Navigating the Peaks: Will the Switch 2 Rise to New Heights?

How are we handling things, nine days into the year of the Switch 2? It has been a relentless onslaught of leaks, speculations, and chatter as everyone rushes to discover more about Nintendo’s upcoming officially-announced console. Come on, Nintendo, it is definitely time to reveal something.

Regardless, let’s cut through the clutter for a moment. Here at Nintendo Life, some of us have been pondering an interesting question — quite literally — about the Switch 2. We’ve been having a bit of a discussion in our business area: Is the Switch 2 going to be a tad too large for handheld use?

Although there are numerous mock-ups, 3D prints, and accessory producers showcasing what is claimed to be (and likely is) the next Nintendo console, its size has us considering our delicate, aging hands.

Dbrand, one of the first accessory producers to courageously unveil (seemingly) renders of the Switch’s successor, claims that the console will measure 270mm in width (200mm without Joy-Con), 116mm in height, and 14mm in thickness, complete with a 55mm kickstand.

As you would expect, it is somewhat larger than all existing Switch models — the OLED, for instance, measures 242mm x 102mm x 13.9mm. However, it remains a bit smaller than the Steam Deck (298mm x 117mm x 49mm). Fortunately, it is still smaller than that massive, four-figure Acer.

Nevertheless, for a Nintendo handheld, the Switch 2 is starting to appear quite hefty. Gone are the days of easily stashing our clamshell GBA SP or DS, but some of us are eyeing our Switch Lite with jealousy, hoping we might see a ‘Lite’ version of the successor sooner rather than later. Others in the group believe it appears to be a solid enhancement without being excessively oversized; however, the increased dimensions do suggest a slight decrease in portability.

Does anyone actually take their Steam Deck on public transport and play Elden Ring on the go, or is it just a couch-exclusive console? Will a similarly sized device fit easily in our bags and travel with us?