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.

The new console looks physically similar to the popular Switch system, which has sold more than 146 million units in seven years.