Japan's Nintendo said on Thursday it will release the Switch 2 console this year, unveiling a device that appeared to closely follow the design of its popular predecessor. The Kyoto-based gaming company did not release pricing for the new device and said it would provide more details at a Nintendo Direct event on April 2.

The announcement doesn't come as a surprise—especially in the wake of CES 2025, where several peripheral makers were bold enough to display replicas of the unrevealed hardware to showcase their Switch 2 accessories—but you might be shocked at just how closely the upcoming Switch 2 sticks to the form and function of its predecessor.

In a sparse teaser, Nintendo announced the Switch 2, its first major console release since the original Switch released in 2017 to huge sales.