Does the leaky tap at Nintendo need fixing? Or do these leaks help manage expectations?
We now have images of the Nintendo Switch 2 motherboard, leaked snaps of the new Joy-Con, a peak at the new curved dock, and even a look at the console logo. Yes, the leaky tap at Nintendo is so broken that they really should call in a plumber. I wonder if they know a guy?
But does it actually matter? The Switch 2 has been a long time coming. Ever since the fabled Switch Pro rumours took hold, Nintendo's most attentive fans have been clamouring for news of a proper follow-up.
Eight years on from the original launch of 2017, Nintendo seem finally ready to pull back the curtain on their next hybrid machine — promising to tell all before the end of March 2025.
However, these leaks have told a lot of the story already. We now know a good amount of information about this new device, and fresh tidbits are coming to the surface with each passing day. Why? Well, conventional wisdom points to the supply chain and a lengthy pre-production cycle as the source of these countless leaks.
Nintendo President Furukawa has gone on record stating that to avoid scalpers the company will aim to have plenty of machines ready at launch. However, Nintendo clearly wanted to get through this past holiday season without uttering too much about the Switch 2 (and hurting sales of their original machine) — this, in turn, has given them a potentially short reveal-to-launch window.
So, if you do want lots of units ready to go for launch, but that launch ain't far away (some suggest April), information will inevitably start to bubble to the surface as production ramps up. That's what has happened here. Accessory makers such as Genki are currently at CES in Las Vegas showing off all their Switch 2 products with glee. Yet Nintendo have stayed quiet.
However, I'm not so sure it matters. This drip feed of information over the past few months has kept only the most hardcore Nintendo fans busy. Those who avidly track every scant detail are of course, a minority of the mammoth 150 million plus that own a Nintendo Switch.
With the Switch, Nintendo has reached a vast, varied audience of both devoted and casual players. The majority though? They won't even be aware the Switch 2 is coming.
So, until Nintendo decides to have their flashy reveal (any day now, right!), I'd argue these leaks aren't such a big deal. Yes, having all these details out in the wild isn't perfect, and it may be a touch embarrassing for the company, but I don't really see it as a problem either.
It's somewhat common now for big companies to test the waters with certain information ahead of an official announcement (looking at you Apple) — they'll often getting the boring, or potentially disappointing details out into the open before they say a single word. Sharing information via these unofficial backchannels keeps your most devoted followers busy with speculation and rumour, but it also really helps massively in setting the expectations.
Now, I can't say for sure if that's what Nintendo has done here, the leaks are more likely coming from sources beyond their control (the supply chain), but either way the end result is the same here — assumptions on their next machine are somewhat managed.
Setting expectations is something Nintendo is likely very cognisant of with their next machine — as if all these leaks prove true, the Nintendo Switch 2 will likely be the safest new hardware from the company in decades. A company known for risk-taking, bold ideas, and wacky ways to play is opting to keep the good times rolling this time, with what seems to be more of the same. If it ain't broke...
Of course, a safe hardware bump for the Switch 2 is the solid expectation at this point, so getting these details out in the open now will no doubt help shift the focus to what really matters when it comes time to actually reveal this thing: the games.
First-party software has always been the reason you pick up a Nintendo machine, and that will be no different this time around. The relatively dull hardware info being (to a degree) public now, will only make the shine of a new 3D Mario, a closer look at Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, or even an F-Zero revival all the more brighter.
So, crazed Nintendo fans will continue pouring over every little detail that they can find amongst the noise about this new hybrid — and everyone else will tune-in when Nintendo decides it's time to shout.
Until then, those who care get to enjoy the ride...
