Last year I dreamed of a second screen for the Nintendo console – and others probably still do.
I was a bit disappointed by the Switch 2 teaser. Don’t get me wrong: the clip is cool and elegantly shows the innovations that await us, including Joy-Cons with possible mouse function.
For the successor to the third most successful console of all time, I had hoped for something different though: an OLED folding screen.
My dream is not over yet! On Reddit, a fan teaser is currently going viral that shows how a possible second screen could be realized after all.
Nintendo Switch 2 DS
The Nintendo DS was not only a huge success – 154 million consoles sold according to Nintendo – its dual screen was very popular. So much so that a fan has come up with a plug-in screen for the Switch 2.
Switch 2 Accessory Attachment Concepts
byu/jard_dog inNintendoSwitch2
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This can be seen in the clip:
- The Joy-Cons undock, the console turns 180 degrees, the Joy-Cons redock.
- A second screen is inserted into the USB-C slot and adapts to the shape of the console with an arm.
- The second display is placed on top of the first via a hinge, thus “closing” the console – just like the Nintendo DS.
- Finally, the start screen of a possible game can be seen: at the top is the title card itself, below it the command “Touch” (to start the game).
The 27-second video is of course not official, even though it is well done. But it shows that I don’t have to give up on my dream of a dual screen just yet.
Just imagine the possibilities!
- The game world at the top, the menu at the bottom– just like on the DS. This provides a better overview and you can operate the two separately.
- More screen real estate:– a bigger screen that shows more is always a good thing.
- Creative gameplay mechanics that utilize both screens. Not everyone liked them, but DS games often used touch controls for a special twist.
- Use like a notebook:On the touch screen below a digital keyboard and above a browser or blank document. A possible mouse feature of the Joy-Cons would support this. This could theoretically open up a whole new field and appeal to a different target group.
When folded, the screens are protected. This would make transportation easier because you could simply put the console in your backpack or pocket.
In the comments in the Reddit thread, people are also enthusiastic about the idea, presumably also because the clip looks so high quality.
Why a second screen won’t happen
Attentive viewers may have noticed that the console in the teaser initially turned 180 degrees “upside down”. For some time now, there have been rumors in the community that you can also attach the Joy-Cons “the wrong way around”. The reason for this is the fact that the Switch 2 has a USB-C port both at the bottom and at the top center; so there are two in total.
However, this has not yet been confirmed by Nintendo.
That alone puts the folding screen on shaky ground. The much bigger sticking point, though, isn’t the hardware.
Software and games would have to be designed for two screens –and they are not if the console does not come natively with two screens like the DS. So developers would have to develop games specifically with a peripheral screen in mind. This is very unlikely, especially since this feature would not work in docked mode.
In short: the second screen would not fulfill any content-related purposes, as for example with the DS with its touch functions or the Wii U – and that only in handheld mode.
The Nintendo DS proactively Last but not least, there is the battery problem.An additional display like the one in the fan teaser would have to be supplied with energy by the console itself, and that would take a lot of battery power. So the screen would have to come with its own power source if it’s not supposed to go dark after an hour and a half of gaming.
On April 2, 2025, we expect more information about the Switch 2. Nintendo has scheduled a Direct that will probably answer the most important questions. Also, whether the Japanese have not perhaps installed a secret second screen after all. Hope dies last.
If you want to watch the Switch 2 teaser again, here it is:
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I was really excited when I saw the clip. For a moment, all kinds of ideas about possible games that could use a second screen flashed through my mind. That’s exactly how many of the commentators feel in the linked thread.
Incidentally, the fan video shows a second gadget: a clip-on camera. It reminded me of the Game Boy Camera from 1998, and I’m glad that we now have cell phones in our pockets. I would prefer a second display.
