A new cycle of Nintendo Switch 2 rumors is upon us, as a surprising source has corroborated what would have otherwise been some throwaway claims.
The rumors initially came from the Facebook page of video game peripheral company Mobapad. We’ll get back to these below
Pyoro, the famously reliable leaker for Nintendo related video game rumors, commented on this:
“It appears that this info has been divulged to some manufacturers & Nintendo influencers in China for a while. Such info has been mentioned in some private discussions, while my main source can’t verify it.
I mean, such info has been mentioned in some private discussions before this report.”
Aside from Pyoro lending some credence to the rumor, a rumor from last week spread that the Switch 2’s controllers will drop rails for magnetic attachments.
But now, we have even crazier information, as Mobapad has flat out made an English language post on their website about what they know. We’ll summarize below, as some parts are more interesting than others:
The Switch 2 inherits the form factor, functionality, and hybrid design, of the original Switch. It will play original Switch cartridges and the Switch digital library, but Switch 2 carts won’t work on the original console.
It will get an 8 inch screen that supports 1080p, but we should emphasize that this is on portable mode. The dock will still use the same usb connector at the bottom, but will scale the graphics up to 4K.
The dock will also have some changes to look better, including a damping bracker at the back to allow for more angles. Whether that means you can look at the screen while it’s displayed on the TV remains to be seen.
The most interesting aspect are the Generation 2 Joy-Cons. Mobapad claims they are larger now, and they now attach to the console via electromagnetic suction. This is not a mistranslation, it’s a real technology that’s similar to the much hyped hall effect that’s supposed to make joysticks indestructible. You can watch a video demonstrating electromagnetic suction in a school setting here.
Astoundingly, Mobapad claims it’s the SL and SR buttons (AKA the extra buttons at the side that attaches to the Switch) that are magnetic! If there’s no additional function to them being magnetic, it’s at least a very clever piece of hardware design.
Aside from that, Nintendo has also added three additional inputs to the Generation 2 Joy-Cons. There are an additional pair of buttons on the sides, next to the L & R and ZL & ZR buttons, and the third button is below the home button on the right Joy-Con.
So, what else is there to say? Obviously if Mobapad felt confident to share all this information on their website, it’s very likely to be true. It could also mean Mobapad has nothing to worry about, as Nintendo may be set to reveal the Switch 2 soon. We can’t wait to see it.