by 
Nintendo shares fell as much as seven percent on Friday after the Japanese gaming giant failed to impress with a teaser video for its hotly anticipated Switch 2 console.
The short clip released Thursday showed a device that’s larger but broadly similar to the original hybrid switch that can be handheld or connected to a TV.
Nintendo didn’t reveal any technical specifications like screen resolution or processing power for the slick-looking device, which will go on sale sometime in 2025 – for an undisclosed price.
This kept gamers and analysts guessing until a live-streamed presentation on April 2nd and subsequent real-world “experiential” events in major cities around the world in the following days.
There’s a lot at stake for the highly anticipated announcement, with gaming websites reporting “industry whispers” and glimpses of alleged prototypes in recent weeks.
The first Switch has sold more than 146 million units since its launch in 2017, making it the third best-selling console in the world after Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s DS.
Krysta Yang of the Kit & Krysta Podcast said in a YouTube reaction video that the flood of unofficial previews and rumors may have spoiled the surprise.
“I suspect because of all the information that was already out there, maybe people just thought, ‘That’s what I expected,'” she said.
“I’m sure there will hopefully be more details that are fun and exciting and of course more games that we will see in the coming months.”
Nintendo’s share price has also risen sharply in recent months, increasing by more than 12 percent in the last half of the year.
– Investor concerns –
The Switch 2’s screen is larger, as are its revamped detachable “Joy-Con” controllers, which snap into place – possibly with magnets – rather than sliding into place as before.
Observant gaming websites noted that what they thought was the Joy-Con had mouse-like functionality, a mysterious additional button, and a new USB-C port.
The key will be the games, and Nintendo’s two-minute trailer also showed off a new version of the long-running Mario Kart series on both the new console’s built-in screen and on a television.
The game’s predecessor, Mario Kart 8, sold more than 64 million copies.
The company said the new device “plays exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 games, as well as both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games” – fulfilling a November promise of backwards compatibility.
