Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2, the follow-up to Nintendo's hugely popular home console/portable gaming hybrid system, are still steadily advancing But the latest is one of the most promising of them all: the CEO of peripherals manufacturer Blade claims that the Switch successor is finished and will launch early next year with rumored features like a magnetic Joy-Con controller

In a podcast on Spanish website Vandal, Blade CEO Ruben Mercado said that the company, which manufactures gaming accessories and peripherals, already has access to almost the final hardware unit He said he believes the new device is “finished” and “ready to go” and could be available worldwide in March or April of next year

More interestingly, Mercado mentioned a new feature of the Switch 2 that has been rumored for some time Given how delicate and flimsy the current Switch's metal and plastic rails are, this would be a welcome upgrade Mercado also teased that the controller's analog stick design may also be changed, stating that the analog stick covers the company currently produces for the Switch units will not be compatible with the new Switch

Nintendo has remained tight-lipped about a Switch successor However, in May, Nintendo President Toshiro Furukawa finally confirmed its existence when he announced that the “Nintendo Switch 2 (tentative name)” would be announced by the end of this fiscal year next March

Since then, other rumors have suggested that the release date could be pushed back to April In the podcast, Mercado speculated that the Switch 2's release date could depend on Nintendo's financial situation this fiscal year If the game maker fails to meet expectations, it could launch Switch 2 in March as a pre-fiscal year-end economic boost If all goes well, they might postpone the announcement until April to start the next fiscal year off as strong as possible

But just because Blade is a legitimate peripheral company doesn't mean its CEO knows Nintendo's plans, so it's best to take it all with a grain of salt for now Until then, you can check out our Switch 2 rumor hub for the latest leaks and updates