A new Nintendo Switch prototype has leaked online, providing Nintendo fans with an early look at the console. Over on Twitter, Nintendo enthusiast, Forest of Illusion, recently revealed that they secured an early Nintendo Switch system from a seller in Hong Kong that dates back to April 2016, almost a year before the Nintendo Switch released and not long before it went into proper production. And as Forest of Illusion points out, it’s the earliest Nintendo Switch model found so far.
As you can see in the pictures below, there’s not much difference between the final product and this prototype, though it does feature different volume buttons and different screws.
“We have secured a development Nintendo Switch system (EDEV) from a seller in Hong Kong,” reads the Twitter post revealing the discovery. “The unit is from around April 2016, making it the earliest Switch to be found so far, predating the retail release by almost a whole year. The data (factory test files) cannot be released since it’s too recent, but all of the files have been backed up safely and the system has been sent to someone for safekeeping. Some other things of note are the different screws, volume buttons, and it being referred to as DPRD.”
The data (factory test files) cannot be released since it’s too recent, but all of the files have been backed up safely and the system has been sent to someone for safe keeping. Some other things of note are the different screws, volume buttons, and it being referred to as DPRD. pic.twitter.com/SqdB75npbu
— Forest of Illusion (@forestillusion) February 15, 2021
At the moment of publishing, it’s unclear how much the prototype cost and it’s unclear if games can be played on it. That said, right now, Nintendo hasn’t acknowledged the machine in any capacity, and at this point, it probably won’t.
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