The Nintendo Switch 2 docked with a TV behind it.
Nintendo
Nintendo on Thursday said its long-awaited new Switch 2 hybrid will be available this year, touting a bigger screen and controllers, as the company looks to breathe new life into its struggling hardware business.
The business showed off the Switch 2 in a video trailer. The start of the clip features a current version of the console before detaching the two “joy-con” controllers to expand the size of the tablet they attach onto. The video then shows the joy cons growing in size and changing to a matte black color.
The joysticks and controller covers come in light blue and red variations. The joy con covers appear to be able to connect to the controllers magnetically when removed from the Switch 2’s main tablet when propping the console up on its stand or docking it to play via a home TV.
The Switch 2 also features an improved kickstand that’s U-shaped and can be placed further back, to the point where the console’s position is almost flat on a surface. The look of the device is similar to mock-ups that were leaked online in the lead-up to the Switch 2’s official announcement.
Nintendo didn’t give a release date for the Switch 2, but said it would reveal more details during its next “Nintendo Direct” online event on April 2. The company revealed that the Switch 2 is backward compatible, meaning users will be able to play old Switch games on the new model.
Nintendo is hoping that the Switch 2 will help boost console sales. The current-generation Switch was released way back in March 2017 and has now reached an almost eight-year lifetime. Most console makers tend to wait roughly six to seven years before replacing them with a new model.
Nintendo took in net profit of 27.7 billion Japanese yen ($178.2 million) in its September quarter, down around 69% year-over-year. Company revenues sank 17% year-over-year to 276.7 billion Japanese yen.
