Nintendo’s Latest Switch Accessory Supports a Leaked Detail About the Switch 2

As the Nintendo Switch‘s life is winding down, all eyes are on Nintendo, eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the company’s next flagship console. While rumors and speculation on what players can expect from the successor to the Nintendo Switch abound, Nintendo has remained decidedly tight-lipped about the console. However, the announcement of a new accessory for the existing Switch hardware might add credibility to a leak regarding a new style of Joy-Con for the Switch 2 ahead of the console’s official reveal.

Nintendo recently announced the Joy-Con Charging Stand (Two-Way), which allows players to connect and charge a single pair of Joy-Cons without having to attach them to the sides of the Switch console itself. This accessory is the first official Nintendo-produced Joy-Con charging stand, though the company has licensed third-party manufacturers to produce their own in the past. While it might seem odd for Nintendo to produce the first official Joy-Con charging dock seven years after the Switch’s launch — and right on the heels of the console’s successor, no less — the release of this accessory could signal that Nintendo is preparing players to expect a new type of Joy-Con for the Switch 2.

Nintendo’s Joy-Con Charging Stand Supports the Leaked Magnetic Joy-Cons for the Switch 2

There have been a lot of leaks and rumors floating around the internet regarding the Switch 2’s hardware, but very few concrete details about the console have emerged. Based on comments made by Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, players can expect the Switch’s successor to follow the general design and branding of its predecessor. However, there have been leaks regarding the console that suggest it will be iterating upon the current Switch’s design in a few big ways — most notably when it comes to the console’s Joy-Cons.

Among the recent Switch 2 hardware leaks is one that comes from accessory manufacturer Mobapad, which allegedly posted these details to its Bilibili page. This leak mentions a new design for the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons that features a larger overall form factor and a new magnetic system for attaching them to the console. If this leak is true, then current Switch Joy-Cons may not be suited for attachment to the Switch 2 console, but the release of the Joy-Con Charging Stand might be Nintendo’s way of circumventing this issue to allow the controllers to be compatible with the new hardware.

Nintendo May Be Teasing the Switch 2’s Backwards Compatibility with This Latest Accessory

Another major feature of the Switch 2 that has been leaked is its backward compatibility with current Switch games. Included in the same leak from Mobapad is the detail that existing Switch cartridges will work with the Switch 2, but the new console will feature cartridges that won’t work on the Switch 1, similar to Nintendo DS and 3DS cartridges. If existing Switch games will indeed be playable on the Switch 2, it would make sense that Nintendo would want existing Joy-Cons to function with the new console as well, since several titles are directly tied to the hardware of current Joy-Cons.

This new Joy-Con Charging Stand could be Nintendo’s attempt at preserving the functionality of the current model of Switch Joy-Cons by allowing them to be charged even if they can’t be connected to the sides of the new console. In theory, players could still use these Joy-Cons with the Switch 2 while it is docked or in tabletop mode without the need to attach them to the console. If the Switch 2 is going to feature a new magnetically attached Joy-Con, then the release of this charging stand so late into the current console’s life could be a hint at Nintendo’s plan for backward compatibility and how it will circumvent hardware disparities.