A new Nintendo leak has revealed the original Nintendo Switch design, which looks nothing like the final product that released in 2017 and has been the best-selling console in the world ever since. 2020 has been a bad year for Nintendo from a security perspective, with leaks flying out of the Nintendo archives like crazy. The latest of these leaks reveals an early and the original design for what would end up becoming the Switch, and eventually the Switch Lite. Interestingly, not only does the original design look nothing like the final product, but it’s actually closer to the Switch Lite than the traditional Switch.
As you can see below, the original design for the console boasts a screen that expands beyond the analog sticks in a way very reminiscent of a mobile phone display. In fact, the console is mostly just screen, with three small buttons at the bottom that prevents the face from being entirely a means to display.
If the design looks familiar, it’s because it looks almost exactly like a “leaked” image of the console that made the rounds before it was revealed that was eventually written off as a hoax.
Nintendo won’t be happy. More stuff leaked just now. Switch private keys and many documents. One document reveals the Switch’s design in 2014 and it is eerily similar to that one hoax that was floating around and got traction years back. pic.twitter.com/fFddJvXbpq
— Forest of Illusion (@forestillusion) December 22, 2020
According to some documents that accompany the leak, the Nintendo Switch was originally going to support 3D functionality and be backward compatible with the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo was also apparently looking at utilizing a 480p screen. Thankfully, it decided against this and made the screen 720p.
Of course, take all of this — the images and the tidbits of information — with a grain of salt given that all of it is info of the leaked variety. At the moment of publishing, Nintendo has not commented on this leak in any capacity and it’s unlikely this will change. However, if it does, we will be sure to update the story with whatever is provided. In the meantime, for more coverage on all things Nintendo Switch, click here or check out the relevant links below:
