Samsung Showcases Foldable Handheld Concept at MWC25 Amid Nintendo Switch 2 Launch

Samsung Reveals Foldable Handheld Console Concept at MWC25 As Nintendo Switch 2 Prepares for Launch In an impressive display of innovation at Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC25) in Barcelona, Samsung has unveiled a prototype for a foldable handheld gaming console.

This initiative follows a patent filing by Samsung last year that hinted at the company's ambitions to bring foldable technology into the portable gaming sector.

With anticipation building for the launch of the next-generation Nintendo Switch 2, industry watchers are keen to examine what this emerging competition might mean for Nintendo’s dominance in the handheld gaming market. The Samsung prototype offers a unique interpretation of the modern handheld, capitalizing on the company's extensive experience with foldable displays.

According to coverage from T3, the device is currently just a concept designed to demonstrate Samsung's foldable screen technology and inspire other manufacturers to adopt similar innovations in future products.

Samsung has not announced plans for commercial release, and for now, the device is intended as a showcase of possibilities rather than a direct challenger to existing gaming hardware like the Nintendo Switch family. The design of Samsung's foldable handheld draws attention for its unconventional appearance.

To accommodate the folding mechanism, the prototype incorporates cutouts in the areas traditionally occupied by the d-pad and face buttons—an approach that allows the device to close without interference from the analogue sticks.

The control buttons are repositioned to curve around these openings, resulting in a novel but arguably less ergonomic solution.

It's clear from the concept's current iteration that the device remains an early-stage exploration of form and function rather than a finished product. Industry analysts note that the portable gaming market has seen a surge in new entrants, especially in the realms of PC-based and emulation handhelds.

Samsung's showcase, while raising eyebrows for its experimental design, underscores a broader trend: the rise of foldable technology and its eventual impact on gaming hardware.

Yet, sources familiar with the project, including T3, emphasize that its purpose is to spark interest in Samsung's foldable OLED capabilities rather than compete head-to-head with established consoles like the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. With the Nintendo Switch 2 slated for release in 2025, expectations are high for the successor to Nintendo’s record-breaking hybrid platform, which has surpassed 125 million units in global sales as of 2024.

The Switch’s combination of portability and robust first-party software has set a high bar, and most industry watchers agree that Samsung’s concept, at this stage, poses little immediate threat to Nintendo’s forthcoming hardware. As the industry continues to evolve, the potential for foldable display tech in handheld gaming merits careful attention.

While Samsung's foldable console concept is not yet poised for consumer release, its debut at MWC25 signals a willingness to push design boundaries—which could shape the future of portable gaming hardware. For now, Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Switch 2 remain at the center of the handheld conversation, but Samsung’s developments may inspire further innovation from both established and emerging players in the space.

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