Gaming

New videos show off larger Nintendo Switch 2, snap-on Joy-Cons

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Nintendo still isn't ready to officially reveal any details about the Switch 2 (beyond a brief mention of backward compatibility in November). But that hasn't stopped gaming accessory maker Genki from giving us one of the best looks yet at the size and shape of Nintendo's upcoming hardware, as well as a video glimpse of how the console's new Joy-Cons will attach to the base tablet. Genki is reportedly using a scale 3D model of the Switch 2 to show off its console cases behind closed doors at the Consumer Electronics Show. A video from French tech site Numerama shows that 3D model dwarfing an original Switch model in both length and width. In a longer write-up of Genki's Switch 2 mock-up, Numerama reports that Genki says its 3D model was derived from an actual Switch 2 console, not merely "3D blueprints." Genki's model also includes a second USB-C port atop the system, Numerama reports, as well as a mysterious C button underneath the home button on the right Joy-Con.
German site Netzwelt, which seems to have seen the same 3D model, compared Genki's dummy Switch 2 size to Lenovo's Legion Go and said it looks to have a display of "8 inches or even more." Netzwelt also reports that the dummy model Joy-Cons do not attach to the main unit magnetically, and it expects that the final console might actually use a similar mechanical connection to lock the controllers in place.

Roll that beautiful Switch footage

Away from CES, Genki's website was updated Tuesday night with a new video showing encased Switch 2 Joy-Cons attaching to the tablet via a horizontal snap-on motion, as opposed to the vertical slide seen on the original Switch. The video also shows a special lever on the back of the Joy-Cons engaging to detach the Joy-Cons horizontally, seemingly with the aid of a small extendable post near the top of the inner edge of the controller itself. The inner edges of the Joy-Cons shown in Genki's video match very closely with other recent leaked photos of the Switch 2 Joy-Cons, right down to the mysterious optical sensor. That sensor can even be seen flashing a laser-like red dot in the Genki promo video, helping to support rumors of mouse-like functionality for the controllers. The Genki video also offers a brief glimpse of the Switch 2 itself sliding into a familiar-looking dock labeled with an embossed Switch logo and a large number 2 next to it. A Genki representative also told Numerama that the company expects the console to be released in April, which is just after Nintendo's self-imposed deadline for announcing more details about the system. The company had better get a move on, as third-party accessory makers are apparently getting tired of waiting.