Nintendo Switch 2 first accessory quietly released under our noses

Nintendo has revealed a new piece of hardware that has many speculating that it is a precursor to a Nintendo Switch 2 announcement.

Over the past few days conversation has revolved around a charging station made by Nintendo that will charge your Joy-Cons without needing to attach them to the console.

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Usually, these kinds of peripherals have been developed by third-party companies, but this is an official product.

And it has fans wondering, why are Nintendo releasing it so late into the lifespan of the Switch if it’s not a bridging piece of tech designed to be used with the Switch 2 also.

The Switch 2, which is still no more than a mystery, is rumoured to be fully backward compatible with Switch games and feature improved visuals, sound, and battery life.

It is supposed to also feature new and improved Joy-Cons that will attach to the console using magnetic technology, which would mean your old Joy-Cons can’t connect directly to the device for charging.

Enter the new charging stand. This would allow users to charge their older controllers and still use them wirelessly with the new console.

It’s a handy device for charging those extra Joy-Cons in preparation for multiplayer action, but it would have been helpful in year one or two of the Switch, rather than year seven.

This fact alone is prompting fans to think it must be compatible with the Switch successor which is reportedly ditching the connecting rails in favour of magnetic connections.

This new connection will take advantage of the charging capabilities we see in smart tech like phones and watches, while also providing less chance of hardware breaking due to a rail bending.

We’ll likely find out a lot more when the Switch 2 is finally unveiled by Nintendo, but all signs are pointing to this future-proofing from the Japanese giant.