Nintendo finally breaks silence on Switch 2 photo leaks
NintendoNintendo has commented on the mockup Switch 2 consoles and Joy-Cons that were shown at a recent trade show, claiming that they’re not based on official designs.
While Nintendo is in no rush to reveal the Switch’s unnamed successor, many leaks have been released online, including photos showing the hardware being produced. This came to a head at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, where a mockup Switch 2 unit was shown by accessory maker Genki.
The Switch 2 unit shown at CES matched the designs revealed online, but there’s now a reason to deny their veracity. CNET Japan reached out to Nintendo for a comment about the unit and received a response confirming suspicions about the system.
NintendoNintendo denies Switch 2 mockup is real
CNET Japan states, “The gaming hardware that Genki is claiming to be Nintendo hardware at CES is unofficial and was not provided to the company by Nintendo.”
Nintendo may be simply covering its bases and not confirming that something is legitimate before an official reveal of the new console. After all, the Genki unit matched the designs from other leaks, and no prominent voices in the community have denounced the mockup as being inaccurate or false.
However, it’s also possible that the unit shown at CES was based entirely on inaccurate leaks. It’s a huge length to go to, especially if the end result is inaccurate, meaning all the accessories promoted would have to be changed.
Nintendo’s wording in the response was careful, and there is an easy out for the company if the design turns out to be legit. After all, Genki claimed from the start that their displayed items weren’t real hardware and were just replicas made for display purposes.
It’s a strange situation, and we wish Nintendo would just hurry up and reveal the Switch 2 to the public and end all of the speculation. Nintendo promised in the past that its next system would be revealed by the end of the financial quarter (which will conclude in March), but they might want to move that calendar up before leaks spoil everything.