Nintendo’s next-generation console, the successor to the Nintendo Switch, may feature magnetic Joy-Con controllers, finally eliminating the joystick drift issue that hybrid consoles are notorious for. The Nintendo Switch 2 will also reportedly come with a stronger base and a sturdier stand than its predecessor. Nintendo has yet to reveal any details about its upcoming console, but has confirmed that the Switch 2 will be released during the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2025.
Switch 2 Joy-Con Design Detailed
New details about the design and power rating of the Nintendo Switch successor console (Nintendo has yet to reveal the official name of its next-generation hybrid console) come from The Verge, citing Reddit leaker “NextHandheld” who recently shared details about the upcoming console on the Nintendo Switch 2 subreddit, claiming they have gotten their hands on the device.
In a conversation with The Verge published on Thursday, NextHandheld provided photos of the Switch 2 that reportedly show off the console’s new Joy-Con connector mechanism. The Switch 2 will likely ditch the rail system of its predecessor in favor of a magnetic connection, with a “long, round, hollow area” on either side of the screen with a 13-pin connector for the Joy-Con to magnetically snap into place. According to the leaker, connecting the Joy-Con to the Switch 2 will produce physical magnetic click feedback. To release the connection, there is a larger button on the controller connected to the magnet.
What’s more, the new controller design will reportedly utilize magnetic Hall effect joysticks to eliminate the much-maligned joystick drift issue in the Nintendo Switch. The Joy-Cons on the Switch are notorious for drifting and deteriorating over time, and Nintendo seems to have committed to fixing major flaws in subsequent consoles.
Switch 2 will reportedly get a more powerful dock
NextHandheld also told The Verge that the Switch 2 will come with a more powerful base rated at 60W, with the hybrid console itself rated at 45W. If these numbers are true, it would be an improvement over the Nintendo Switch, which offers around 18W of power from its 39W AC adapter.
Additionally, photos shared by the leaker reportedly show a U-shaped rail stand that replaces the original Switch’s flimsy stand and the OLED model’s wider stand.
Finally, according to images shared by NextHandheld, Nintendo’s next console will be officially named Nintendo Switch 2. According to reports, the leaked image of the dock includes the Nintendo Switch logo with a “2” next to it.
Nintendo has yet to announce an official name for the Switch successor. However, the company confirmed last month that the upcoming console will support backward compatibility with the Switch. The Japanese gaming giant also confirmed that Nintendo Switch Online, the company’s subscription service for the Switch, which offers online multiplayer, cloud saves, and access to a curated library of games from older consoles, will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2.