After aseries of leaks, theNintendo Switch 2was finally revealed a few days ago. While the immediate differences between the original console like the size and structure were evident, perhaps the biggest features of the upcoming console are that it’s fully backwards compatible and that itsJoy-Cons attach magneticallyrather than via a slide rail.
There are still some unconfirmed reports about the console, like the Joy-Cons doubling up as a mouse, but it seems that the Switch 2 will be powerful enough to run most current-gen triple-A titles. However, it seems that the magnetic Joy-Con feature isn’t exactly a new idea, and was initially pitched for the original Switch.
A Magnetic Idea
It seems that the creators of the Switch wanted to incorporate the magnetic Joy-Cons into the first model of the Switch, but found it a bit difficult to do so. Eventually, they opted to go for the slide rail method to provide that satisfying click upon locking in. This was revealed by Nintendo’s Yoshiaki Koizumi in an interview withNintendo Minuteback in 2017 (viaNintendoLife).
“We tried a lot of different things in terms of connecting the Joy-Con to the console and one that I was particularly excited about at the time was using magnets, which was like snap it right to the console,” said Koizumi at the time. “But as you would play sometimes it would just fall into your lap, but because we still wanted to have something that was sturdy enough for you to hold on to the console but also gave you that kind of satisfying snap that the magnets did, that’s how we came up with the mechanical rails that give you a click.”
While this flew under the radar at the time, theKit & Krysta YouTube channelbrought it up after the magnetic Joy-Cons for the Switch 2 were confirmed. It seems the team behind the Switch 2 finally figured out a way to make the magnetic system for the Joy-Cons work. This could possibly be via the extra layer on the Joy-Con which slots into the groove of the screen unit.
It seems another major issue that the Switch 2 devs have addressed is the dreaded stick drift that was prevalent on the original console. While unconfirmed,rumours suggest that Nintendo has used Hall-Effect sticks, that completely negates the drift-causing wear and tear.
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to Nintendo Switch, scheduled for release on June 15, 2025. Confirmed as backwards compatible, it will play both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games.
