credible leak came out on Monday saying the Switch 2 would be announced on Thursday. But Nintendo usually announces even a teaser drop a day in advance, which made many believe the leak was false. After all, if I had a dime for how many times a leak purported the announcement of the Switch 2, I could probably buy at least Balatro.
But enough of the drama behind the announcement itself. What’s this bad boy like?
It’s really just a second Switch
Ahead of reveal of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom‘s title, you might remember that fans colloquially called the game “Breath of the Wild 2,” whereas Nintendo insisted on calling it “the successor to Breath of the Wild.” I assumed the same thing would happen with “the successor to the Nintendo Switch.” But no, it really is the Switch 2.
The two-minute first-look trailer is pretty light on details, actually. The main point it illustrates is that both the screen and the Joy-Cons are bigger. It’s not as big as Acer’s new and ridiculous $1099 “handheld” system, but it seems like an upgrade. (Upon seeing the Joy-Cons grow, my partner, a man with large hands who isn’t even a huge gamer, screamed, “NICE.”)
Instead of the iconic “snap” of sliding into the sides, the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons just kind of pop right in there. Anyone who’s ever struggled with aligning the – and + signs of the Joy-Cons with their covers must surely rejoice. The system’s new kick-stand would be a limbo champion, allowing the Switch to basically go flat.
But that’s pretty much all we know. The trailer shows some very sharp-looking Mario Kart footage, but that tease tells us less about the Switch 2’s specs and more that we can expect an announcement for Mario Kart 9 in the near future (which very exciting indeed). Two of the biggest questions surrounding the Switch 2—what kind of graphics it will support and whether the dread Joy-Con drift has been fixed—remain a mystery.
What are the reactions like?
The Switch 2 is simply an upgraded Switch. To me, this is fine. Good, even. Why back away from a concept no one’s tired of yet? Even the snobbiest of gamers still (sometimes secretly) have a soft spot for their Switch. I’m absolutely elated to anticipate bigger, better Switch in my arsenal.
Still, social media is the beast that it is, so I imagined a lot of people taking shots at the Switch 2’s “sameness.” There was definitely some of that, with some jokes better than others.
But to my surprise, most people are just relieved that the long, long era of the Switch 2 rumor mill is finally over. Which … is a great and valid reaction, honestly.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a while for more information about the Switch 2. The end of the trailer says there will be a Nintendo Direct about it on “4.2.2025”—which, unfortunately, is April 4, not February 2. Still, the Switch 2 is coming out this year, and it is finally announced. Rejoice!
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