So here we all are, waiting. For all the rumours — all the supposed prototype casings and talk of electromagnets and back buttons — the only things we can say for certain about 'Switch 2' are that it'll be revealed sometime in the next 123 days (before the end of the fiscal year on 31st March 2025) and that it's backwards compatible with current Switch software.
Not a whole lot to go on, but that backwards compatibility nugget essentially confirms that the new console's form factor has to be a touchscreen tablet with detachable controllers. No doughnut screens, no pyramids that project holograms - as expected, Nintendo is sensibly sticking with what works and plans to deliver 'another' Switch.
BUT! This doesn't necessarily mean Switch 2 won't deliver in the wacky-doodle department. Despite the restrictions, there's still room for the kind of what-the-hell features we expect from Nintendo. Some might call them 'gimmicks' — in fact, we might call them gimmicks — but they aren't necessarily bad, as long as they surprise and delight in sufficient measure. Nintendo's teams are masters of turning out charming novelties in their 'wares, hard- and soft-, even when they're not flagship features.
PS5-style haptics, adaptive triggers, back buttons - they're all fine and dandy, but they're all a bit sensible and boring - not very Nintendo. So let's have a look at some slightly more 'out-there', unexpected ideas that Nintendo could add to the Switch successor to open up new gameplay possibilities...
#1 - A Touchpad (Or Screen) On The Back
Why not pilfer an idea from Sony, eh? The Vita was a lovely machine, and in many ways the Switch's predecessor as a welcoming home for indies and niche genres. The touchpad on the back of the system always grabbed us - what fun could Nintendo get up to implementing gameplay mechanics around that, we wonder?
Alternatively, it could be a screen itself, a little e-ink display that doesn't draw much power but could show notifications when you're out and about. It could serve as a notepad or play minigames or vintage software from the Game & Watch Library. If the rumours are true about the new Joy-Con being magnetic, what's to stop us flipping the console around and attaching them back-to-front, so the main screen is on the back?
If that's all too ambitious, a little strip that displays messages could be fun. The old stuff always comes back in style; it's time to bring back the pager! And, faxes. Yes, it's time for a Nintendo Switch Printer.
#2 - A Vitality Sensor
Nintendo never throws away an idea - it just banks them and returns when conditions are right.
You may recall the Vitality Sensor, a Wii peripheral announced at E3 2009 that never made it to market thanks to reliability issues - it couldn't be made to function correctly for 100% of users. The idea was that you stick your index finger inside and the device could sense how relaxed or tense you were by measuring your pulse.
More than a decade on, perhaps those tech problems could be solved and a Joy-Con with vitality-sensing triggers could be viable in 2025. Whether there would be enough applications in enough games to warrant adding it to the base console is up for debate. If not, a standalone peripheral could be the ticket. Speaking of which...