A few days ago Chinese company Mobapad, which develops accessories for the Switch, posted an article discussing details about the Switch 2, the upcoming console that is yet to be officially announced. Now, they have provided further details regarding how they came by the information.
Mobapad made some very interesting claims about what the Switch 2 would feature. According to them, the new console would have an extra button on each Joy-Con, and the Joy-Cons themselves would attach using a new magnetic system. It will also have a larger 1080p screen, according to Mobapad, and still be compatible with existing Joy-Cons.
The information was highly unusual because Mobapad claimed to be working on accessories for the next-gen machine, potentially indicating some form of relationship with Nintendo. By sharing information about the machine, they would be risking legal action being taken by Nintendo, a notoriously litigious company.
The alternative explanation is that Mobapad does not have any official relationship with Nintendo, but was getting its information elsewhere. In my news piece discussing this and Mobapad’s claims, I said I would reach out to find out more about Mobapad’s claims and its relationship with Nintendo, and I’m happy to say that Mobapad has replied.
I questioned Mobapad on whether they had official access to the Switch successor and were therefore potentially breaking an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) by discussing it, and if they did not have official access, how had they come by this information?
“Regarding the information about the Nintendo Switch 2, we have great confidence in our sources and believe that the information is reliable and accurate.” Mobapad told me. “We have been dedicated to developing accessories for the Switch for many years, and the Switch series is crucial to our company. Therefore, we have been closely monitoring the development of the Switch in order to prepare for the launch of the Switch 2 and to produce more products suitable for the Switch 2.”
“We assure you that we will not do anything that could harm Nintendo or the Switch brand. Even though the information we are currently releasing may be seen as leaking some information about the Switch 2, it can also be viewed as a form of promotion and support for the Switch brand.”
“Regarding your question about whether we have official channels to obtain information, we cannot reveal more details at the moment. However, we can assure you that our sources are reliable, and we always respect any confidential agreements with Nintendo or other companies.”
Reading through their answers, it seems Mobapad are being nebulous about the source of all their information. On the one hand, the company’s comment regarding official channels and its unwillingness to confirm whether or not they have them could be read as saying that Mobapad does have contact with Nintendo. That seems unlikely to me, because any official channels would mostly likely be burned to the ground by the sharing of any information, unless Mobapad could claim that the information came from unofficial channels. Even so, that would be a dangerous game to play with Nintendo, a company that is all too willing to deploy an army of lawyers.
On the other hand, it could be read like Mobapad saying that they have some insider sources and no official relationship with Nintendo, meaning they are free to share whatever they have learned without fear of legal repercussions, though there is always the chance of Nintendo being less than pleased with them.
How do you read Mobapad’s comments, and do you think the company’s claims about the Switch 2 having an extra button on each Joy-Con and magnetic suction technology?
