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The rumors were true

It’s official: Take a first look at the Switch 2

Bigger screen and Joy-Cons, new Mario Kart, and a mouse mode?

Kyle Orland – | 208
No more leaks, it's the real thing! Credit: Nintendo
No more leaks, it's the real thing! Credit: Nintendo

After months and years of rumors and official hints, Nintendo has finally pulled back the curtain on the Switch 2 with a first-look trailer (and sparse promo website) highlighting many small changes from the old Switch.

The Switch 2 tablet, shown with original Switch Joy-Cons for scale.
Nintendo
The Switch 2 tablet, shown with original Switch Joy-Cons for scale. Nintendo
A close-up of the new USB-C port on the top of the system.
Nintendo
A close-up of the new USB-C port on the top of the system. Nintendo
An expanded kickstand can work at multiple angles.
Nintendo
An expanded kickstand can work at multiple angles. Nintendo

The short trailer shows off the Switch 2's larger tablet and screen, and a slightly more rounded edge on the top and bottom. The new system also sports an additional USB-C port on the top (next to a headphone jack) and a wider, U-shaped kickstand along the backside that can support the system at a number of wider angles.

The trailer also shows off black Joy-Cons that are significantly larger than those on the original Switch, with colored accents behind the joystick itself. An extended, colored Joy-Con "rail" on the inner edge features wider shoulder buttons and a new connector in the center. Rather than sliding in vertically, like the plastic rail on the Switch Joy-Cons, the controllers on the Switch 2 snap in horizontally with what appears to be a magnetic connection, and disconnects with the aid of a horizontal lever to the side of the shoulder buttons.

Ars Video

 

Close-up on the expanded "rail" on the inner edge of the Joy-Cons.
Nintendo
Close-up on the expanded "rail" on the inner edge of the Joy-Cons. Nintendo
A Joy-Con prepares to snap in to a mouse "holster."
Nintendo
A Joy-Con prepares to snap in to a mouse "holster." Nintendo
The Joy-Cons sliding along a table in a mouse-like fashion.
Nintendo
The Joy-Cons sliding along a table in a mouse-like fashion. Nintendo

The right Joy-Con on the Switch 2 sports an additional small, square button below the Home button. Its function is currently unknown.

Above: A short video from Nintendo's promo site shows how the Switch 2 Joy-Cons attach and detach from the tablet.

The trailer also briefly shows a small holster for the Joy-Cons that allows the controllers to slide along a table like a mouse, as previously rumored. The new console will also apparently feature a new Mario Kart game, which was shown briefly, and connect to a TV via a new dock with heavily rounded corners.

Nintendo also reconfirmed that the Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with both digital and physical Switch software, though "certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2." The subscription Nintendo Switch Online service will also persist on the Switch 2, the company said.

*Mario Kart 64 voice* Welcome to Mario Kart! Credit: Nintendo

More information on new Switch 2 software is promised for a Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2. The Nintendo Direct will be followed by a series of hands-on "Nintendo Switch 2 Experience" events that will occur "around the world." Three of those events have been announced for the US: April 4–6 in New York City; April 11–13 in Los Angeles; and April 25–27 in Dallas. Online registration for those events will take place on the afternoon of January 17.

The Switch 2 is due in 2025.

Photo of Kyle Orland
Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor
Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper.
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