Nintendo reportedly hosted another secret Switch 2 hands-on meeting, but this one was considerably funnier than the last.
A notable report came out regarding a behind-closed-doors meeting involving Nintendo and third-party peripheral manufacturers at an industry event. The most notable thing to come out of that report was impressions on the size of the Switch 2 hardware and tweaks to Joy-Cons. This is the second time Nintendo has reportedly held a secret meeting with partners regarding its next-gen console. The first came at Gamescom 2023 where developers at the expo were shown an upscaled, ray-tracing-capable demo of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
One of the key things that set this latest clandestine meeting apart is the fact that this wasn’t a tech demo with devkits; it was a proper hands-on with what was said to be an actual Nintendo Switch 2. The asterisk is that while people were allowed to go hands-on, they also had to go eyes-off.
Nintendo reportedly took mystery box approach to Switch 2 hands-on demo
Hardware manufacturers were reportedly allowed to handle a Nintendo Switch 2 console, but only while it was locked in an opaque box.
According to Vandal, much like a late-night show sketch or a haunted house exhibit, the demo was said to use a box with holes where people could stick their hands in without seeing what was actually inside. Instead of a pile of moist dirt or a bowl of gummy bears, it contained a Nintendo Switch 2. The idea was meant to maintain secrecy regarding the console while still allowing hardware manufacturers to ideate potential accessories for the upcoming console.
If true, this would be among the first known chances people have had to touch a Switch 2 outside of Nintendo.
Select publishers have reportedly had their hands on Nintendo Switch 2 devkits in 2023. While this would give developers an accurate imitation of the consumer product from a technical perspective, it’s not guaranteed to look at all similar to the retail model.
The Nintendo Switch’s devkit looked like the consumer model from the front but effectively had the dock built into it in a way that almost doubled its size. Meanwhile, consoles like the Nintendo Wii look nothing like their devkits. While the Wii stood out on its sleek design, its devkit was one of the most utilitarian-looking pieces of gaming hardware ever created.
According to the report, the Switch 2 itself felt largely the same outside of a change in size and different construction for the Joy-Cons. Fans continue to wait for any inkling of official information on the next-gen console though, as Nintendo continues to be vague regarding any future hardware plans.
