Skip To...
Nintendo’s most recently rumored console, the Switch 2, has been on fans’ minds since the release of its predecessor. Like most things related to Nintendo, the facts about the console have remained a tight-lip secret for everyone except those close to the industry. However, that has now changed after images of the console’s factory prototype have leaked.
The original Nintendo Switch was released in March 2017, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild among the games that launched with it. Since its release, the console has been plagued with issues, from the Joy-Con hardware to its low battery life. As the years passed, it seemed increasingly likely that the only fix to these many issues was to release the console’s next generation.
The Switch 2 Looks To Be Similar to the Original Switch
A Chinese website leaked the above Switch 2 prototype images, which are said to be from the hardware’s factory. Unfortunately, the information and images were removed from the website, but not before fans rushed over to post the information on Reddit. The subsequent images all look very similar to the original console, but with several features that look to improve what already exists.
The most notable image shows two screens, one larger than the other. When the original launched, only one has been available since. After several years, both the Switch Lite and Switch OLED were released, with the latter having a bigger screen. Instead of waiting several years to release a version with a larger screen, one will be made available at launch.
It’s also worth noticing that the Joy-Cons look much more sturdy than their previous iteration. The Joy-Cons of old have always been too fragile and drifted because of poor engineering. While Nintendo posed a solution to this (just send your Joy-Cons back to Nintendo and wait forever for them to be repaired), it wasn’t genuinely feasible.
Switch 2 Specifications Looks Impressive
In addition to the images, a different source offers information on the console’s specifications. Here’s a look at the reported specs of the new device, and if they’re on point then the RAM stands out in particular at a hefty 12GB:
- Shipping List Details Summary
- HGU1100: Game console itself.
- HGU1110: Left Joy-Con controller.
- HGU1120: Right Joy-Con controller.
- HGU1130: Dock.
- Detailed Configuration List
- SoCl (CPU + GPU) model: GMLX30-R-A1.
- Memory model: MT62F768M64D4EK-026 (6GX2 dual channel, LPDDR5X, 7500 MT/s)
- Flash memory model: THGJFGT1E45BAILHW0 (256GB, UFS 3.1, manufactured by Kaixia, 2100 MB/s).
- Audio chip model: Ruiwu ALC5658-CG.
- NFC reader model: NXP IPN7160B1HN
- Built-in microphone model: CMB-MIC-X7.
- Dual cooling fans, model BSM0405HPJH9 and BSM0505HPJQC (copper gaming heat sink).
- Video signal conversion (DisplayPort to HDMI) must be chip model; Ruixian RTD2175N must be chip (support HDMI 2.1).
- Network chip model: Ruiming RTL8153B-VB-CG and Gigabit Ethernet chip (the base has a network cable interface).
- Microcontroller chip model: STMicroelectronics JSTM32G0OB0OCET6.
- Video game console protective case model: HGU1100 (size: 206 x 115 x 14mm, made of plastic).
- Speakers: MUSE BOX-L and MUSE BOX-R (two-channel stereo).
