Nintendo Switch 2 Console And Dock Pictured But Are They Actually Real?
There has been a noticeable increase in leaks and rumors pertaining to Nintendo's next-generation handheld, which is widely referred to as the Switch 2 (until Nintendo says otherwise). From purported specs to interesting design language changes (including magnetic Joy-Con controllers), there is a fair amount of unverified information to wade through. One we can add to the pile is a pair of pictures purporting to show the Switch 2 and its accompanying dock in the flesh.
The allegedly leaked photos are creating quite the stir on X/Twitter. Not because they're the first actual look at Nintendo's Switch successor (though they might be), but due to heavy skepticism over their legitimacy.
In the image above (click for the full photo), we get a closeup of the supposed next-gen console. X/Twitter user NextHandheld (@NextHandheld) posted it on Christmas Day, saying, "This holiday season, I couldn't resist sharing this gift with you all. Some might call it a reveal... but I call it the best-kept secret of the year."
Other X/Twitter users have called into question the positioning of the "+" symbol and Nintendo logo, as well as the lack of Nintendo branding on the back of the unit, among other details. But the biggest tip-off that this could be a fake is SightEngine determining that the image is likely AI-generated with MidJourney, with a 99% confidence level.
Yet others have suggested that the console and extended arm are real, and only the background is AI-generated, a tactic that could be employed to protect the source.
NextHandheld, who opened their account in December 2024 and has kept it dormant until recently, also posted a picture of a supposed Switch 2 dock while taking a jab at the accusations of AI-generated shenanigans. Here again, some are claiming it is fake, while others believe just the background is altered to protect the actual source.
We're skeptical of it all, but it nothing else, it underscores the strong interest in Nintendo's next handheld. That's not surprising—the Switch 2 is one of the best-selling consoles of all time, and officially the 2nd best-selling console in the US after cumulative sales leapfrogged Sony's PlayStation 2.
One thing we know for sure is that the Switch 2 will feature some amount of backwards compatibility with current-gen Switch games, because Nintendo already confirmed as much. The rest is anyone's guess.
