Nintendo Switch 2 first look — new leak may have just given us glimpse at the design

Nintendo Switch OLED
(Image credit: Nintendo)

A trailer for a new gaming accessory by peripheral manufacturer Satisfye surfaced online this week and was quickly deleted. The trailer was for a product called the Zengrip 2, but it was most noteworthy because it may have given us our first proper look at the Nintendo Switch 2.

Before the trailer could be removed, a user named DP19 on X managed to capture the brief moment a Switch-style console was shown. Soon enough more screenshots appeared online, including one that offers a much clearer look at the console.

The console in the image looks like a regular Nintendo Switch with gray Joy-Cons. However, there is reason to think this might be the Switch 2 instead. While the shot of the console is blurry, you can clearly make out an additional button on the right Joy-Con controller. This button is not present on the current Switch and matches up with a previous Switch 2 leak.

Otherwise, the console showcased in this leaked image looks essentially indistinguishable from the first-generation Switch. If this image is indeed authentic, then Nintendo has bucked its own trend of radically reinventing the wheel each console generation and appears to have adopted an “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” mantra. Not that many would mind this approach.

Is this leaked Nintendo Switch 2 image legit?

Of course, the big question is whether this leaked image represents our first look at Nintendo Switch 2, or whether it’s just a mockup created by Satisfye for this trailer.

I fall into the latter camp. I find it hard to believe that Nintendo would give third-party accessory makers access to final design images of the currently unannounced console, especially as that would be a near guarantee of leaks. The image is likely a render created by Satisfye based on rumors.

Rumors are all we have to go on right now when it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2. The Japanese gaming giant has confirmed that it will announce its next-gen hardware before the end of its current financial year (through March 2025), and we know the machine will offer backwards compatibility feature and support Switch Online services. Otherwise, the follow-up to the best-selling and still wildly popular Switch console is shrouded in mystery.

If you want to indulge in some online speculation, the latest Switch 2 rumor claims the console will offer significantly faster loading times than its predecessor. Plus, the latest release date tip-off (and there have been many in recent months) states that Nintendo Switch 2 will be released in June or July of next year, which certainly feels plausible but is far from guaranteed.

With so many supposed leaks, unverified rumors and rampant guesswork online right now, we’re rounding up all the latest tidbits in our dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 hub. Though at this point we’re hoping that Nintendo talks Switch 2 on the record sooner rather than later as we’d love some concrete details to analyze rather than obsessing over blurry screenshots.

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Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

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