Nintendo announces Switch 2 console with bigger screen and controllers

Nintendo It said on Thursday that its long-awaited new Switch 2 hybrid will be available this year, offering a bigger screen and controls, as the company looks to breathe new life into its struggling hardware business.

The company showed off the Switch 2 in a video trailer. The beginning of the clip presents a current version of the console before detaching the two “joy-con” controllers to expand the size of the tablet they attach. The video then shows the joy cons growing in size and changing into a matte black color.

Joysticks and controller covers come in light blue and red variations. The covers of joy with seem to be able to connect with the controllers magnetically when they are removed from the main tablet of the Switch 2 when they put the console on its stand or the anchor to play via a home TV.

The Switch 2 also features an improved kickstand that is U-shaped and can be placed further back, to the point where the console’s position is almost flat on a surface. The appearance of the device is similar to the mock-ups that were leaked online in the run-up to the official Switch 2 announcement.

Nintendo hasn’t given a release date for the Switch 2, but said it will reveal more details during its upcoming “Nintendo Direct” online event on April 2. The company revealed that the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, which means that users will be able to play old Switch games on the new model.

Nintendo hopes the Switch 2 will help boost console sales. The current generation Switch was released in March 2017 and has now reached a lifespan of almost eight years. Most console manufacturers tend to wait about six to seven years before replacing them with a new model.

Nintendo made a net profit of 27.7 billion Japanese yen ($178.2 million) in its September quarter, down about 69% year over year. The Company’s revenue sank 17% year-on-year to 276.7 billion Japanese yen.