Nintendo Switch 2 reveal: When it might happen and what we know already

For nearly eight years, the Nintendo Switch has found a huge foothold in the gaming world, coming dangerously close to having sold 150 million lifetime units at the time of writing. But eight years is a long time for a video game console to be on the market. Naturally, there will be a new one, and we think we'll find out about it soon.

Very soon, actually. A recent flurry of "insider" leaks and genuine news reporting point to this week as when we will finally learn about the Nintendo Switch 2. After years of speculation, we may actually have some answers about the most talked-about thing in video games these days. Of course, it could also not happen, which would make me look very silly.

But let's assume this is the real thing. Here's what you need to know about the impending Switch 2 reveal, as well as some info about what to expect from the console itself.

Nintendo Switch 2 reveal: When is it and what will we see?

Let's get the bad news out of the way first: We don't know when Nintendo will show us the Switch 2. In fact, we don't even know that it's actually called "Switch 2." That's just the assumption right now. However, we know it exists and we'll see it soon. Nintendo confirmed all the way back in May 2024 that the "successor to Nintendo Switch" will be announced before the end of the fiscal year.

You might be thinking: "It's already 2025! Where was the announcement?" One fun thing about corporations is that they make up their own silly little calendars, and Nintendo's fiscal calendar ends on March 31, 2025. That, dear readers, is the deadline by which we will see Nintendo Switch 2 in all of its glory.

That said, it almost certainly won't take that long for Nintendo to show us the Switch 2. Multiple sources, from credible outlets such as VGC and The Verge to a podcast with a good track record called Nate the Hate, are pointing to Thursday, Jan. 16 as the day when we will see the Switch 2. According to all of these reports, which came about independently and at least seem believable, Nintendo will do an initial hardware unveiling on Thursday that won't focus very much on games, so much as it will focus on letting you know the Switch 2 exists.

According to the same reports, there will be another event in February or March to showcase software. This is similar to how Nintendo handled the launch of the original Switch; it was announced with a quick trailer video in Oct. 2016, expanded upon with a bigger software-focused event in Jan. 2017, and on store shelves in March 2017.

Nintendo Switch 2: How is it different from the original Switch?

Without an official announcement, it's hard to say definitively what the Switch 2 actually is. However, there have been so many leaks and reports that we can piece together a decent picture from here.

First off, just about everyone expects the Switch 2 to be, well, a more powerful Nintendo Switch. That means it will still be a hybrid handheld/home console device with detachable Joy-Con controllers and an included dock for outputting to a television. All of that has been the expectation for a while, but in case there was any doubt, a third-party accessory company called Genki was parading around a mockup (theoretically based on measurements provided by Nintendo) of the device behind closed doors at CES earlier in January.

If that mockup is to be believed, the new unit will be larger than the original Switch, with a bigger display to match the new size. The Joy-Cons are said to attach magnetically this time around, rather than sliding on or off on a rail. Internal specs have supposedly leaked out from the shipping and manufacturing sectors, too. According to known leaker Centro Leaks, the new console will have 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The original Switch launched with just 4GB of RAM and a mere 32GB of internal storage, so those are pretty big leaps.

Nintendo Switch 2 games list: The rumors so far

As for games, that part is even more murky. The aforementioned news reports about the reveal date also included info about possible launch (or launch window) games. According to those sources, Mario Kart 9 is likely to be released at or close to the launch of Switch 2, alongside third-party contributions like Assassin's Creed: Mirage, Final Fantasy VII: Remake, and according to a different leak, Red Dead Redemption 2.

If that's a disappointing list to you, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, none of it is official. Second, even if all of those are real, they likely only represent a small portion of what will be available early in the Switch 2's life. Third, those are all really nice-looking games that definitely couldn't run on an original Switch, and Nintendo is probably out to prove that this thing can run modern AAA games to some extent. Remember, the first third-party game ever shown running on a Switch was Skyrim, which was six years old at the time.