Clear some shelf space, a recent leak indicates Nintendo Switch 2 game boxes will be larger than before

(Image credit: Future/Nintendo)

Nintendo Switch 2 game boxes could be larger than those for the original Nintendo Switch
This is per a listing at a French game retailer
It could help differentiate Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 games

There has been no shortage of speculation regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 as, although the console was finally officially unveiled last month, there's still plenty that we don’t know about it.

One of the most interesting new rumors concerns the physical size of Nintendo Switch 2 game boxes. As reported by Nintendo Life, a French retailer may have given us a hint of what to expect. An early listing for a mystery Nintendo Switch 2 game indicates that its box will measure 7.6 in / 19.5 cm by 5.1 in / 13 cm.

For comparison, the existing cases for original Nintendo Switch games come in at 6.7 in / 16.9 cm tall and 4.1 in / 10.4 cm wide, suggesting that Nintendo Switch 2 game boxes will be significantly larger. It might be a bit of a pain if you’re short on shelf space, but this actually makes a lot of sense. After all, a bigger box is probably the easiest way for Nintendo to differentiate newer games in the eyes of the average consumer.

Does this increased heft mean that game cartridges themselves will also be larger? It’s too soon to say, but I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility. Much like the leap from Nintendo DS cartridges to Nintendo 3DS ones, I’m expecting some kind of physical difference that would prevent some Nintendo Switch 2 games from being fully inserted into a Nintendo Switch. That would make sense, as we know from Nintendo's official unveiling that new Switch 2 games won't always be compatible with the original hardware.

Nintendo has officially confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with most physical Nintendo Switch games though, so I wouldn’t expect anything radically different in the cartridge design department. It's likely that they will both need to be compatible with the same slot on the new system. so a slightly bigger size could do the trick.

Of course, this is all speculation as of right now and we'll have to wait and see exactly what Nintendo has in store. Hopefully the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct airing on April 2, 2025 will shed some light on the situation.

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Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.