The first Switch might be one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles of all time, but from a marketing perspective, the portable console could be a nightmare. A year into the Switch’s lifespan saw the launch of the console’s first emulator, which opened the floodgates for piracy. From there on out, Nintendo lost control over the messaging of its products at launch. Marquee games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaked weeks ahead of time. While Nintendo acted quickly to squash the evidence, the Japanese company couldn’t prevent leaks in their entirety.
But Nintendo was ready for the Switch 2 launch.
As we speak, retailers across the globe are receiving their Switch 2 stock in anticipation of the launch on June 5th. Images of backrooms with Switch 2 boxes are all over the internet, and at least one retailer has locked up its Switch 2 stock out in the open, where regular customers can see it.
Unsurprisingly, this means that the upcoming console has made its way onto the hands of regular people. In late May, video of an unboxing started circulating around the internet. Though there are plenty of screenshots floating around of this leak, Nintendo moved quickly to neutralize video uploads of the incident with the help of Web Capio, a company that specializes in anti-piracy services.
The leak originator has since claimed that their console is functionally useless until June 5, launch day, apparently requiring an update before the console will allow them to play anything. Some press have also been told that they will not be receiving a unit because Nintendo is working on a day-one patch, making it the first Nintendo console to require an internet connection to work. According to Pew Research Center, 79% of households have broadband internet — which potentially means that millions of people won’t be able to play their Switch 2 out of the box. This issue may be short-lived in that future releases of the console might have the update pre-loaded, but for its launch window, the day-one patch is something some consumers will have to consider. Nintendo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
With a week left to go before release, there’s still plenty of opportunity for other regular joes to come into possession of a Switch 2. Pictures are currently circulating hailing out of Russia, for example, which show off what you can expect to see in the Switch 2 packaging. As of this writing, there’s also video of the basic Switch 2 menus:
The Switch 2 is out there, and there’s plenty of chatter around the leaks. But realistically, there’s nothing all that exciting about getting a sneak peek at a few menus and zero games. If games did start leaking for some reason, the impact would be minimal. Most games that will be available at release are either already out in some form, or they don’t focus on narrative. Knowing who you might be able to control in Mario Kart World a few days early is not the same as knowing who the final boss for an anticipated sequel to one of the most influential games of the generation.
Unlike what transpired during most of the Switch 1’s lifetime, Nintendo seemingly has control of its launch plans for the Switch 2 — for now.
