The Nintendo Switch 2 announcement trailer immediately reveals a larger console than its predecessor. As the original Switch's Joy-Cons detach, the tablet section visibly expands, showcasing a substantial size increase. This suggests a departure from Nintendo's historically compact handhelds, embracing the larger portable devices exemplified by the Steam Deck and iPad.
While Nintendo hasn't released official dimensions, we can estimate the Switch 2's size based on the trailer and a recent leak. At CES 2025, a Switch 2 mock-up by peripheral designer Genki provided hands-on experience. The trailer's console closely resembles this mock-up, suggesting the CES measurements are highly accurate.
Estimated Switch 2 Dimensions:
Screen Size: We estimate an 8-inch screen (diagonal measurement), aligning with earlier 2024 rumors. This translates to approximately 177mm wide and 99mm tall. This represents a nearly 30% diagonal increase and a 66% larger area compared to the original Switch's 6.2-inch screen. The increase is even more significant compared to the Switch Lite (45% diagonal, 111% area) and the Switch OLED (14% diagonal, 30% area). While larger doesn't always mean better, a larger, high-quality display could significantly enhance the gaming experience. The Switch 2's screen also surpasses the Steam Deck's 7-inch and 7.4-inch (Steam Deck OLED) displays, being 8% larger diagonally and 11% larger in area than the Steam Deck OLED.
Overall Console Size: The larger screen necessitates a larger console. Our measurements of the Genki mock-up, corroborated by trailer analysis, suggest the Switch 2 is approximately 265mm long and 115mm tall. This is roughly 25% larger than the original Switch (239mm x 102mm), 61% larger than the Switch Lite, and 12% smaller than the Steam Deck. Depth is estimated to be similar to the original Switch.
Joy-Con Size: The trailer suggests slightly taller, but similarly wide, Joy-Cons. Our estimations place the new Joy-Cons at approximately 32mm wide and 115mm tall—a 13% increase compared to the originals.
Screen Unit Size: Subtracting Joy-Con dimensions from the overall console size, we estimate the Switch 2 screen unit at 200mm long and 115mm tall—approximately 31% larger than the original. This allows for relatively slim bezels, comparable to or slightly slimmer than the original Switch.
These dimensions are estimations based on the Genki mock-up and trailer analysis. While not officially confirmed, we anticipate the final dimensions to be relatively close to our estimates, indicating a significantly larger console than its predecessor. Further details await official Nintendo confirmation.
