Reports suggest Nintendo Switch 2 appears on black market with $40,000 price tag

A Chinese insider, known for leaking CAD images of the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, has made a surprising claim: they reportedly have a working unit of the upcoming console for sale. This mysterious seller, whose information surfaced via Reddit, seems to be offering this next-gen device to an accessory manufacturer for a hefty sum of approximately $39,800.

The design leaks in question appear to have informed the likes of Dbrand and several other accessory makers, even before the official reveal of the Switch 2. The legitimacy of these leaks gained some traction when the final design shown in Nintendo’s reveal video strikingly matched those early images. Despite this, it’s always wise to approach such leaks with a degree of skepticism until official confirmation arrives.

Communicating through the Xiaohongshu forums, the leaker informed a potential buyer that they could get hands-on with the Switch 2’s dock, joystick, and main console tablet. Interestingly, they also mentioned that Pro controllers might be available soon, hinting at a new version of Nintendo’s official Switch Pro accessory.

In a peculiar twist, a Reddit post shared a snapshot of the leaker’s direct messages with a black market contact, detailing the eye-watering $39,780 price tag for the full set of components—dock, joy-cons, and tablet included.

Now, the big question: will someone actually pay up for this early access to the Switch 2? For many peripheral manufacturers, getting a head start could be a lucrative opportunity, aligning accessories with the official launch could make those efforts profitable.

However, navigating the murky waters of black market deals is risky business. The CAD design leaker likely expects a significant payoff from any unofficial accessory makers eager to secure early sessions with this coveted hardware.

It’s also worth pondering why anyone would chase a pre-release Nintendo Switch 2 in the first place. Without any games officially available until the launch date nears, the only immediate benefit might be figuring out how to exploit or develop for the system. This situation is uniquely enticing given the sparse details currently available.

Anticipation is building, but a confirmed release date from Nintendo would surely be a welcome development. Yet, it would be quite amusing if the official launch were so far out that this early acquisition ended up being a moot point.