Alleged Nintendo Switch 2 Surfaces on Black Market for $40,000

A leak from China has stirred the gaming community by revealing CAD images of the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2. Now, this bold leaker claims to have a working unit up for grabs. The shadowy individual took to Reddit, offering this next-gen console to an accessory manufacturer with a price tag pushing nearly $40,000.

The leaked design appears to have shaped the plans of accessory makers like Dbrand even before any official announcement. With the official reveal video aligning perfectly with this design, the leaker seems credible, though we’d advise a healthy dose of skepticism for now.

Communicating through the Xiaohongshu forums, the leaker reportedly told a potential buyer about the chance to test out the Switch 2 dock, joystick, and tablet components. He also hinted that Pro controllers might hit the market as early as next week—a potential successor to Nintendo’s Switch Pro controller.

Will someone take the financial plunge for a sneak peek at the entire pre-release package? It’s a gamble, depending on the returns one might expect. For accessory manufacturers, getting their hands on the hardware could be a goldmine, allowing them to tailor their products well ahead of the official launch.

In the world of backdoor deals, handling such a substantial amount of cash suggests the leaker might demand a hefty price for access from anyone, be it a flash cart producer or another unofficial accessory maker with an eye on early development.

What drives interest is not just the hardware itself—it’s the prospect of early innovation. Enhanced functionality for Switch 2 games through Pro-console patches will need time and tinkering, given we won’t see these games, especially physical copies, until the official console release nears. Still, the console might already offer avenues for pre-release tweaking and development, based on what’s being revealed.

All eyes are now on Nintendo for a formal announcement on the release date. It would be quite amusing if the official timeline pushed the release so far back that the early adopter’s investment turned out to be trivial.

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