NINTENDO NEWS – The next-generation console from the big N is still a few months away, but it is already being sold on the black market for a song!

On Reddit, a user of the Chinese forum Xiahongshu has stumbled upon something interesting. They got their hands on a CAD model of the new Nintendo platform in 2024, and for the first time, we got a realistic look at what the big N hybrid platform will look like. Now, this person has shared a picture of a conversation he had with a black market “dealer”.

This person somehow managed to get his hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 and claims that he would sell the console, as well as its dock and Joy-Con controllers, for 290,000 yuan. That’s about $40,000 converted, which is a lot of money, but since the Switch 2 isn’t officially available yet, it’s no coincidence that they’re asking so much for it. (If this transaction gave the buyer a real console, wouldn’t Nintendo realize that the hardware was in unauthorized hands? Or would they just do it by banning the Nintendo account?)

Chinese CAD model leaker shows a screenshot of his DMs with a black market seller, saying the prices for the Switch 2 dock, joycons, and tablet will cost him $39,780
byu/Icy-ConcentrationC inNintendoSwitch2

It’s not the kind of money a layman would spend on a Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s more than enough for the Chinese manufacturers to dig that deep into their pockets. This would allow them to test the manufactured accessories (controllers, etc.) on a real product and thus have a chance to recoup the money spent on the hardware. Of course, this does not mean that the person on the Xiahongshu forum actually owns a real console. We will probably never know, but since the person shared the CAD model, it might not be a hoax, since there is a lot of money at stake.

By the way, Nintendo has already confirmed that it will hold a Nintendo Direct for Switch 2 on April 2. Presumably, we’ll find out when the next-gen console will be available (from the second half of the year?) and how much it will cost.

Source: WCCFTech