Nintendo is bringing legal charges against the accessories manufacturer Genki for publicly promoting details about the Nintendo Switch 2 before its official announcement.
Nintendo’s legal team is arguing that Genki began promoting its accessories for the upcoming gaming console in December 2024. The design and technical specs were highly confidential and a secret to the public at the time.
According to a court filing, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2025 in Las Vegas, Genki demoed and promoted unauthorized purported mockups and renderings of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its accessories.
In addition, the company bragged that it had early access to the unreleased gaming console and allowed reporters to hold unauthorized 3D-printed mockups of the console.
Furthermore, Genki played a video at its CES booth showing a 3D render of the Nintendo Switch 2, which was later reposted on the company’s website.
“Genki’s presentation and statements garnered significant attention from the media and public, resulting in confusion among consumers as to the validity of Genki’s statements and association with Nintendo. The media, especially those having had direct contact with Genki at CES, promoted the impression that the 3D printed mockups were accurate replicas of the Nintendo Switch 2,” Nintendo’s lawyers claim.
On January 10th, 2025, Nintendo issued a statement to reporters about the incident, clarifying that the gaming hardware that Genki presented as Nintendo hardware at CES was unofficial and was not provided by the Japanese gaming company. Nevertheless, Genki continued to proclaim that its accessories would be compatible with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 from day one.
According to Nintendo, Genki’s marketing efforts had been designed to falsely represent that it had access to an authentic, unreleased model of the Nintendo Switch 2. Additionally, Nintendo’s lawyers claim that Genki has committed trademark infringement and accuse the accessories manufacturer of unfair trade practices, false advertising, and unfair competition.
“Genki’s claims of compatibility would be impossible to guarantee without unauthorized, illegal early access to the Nintendo Switch 2. Thus, Genki has misled and is misleading the public as to its ability to guarantee the compatibility of its products with the Nintendo Switch 2,” the court document reads.
Genki has replied to Nintendo's lawsuit. “We’re taking it seriously and working with legal counsel to respond thoughtfully,” Genki says in a post on X.
It’s unclear when the court will pass its ruling.
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