Summary
- Reports suggest the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement is slated for Thursday, January 16th.
- Interestingly, the original Switch was also unveiled on a Thursday in 2016.
A well-regarded and reliable leaker claims the Nintendo Switch 2 will be officially announced on January 16th, 2025. This early 2025 reveal strongly suggests a first-half 2025 release.
The Switch's successor has been a poorly kept secret for some time. Multiple reports indicate mass production began around late September or early October 2024, a claim supported by numerous online hardware leaks. Nintendo itself has twice committed to an official announcement before March 31st, 2025, the end of their fiscal year.
NateTheHate, a prominent leaker, revealed on his January 13th podcast that the Switch 2 announcement is set for Thursday, January 16th, citing unnamed sources. This aligns with Nintendo's history of using Thursdays for major announcements; the original Switch teaser in 2016 was released on a Thursday (October 20th). Tom Warren of The Verge corroborated this information, also hearing the reveal is planned for this week.
Nintendo Switch 2: Leaks Abound
Whether Nintendo will follow a similar pattern to the 2017 Switch launch—a small social media teaser preceding the main reveal—remains to be seen. A pre-announcement date confirmation is possible. Regardless, the reveal may not surprise many, given the extensive leaks over the past several months. The sheer volume of unofficial information has even prompted a rare acknowledgement from Nintendo regarding a Switch 2 replica.
To recap, the Switch 2 is rumored to be slightly larger than the Switch OLED model (270 x 116 x 14mm), featuring an 8-inch LCD screen. The Joy-Cons are expected to magnetically attach, with the right Joy-Con reportedly including an extra "C" button below the home key. The purpose of this button remains unclear, but it may be linked to a rumored mouse-like pointer mode for one of the Joy-Cons.
Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Lineup: A Mystery Remains
The Switch 2's launch game lineup is significantly less clear than the console itself. While My Time at Evershine and Bestiario are confirmed, neither is expected to be a day-one release, assuming a first-half 2025 launch. Nintendo will likely prioritize one or two major first-party titles for initial momentum.
Source: Nintendo of America