Mario
Image: Nintendo Life

Over the weekend there's been a flurry of Switch 2-related activity online, with unsubstantiated details and mock-ups for the officially-not-yet-revealed console doing the rounds on social media.

Following on from accessory makers such as iVolver and Dbrand putting out images and dimensions of the Switch 2, NextHandheld on Reddit claims to have seen and handled (though not played) the final retail hardware and has been fielding questions from curious fans.

Joking that they've come from the future and providing evidence only to Reddit mod MacksNotCool, much of the information lines up with previous leaks and rumours. So, the system is apparently slightly larger than the current Switch, has magnetic Joy-Con, a U-shaped kickstand, an extra USB-C port on the top, etc.

MacksNotCool caveats the evidence they've seen in an edited post at the top of the thread:

"This leaker was able to confirm that they are (at least to some extent) telling the truth about having information that hasn't leaked yet (Or they are a really good hoaxer)".

Definitely legit, unless it isn't, then. The OP has requested people stop DM-ing asking for a look at the proof themselves, so we're firmly in great-fistfuls-of-salt territory. Although that hasn't stopped others from mocking up images based on the info.

The logo below is based on claims the Joy-Con in the current Switch logo shift to the left to make room for a '2'. mjayer on Reddit mocked up the logo and the console based on recent screen size and dimension details:

mjayer has taken some creative licence with colourways (NextHandheld claims to have seen a grey console, and wrote that "there is a white one too and a third game related theme one"), and isn't the only fan to get creative, with concept mock-ups from stardew92 and others including a shorter dock with curved edges and imagining how the still-visible screen might display things while docked:

Other claims by NextHandheld about Switch 2 include:

So, what to make of all this? It all sounds feasible enough, and the details line up with equally feasible-sounding information that's made its way onto the internet from various sources over the past few months. Nintendo will obviously be showing the system to development partners at this stage. And despite the red flags raised when accessory makers put out renders for clout, it's reasonable to assume official CAD models for the system are in the wild.

Plenty to chew on until Nintendo finally puts us out of our misery, then, but crucially this all remains unverified and distinctly 'Hmm'. With fans thirstier than ever for new details as the inevitable reveal draws closer, just remember to keep your salt handy in the coming weeks. And 'think lasers', apparently?

[source reddit.com]