Nintendo Switch 2 release date leaked at CES as new Joy-Cons video released-Adam Starkey-Entertainment – Metro

The leak floodgates have opened (Amazon.co.jp)

Nintendo’s Switch successor have invaded CES in Las Vegas, as an accessory company claims to know when the console will launch.

While we don’t officially know anything about Nintendo’s next console, aside from it being backwards compatible, an ongoing tsunami of leaks has made it very plain what the new hardware looks like.

We’ve already seen videos of the seemingly magnetic Joy-Cons, a bunch of images showing the console and the dock, along with rumours that the system’s controllers could operate like a computer mouse, but now more evidence has emerged at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas.

According to multiple reports, accessory company Genki is showing off a Nintendo Switch 2 replica behind closed doors at the tech event this week, while also claiming to have information about the console’s launch window.

The mock-up is being used to demonstrate eight accessories Genki has planned for the new console, including controllers and a docking station. The company also claims to have a final unit of the console, which this replicated model has allegedly been based on.

According to a report from French publication Numerama, who went hands-on with the replica, the Switch 2 model is ‘larger’ than the original Switch and introduces a second USB-C port on the top of the console, which lines up with prior leaks.

The report also claims Genki’s accessories for the Switch 2 will all launch at the same time as the console ‘in April’, a date which has been rumoured in the past.

Are these what the new Joy-Cons will look like? (Genki)

According to a separate hands-on report on Netzwelt, the Joy-Cons are removed from the dummy console by pulling them from the side, instead of sliding upwards like the original Switch, presumably because of the rumoured magnetic feature.

A video on X of the Genki replica shows how the Joy-Cons attach to the console, with a back pedal (also leaked before) on the controller being the release mechanism. On one mock-up, a plastic flap is seen wrapping around the controllers, but this is presumably because it is a 3D print and doesn’t have the magnetic functionality.

The Genki mock-up also features the mysterious new button on the right Joy-Con which has been the source of much discussion already, although it is not labelled the ‘C’ button, as in prior leaks. There are images of an optical sensor inside the Joy-Con too, which might be tied to the recently rumoured mouse-like functionality.

Following these reports, Genki has since posted the full video of the Switch 2 replica on its website. This shows off the console mock-up, a circular dock, and charging stations for the Joy-Con controllers. Interestingly, the Joy-Cons shown here have coloured joysticks in baby blue and orange, the exact colour scheme touted in a previous leak.

You might be wondering why Genki isn’t being sued into the ground for releasing all this information if it is true, but the company is apparently not an official partner with Nintendo, so it can show these accessories in advance without breaking any contract.

This is likely a similar scenario with other companies like Dbrand, who claimed to have information last month. Nevertheless, Nintendo is unlikely to be unhappy with them spoiling so many of their secrets.

While this could be a well-made replica, based on all the leaked information already out there, Genki is a respected manufacturer and is unlikely to be faking anything.. Coupled with the sheer amount of leaks over recent weeks, it’s hard not to believe this is, at the very least, close to the final design.

If the Switch 2 is set to launch in April, that means Nintendo will have to announce the console very soon – with many expecting a reveal at some point in January.

Is this the Switch 2? (Genki)

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