Nintendo Switch 2 report details magnetic Joy-Con, Pro Controller compatibility

Switch 2 will feature Joy-Con controllers that connect to the main console using magnets, a new report suggests.

Citing sources from accessory manufacturers, Spanish site Vandal states that the Switch 2 Joy-Con will stick to the console itself magnetically, rather than use the fiddly rail system of the current Switch and Switch OLED.

Vandal previously reported correctly on various features of the Switch OLED before its unveiling, again based on information from accessory manufacturers, who are typically given early access to under-wraps hardware by console makers.

The report states that the Switch 2, and therefore its new Joy-Con, are larger than the current Switch models – though not as large as the Steam Deck. This tallies with previous reporting on the Switch 2’s larger eight-inch screen size.

One other interesting point of note: Switch 2 will, Vandal says, be compatible with current Switch Pro controllers. (Whether it will be compatible at all with current Joy-Con, however, is unknown.)

Eurogamer sources previously confirmed that Switch 2 will launch in 2025 – and while this makes it still early for accessory manufacturers to have had eyes on the device, our understanding is that Switch 2 was previously due to arrive later in 2024.

Nintendo has opted for a 2025 launch instead to ensure the console arrives with a more robust software line-up, Eurogamer understands. Here’s hoping this extra time also allows for any new Joy-Con hiccups to be ironed out – and we avoid a repeat of the Joy-Con drift drama that has plagued the current Switch through its lifespan.

Eurogamer reported last summer that Nintendo had begun to demo Switch 2’s hardware capabilities to a number of developers. Earlier this year, a games industry survey suggested hundreds of development staff were now working on Switch 2 projects.