While The House of Mario continues to keep tight-lipped about the rumored Nintendo Switch 2, the online rumors surrounding the company's next machine are growing louder and louder.

X user @For_Ataraxia (thanks, NotebookCheck) hasn't really been breaking gaming hardware stories in a truly reliable way. Still, that didn't stop him from claiming that the Switch 2 will be called the "Nintendo Super Play", will have "the same button structure as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System" (or SNES), and will "maintain the existing concept of being able to play inside and outside the house, but not use a dock like the Switch". It did not stop there.

It will take some time to fully digest all of these weighty speculations. First of all, if the Switch's successor is to bear the "Nintendo Super Play" moniker, I will be getting a Mario hat and physically ingesting it. Second, going back to the same button structure as the SNES is not such a far-fetched claim, but we'll see about that. As for the idea of a Switch 2 without a dock? I'm skeptical.

I've been using the Nintendo Switch OLED in docked mode since I bought my LG G3 OLED TV. However, before upgrading to the best OLED TV ever, I played almost 100% of my Switch games in handheld mode.

Nintendo must have good numbers on how many Switch users actually use the dock, so if the dock is being eliminated in Switch 2, we think there is solid data to justify the rumored reduction It would. Furthermore, don't forget that the company has already released a Switch Lite without a dock.

The second big Switch 2 rumor currently swirling, brought to us via a leaked patent (thanks GameRant), appears more credible than the above speculation. And it's a heck of a thing.

Leaked patent images from Nintendo point out that the Switch 2 bears a striking resemblance to the Nintendo 3DS. It's a statement I didn't expect when I woke up this morning.

While nothing in the patent suggests that the Switch's successor will have 3D capabilities, its clam-shaped design is certainly reminiscent of the 3DS. More fascinatingly, the console depicted in these designs appears to be able to be split in two, and once detached, the screens appear to be able to communicate wirelessly.

It also appears that a touchscreen has been added to the outer case of the console, and if this is indeed the final form of the Switch 2, I am already tremendously worried that I will undoubtedly scratch it. Nevertheless, it will allow gamers to interact with the console even when it is closed, which could open up some interesting features. Maybe customizable animated wallpaper for when the little handheld is closed?

Again, these patents show no indication of a dock, which could further lend credence to the rumor that the Switch 2 will be a purely handheld device, unlike the current handheld/console hybrids that can be played on a TV using a dock.

Needless to say, like many other companies, Nintendo has filed patents that will never ultimately become consumer products. Therefore, please do not take these rumors with a mere grain of salt, but treat them with a truckload of sodium chloride.