No, that Nintendo Switch 2 'leak' isn't real, and here's why

In the past few days, several articles referencing a 'leaked' Nintendo Switch 2 have been making the rounds online. Many of these pieces have pointed to a tweet from Mike Heskin, a self-proclaimed "reverse engineer and InfoSec enthusiast" who claims that the latest firmware 10.0.0 update for the Nintendo Switch adds "preliminary support for a new hardware model."

While I'm definitely excited for any new gaming systems that Nintendo might release soon (especially during this time when Nintendo Switch consoles are sold out just about everywhere), it's important for all of us not to get pulled in by rumors. This is especially the case for any stories cooked up solely to pull in traffic instead of to report on the truth. I'm here to explain exactly why this information shouldn't be believed.

Firmware 10.0.0 adds preliminary support for a new hardware model: "nx-abcd".
3 of the 5 new DRAM profiles are for this new hardware type and there's evidence of a secondary display of sorts being added exclusively on this model.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

— Mike Heskin (@hexkyz) April 14, 2020

This tweet claims that the new hardware model referenced in the update is for something with the codename of nx-abcd and that there is evidence of a secondary display. This is sounding an awful lot like the clamshell Nintendo 3DS, isn't it? Granted, the Wii U and 3DS both offered two screens with the former allowing players to reference different menus or imagery on their handheld screen controller than what was displayed on TV, which is more in line with what the current Switch could potentially do. So, it doesn't feel out of place for Nintendo to plan some kind of multi-screen hardware or gameplay experience.

The thing is, some people are stating that this could mean that Nintendo is creating a Switch 2 given that the Switch Lite's codename was nx-abcb. The thought being that if Nintendo sticks to this system that the company's next gaming hardware might be given the codename of nx-abcd. However, it's a massive jump to assume that if there is something called the nx-abcd in Nintendo's docket that it is a Switch 2.

On top of that, Nintendo has already come out earlier this year and stated that they aren't going to release any new Nintendo Switch gaming systems this year. So, why would the gaming company add support for a new Switch 2 if it isn't going to release a new Switch 2 any time soon? It just doesn't make sense.

What it comes down to is that there really isn't much to go off of, so any interpretation of this tweet is speculation. Basically, anyone claiming that a Switch 2 is coming based on this information is making a considerable jump to connect things instead of going off of any facts.