CES 2025 is buzzing with the latest hardware from NVIDIA, AMD, Lenovo, and plenty of other tech giants — all of which were expected, but unexpectedly, it's also buzzing with news about the new Nintendo Switch that's slated to arrive this year. The latest being a report from Numerama (thanks, VGC) where accessory maker Genki has potentially spilled the beans that Nintendo's next generation of hardware will arrive sometime in April 2025.

Genki makes a variety of accessories for a number of tech products, including smartphones, and gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and Windows handhelds. It also has a few products for the PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch, so it's not surprising that Genki would be gearing-up for the release of Nintendo's new console, and following Dbrand posting photos of one of its next-gen Switch products, Genki has seemingly picked up the Switch 2-leaks baton at CES 2025.

Nintendo Switch 2 release date

A report at the end of 2024 originally pointed to the Nintendo Switch 2 arriving in June 2025, pushing the release a little deeper into the year than fans might've liked. Genki's claim to Numerama at CES 2025 puts the release more in-line with when the original Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017. A springtime release of new console hardware was considered a gamble prior to Nintendo breaking new ground with the Switch just three months into the year. If Nintendo is following the same playbook that helped skyrocket the success of the original Switch, then April fits the bill.

We also know that the Nintendo Switch 2, or whatever it will be called, will be officially revealed before the end of March 2025. So if Nintendo is keeping exactly to the playbook of the original Switch launch (minus everything pushed back one month), then that would mean an official reveal in February of the console, its launch lineup and the April release date. That said, it's folly to try and predict Nintendo's movements on a good day, but the buzz in the air around the upcoming console makes it feel like we're reaching a boiling point. Any day now, Nintendo could decide it is ready to talk about the Nintendo Switch 2 itself, instead of letting accessory makers and those at CES have all the fun.

It's just the games we're waiting on

Besides, at this point, we're not really on the edge of our seats wondering what the Nintendo Switch 2 will look like. Genki and Dbrand have shared enough accessory product photos, or, in the case of Genki, a full-blown 3D model of the Nintendo Switch 2, that we're all pretty clear on what the Switch 2 will look like.

What we still need to know is what games the Switch 2 will launch with. Mario Kart 9 feels like a sure-fire inclusion, given the fact that we've now gone an entire Nintendo console generation without a brand-new mainline Mario Kart game. The same goes for a follow-up to Mario Odyssey with whatever Nintendo's next 3D platforming Mario game will be. Then, of course, there's also Metroid Prime 4: Beyond to look forward to, and Pokemon Legends Z-A.

Those last two might not be a part of the launch lineup, but they will likely launch sometime this year, most likely before or even during the holiday season. There might still be plenty of questions around the Nintendo Switch 2 and the games to come, but one thing is for sure: it's an exciting time to be a Nintendo fan.