When Nintendo released the 3DS, it equipped all new game cartridges with a plastic nub, preventing them from being inserted into your classic clamshell. Why are we bringing this up as 'Switch 2' leaks reach fever pitch? Because accessory manufacturer Genki (the talk of the town this week) has claimed that a similar 'indentation' approach has been used to keep people from squeezing their new console into a 'Switch 1' dock (thanks, IGN).
In case you haven't graced the internet in the past 48 hours, Genki has taken this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) by storm, showcasing its upcoming accessories via a "Switch 2 replica". This model, which is allegedly based on the real thing and appears very much in line with what every other leak has suggested, has given us our best look yet at what 'Switch 2' might be (remember, Nintendo is still yet to officially reveal anything). What's more, the accessory manufacturer has been answering questions about it.
And so we arrive at those dock-preventing 'indentations'. That's what a Genki representative told IGN at CES, claiming that it looks as if the 'Switch 2' will fit in the 'Switch 1' dock, but "certain indentations" (as IGN puts it) prevent it from being compatible with the classic device.
This makes quite a lot of sense. Every rumour thus far has indicated that the 'Switch 2' will have a welcome power boost over its 2017 brethren (a mention of 4K 60FPS here, a PS4-equivalent there), so we would expect the new dock to house the relevant tech to make that happen on the big screen. Nintendo wouldn't want anyone to get frustrated over "missing features" after accidentally mistaking the classic dock for the new one, so why not prevent it from happening in the first place?
On top of that, a leaked photo earlier this week from accessibility and cultural consultant Laura Kate Dale showcased what is supposedly the 'Switch 2' dock, boasting an input voltage of 20V and an output of 15V (the current Switch has both at 15V). If there is a major difference between the two docks, you don't want people easily mixing them up.
Continuing to speak to IGN, the Genki rep confirmed that the Joy-Con would attach to the screen via magnets, and that the company is "assuming" 'Switch 1' controllers will be compatible with the next system wirelessly, despite not attaching physically.
To be clear, the representative told IGN that they were unable to comment on the technical specs of the 'Switch 2', though all of the above was confidently based on "physically what's there, what's pressable and what's not" — like the means of stopping a 'Switch 2' from going in a 'Switch 1' dock, we'd imagine.
Naturally, this has all caused quite a stir. With Nintendo still keeping schtum on the matter (promising an announcement by the end of March), Genki has become the fountain of all 'Switch 2' knowledge this week, yet the company is seemingly surprised at the attention it has gained. "I didn't expect this much media attention, to be honest," the Genki rep told IGN, confessing that the company believed people wouldn't be that shocked given how much information has already leaked. Seems a little naive, no?
All eyes — and we mean all eyes — are now on Nintendo to make the next move. It feels like the Genki showcase has provided the pinnacle of all leaks and rumours so far, so surely the only thing left to do is reveal the damn thing, right?