Rare Boot Up Sequence for Nintendo Switch Prototype NX Uncovered

It looks like an internal logo for Nintendo Switch’s codename, “NX,” has been discovered and leaked online.

The NX logo was found through a prototype build of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe dated October 18, 2016, two days before Nintendo officially revealed the name of the Switch.

The logo itself features a circle with a blue dot that rolls counter-clockwise and features the letters “NX” right next to it. It also sports a similar light blue color as the Wii U’s logo did rather than the Switch’s red color.

The Nintendo Switches Codename was the NX and this was an early Logo / Boot Up animation used during development of the Console ( It was found in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Prototype ) This was never seen outside Nintendo pic.twitter.com/B1bS5zCKOu

— Paul Kelly (@PaulFelixKelly) November 20, 2022

While we can’t fully verify the legitimacy of the boot up sequence, and given that it’s Nintendo we will likely not get an official confirmation. But this is a rare glimpse of an early prototype from Nintendo.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a Switch port of the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8 but with all of the latest DLC included. The game even got more DLC courses this year as well, in the form of the Booster Course Pass. It has become so successful that it has surpassed those of Mario Kart Wii, making it the best-selling game in the franchise, but it has also become the best-selling racing game in US history.

It seems like Nintendo is in no rush to create Mario Kart 9 since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is doing so incredibly well. However, a successor is reportedly in active development with some sort of “new twist” on the series formula.

The Switch is nearing its sixth birthday, so a successor to the device could be coming soon. So far, there aren’t any details or codenames, but Nintendo said that it is working on not repeating the same mistakes as it did with the transition from the Wii to Wii U.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey