Nintendo Switch 2 motherboard leak 'almost certainly genuine', say tech experts

Tech experts have said leaked images of the Nintendo Switch 2 motherboard are "almost certainly genuine" and have drawn some interesting conclusions based on the recent pile of leaks.

That particular leak revealed a detailed look at what the motherboard, a circuit board containing its main components, will look like.

Further leaks have shown a new patent that was shared online describing technology for the Switch 2 to upscale images using AI so that games that have storage sapping 4K assets can be decreased in size.

While none of the leaks have been confirmed by Nintendo, tech experts at Digital Foundry have shared more detail as to what these technical leaks actually mean in terms of performance and battery life.

Richard Leadbetter, technology editor at Digital Foundry, wrote: "The [motherboard] photos are almost certainly genuine - and it's the reveal of the handheld's main processor that has caused the most controversy with confirmation that it's Samsung handling production duties based on a Nvidia design.

"The news of a Samsung chip does put the Switch 2 at an efficiency disadvantage up against Steam Deck and the vast array of Windows PC handhelds out there.

"These are based on fabrication technologies from TSMC - the most successful chip maker in the business right now. With a Samsung chip, clock speeds will be lower and power efficiency won't be as good.

"However, equally, I'd argue that Switch 2 has its own 'secret sauce' that none of these devices have: the power of a fixed platform."

The successor to the Nintendo Switch will be officially revealed before the end of March / Photo by Ina Fassbender, AFP via Getty Images

Elsewhere, leaked images of the Joy-Cons for the upcoming console feature what's claimed to be an optical sensor, similar to that used in a mouse, so it could be used in a similar way.

More leaks have come from someone who claims to have got their hands on the console already and pictures from this posted online appear to show key details of how the Joy-Cons will attach, the dock itself and what the new logo will look like.

There have also been leaks from accessory companies showing 'actual dimensions' of the Switch 2, four new features which have been 'confirmed' and there's been an in-depth look at a 3D printed model of it understood to be based on specifications provided by Nintendo.

Speculation continues to swirl as to what games the Switch 2 will launch with and details about how the console is likely to support faster microSD cards were spotted in a Nintendo job ad.

The Japanese company confirmed an announcement on the Switch 2 will still be made before the end of the current financial year, in other words before the end of March 2025, but fans have been venting frustration at the wait.

Shuntaro Furukawa, president at Nintendo, confirmed the Switch 2 console will have backwards compatibility with Nintendo Switch games although it's not currently known if that means physical games will be playable on Switch 2 or it's just downloadable software that will work.

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.