Nintendo Switch 2 games run better when docked suggests new leak

Just announce it already, Nintendo (Nintendo)

We’ve reached the point where info about the Switch 2’s charger is leaking online ahead of any formal reveal from Nintendo.

While there remains very little information, leaked or otherwise, about the sort of games that will release for the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s no shortage of leaks about the hardware.

Ever since the end of 2024, the frequency of Switch 2 leaks has only increased. Just this week, fans found evidence suggesting the Joy-Con controllers can double as a computer mouse and a breakdown of its alleged tech suggests it can run ports of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games.

Earlier today, additional details about the Switch 2’s dock made their way online, which seem to confirm that the console won’t be compatible with the original Switch’s charger.

This comes courtesy of games journalist Laura Kate Dale, who also once leaked details for the original Switch. Although she’s since moved away from gaming leaks, she was recently sent a photo of the Switch 2’s dock by a ‘trusted source,’ and thus has shared details on her social media accounts.

The actual photo isn’t particularly exciting, only showing input and output voltage information on the back of the dock. However, Dale claims that the Switch 2 will ship with a 60W charger.

Nintendo Switch 2 dock photo on X — The new dock is unlikely to look that much different from the original one (X)

By comparison, the original Switch’s charger is only 39W. As such, Dale speculates it won’t be powerful enough to charge up the Switch 2, at least when it’s docked.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you couldn’t use the original charger with the Switch 2 while it is out of the dock. But we can’t imagine it’d be as efficient and would likely take longer to fully charge up the console.

Dale has made it clear she has no other information to share on the matter, so eager Nintendo fans shouldn’t expect further leaks from her. Hopefully, they won’t need them though as an official reveal is rumoured to take place before the end of January.

The question here is why the dock needs a different charger, since if it works in the same way as the current Switch – just acting as a connector to a TV – there’s no reason anything should need to change.

A natural assumption is that the dock itself will have new functionality, perhaps offering significantly higher performance in games while the Switch is connected to it. That’s been an idea fans have floated around ever since the OLED Model was announced but so far it’s not been something Nintendo has embraced beyond minor resolution and frame rate differences.

Even Amazon is casually showing the console off, with listings for Switch 2 cases in Japan. The accompanying images don’t show anything new, and appears to be a mock-up based on known info, but it doesn’t change how much of an open secret the Switch 2’s design now is.