Topic: The Nintendo Switch Rumor and Speculation Thread

@BobLongRickTangle Let people dream, Bob. The only rule in this room is until Nintendo say it, it's just opinion and speculation. The only thing we technically know is Nintendo will announce it this fiscal year. If we simply poste about what Nintendo said then 1) We will have to rename the thread Nintendo Switch 2 Facts 2) Folk who like to imagine what could be next will have to go create a new thread (I would call it something like...hmmm...Nintendo Speculation and Rumour thread.) and 3) Yeah...pointless. So no harm no foul, let folk say what they want. Don't let it get to you

@gcunit The time for this manner of speculative discussion ended like over 2 years ago.

What Nintendo and Nvidia are doing, is already done, manufactured, and being shipped for assembly as of march.

It's a new switch, designed to fit in as a portable hybrid platform capable of playing ps5/series game, even better than switch could with ps4/xbone.

@GrailUK hey thanks. And good points.

To your point of letting others dream, the only reason I joined the conversation was because @skywake was attempting to shut down the opinion of anyone who suggested that the successor needed something more than a simple bump in power, assuming that their opinion on the matter was 100% correct.

Personally I don't know whether Nintendo will offer something more or simply stick to a power bump, I just wanted to provide some evidence to the contrary of their argument to illustrate that we just don't know with Nintendo; there's plenty of arguements to support both perspectives.

Imo to shut people's opinions down based on your own baseless speculation isn't a helpful take.

@BobLongRickTangle I know Skywake. He doesn't shut people down, he just presents well constructed arguements. Even if I disagree with him occassionally, I still respect his thinking. It's ok to disagree, it doesn't mean you hate the person

Honestly I don't even mind if the gimmick is something smaller this generation and I wouldn't be surprised (I'd prefer something bigger like bringing back dual screens, but something smaller yet still impactful is fine). Nintendo seems to have a tick-tock sort of hardware cycle when it comes to gimmicks/innovations, they seem to follow an innovative generation with a more iterative one (see: NES vs. SNES, N64 vs. GC, Wii vs. Wii U, now we've got the Switch vs. Switch 2), and we're all having difficulty imagining something that could be more on the innovative side so maybe the technology just isn't there yet for something bold and revolutionary. Whatever the case, just... provide something more than power please. If it's something like stereoscopic 3D or HD rumble, fine, that won't exactly light the world on fire but it'll provide enough potential to do something new here and there to keep their creativity and uniqueness afloat for a generation (especially if they can supplement it with more hardware-agnostic new game ideas which I can definitely see potential for this generation).

@GrailUK hate doesn't come into it. I honestly don't hate anyone. I was simply playing devil's advocate against his bias, assumptions, and frankly aggressive behaviour to others in this forum.

@BobLongRickTangle fair enough.

To be clear I never said there will not be some kind of gimmick. I said that I'm not expecting there to be one and it doesn't need one to do well. I never said that Nintendo will release all their games on Switch and Switch 2. I said that I expect them to continue supporting Switch for a few years and that there will probably be a cross-gen period

And I never said that Nintendo don't want people on Switch to migrate to Switch 2. I said that their primary objective is bringing people to Nintendo's platforms, whatever they are, and keeping them there. Because as it was elegantly put, kids tend to be different every year. The market of gamers in 2025 will not be the same people from 2017 or 2012. Nintendo's aim is to catch people on the way through and hold onto them as long as possible. A subset of which is migrating, sure, but that's not the main game

Now if you want to argue that you think Nintendo needs something more than just a more powerful Switch to continue to stand out? Then sure. I disagree and will cite the continued success of the Switch as a counter point but sure. It's an argument you can reasonably make. But that's not what was happening

If people want to play devil's advocate that's fine. I'm all for it. What I'm not for is people arguing with me by attacking arguments that I am not making. The definition of a strawman. And when I call people out on that kind of BS that's not "being aggressive"

Also heaven forbid someone speculate in the rumours and speculation thread

Fair argument. I think the thing you're maybe not considering is that at this point Nintendo is the dominant player in this space. Sony and Microsoft are the ones that need to disrupt Nintendo, not the other way around. Now you will, and are, arguing that they need some kind of Nintendo spice to keep people engaged. My view is that all they need to do is not give people a reason to dip their toes into their competitors offerings. A radical and wacky Nintendo-ism, I feel, could easily be a reason for people to jump ship to something more pedestrian

And as much as I like the idea of portable PCs Nintendo will always have an advantage there. I'm all for PC gaming but the software available for these portable PCs is, almost by definition, not designed for them. Dedicated hardware is always going to have an easier ride in terms of performance per dollar

Also, I've mentioned here backwards compatibility and cross compatibility. It's no accident I bring these up. If people are already invested in the Switch ecosystem, both developers and gamers, then the Switch 2 has a huge advantage in this race. The Switch library and userbase. If they can successfully leverage both? That's the hook

With that said, Steam already does this and I wouldn't be shocked if Sony/MS throw their existing library onto whatever they do. The difference again though, Nintendo has already captured the portable market. They just need to not give people a reason to jump

And for new people coming in? The hook is compelling software. Always is

So in regards to June, what do you think gets revealed? I mean quite frankly, even if they have stuff they’ve been sitting on, I don’t think it could be anything super big. It’s going to be easy to ship titles, the B-tier budget series games, and remake and remaster galore. Not that any of this stuff is bad, but I’m just interested what the holiday title is going to be without a Pokemon or a big Mario game.

@NarwhalKing Personally I think this thing's gonna be big. We only know about two upcoming titles this year, and this should reveal most if not all of the rest of the year's lineup. Maybe not as good as last year's June Direct or September Direct, but I think it'll still be really good.

Some things I think could be here:

• Luigi's Mansion 2HD
• Luigi's Mansion 1 port
• Kirby game
• NWC: NES Edition
• Metroid Prime 4
• filler things (smaller Square Enix games, farming simulators)
• NSO update(s)
• Splatoon 3 something
• Mario Wonder DLC (I've seen people mention this and I totally think this is a possibly. Pikmin 4 DLC is possible however extremely unlikely at this point)
• Possibly a tease for the next big Mario game for the next console (not talking about the next console or anything, just a tease for a game)

Maybe pull out some smaller projects as well to fill in the rest of the year. Maybe WW/TP HD ports, another smaller GameCube/Wii/WiiU remaster, etc.

Metroid Prime 2+3 ports could happen in the September Direct, a month before a potential Metroid Prime 4 release in October. (Similar to what they did with Pikmin 4, when they ported Pikmin 1+2 a month in advance)

These are just my thoughts, feel free to add anything you think could be here!

@PikminMarioKirby Aside from the listed above, I think more games from the Wii could use some love. For instance, Wario Land: Shake It. It's been years since we had a Wario Land game & I missed out this one sadly back then.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (oh! Also Fire Emblem Path of Radiance too!) & Super Paper Mario.
Then...I guess...Yoshi's Wooly World or Kirby's Epic Yarn??? I know this may not be definite but it's does sound sensible too. Some of these games do deserve some love too tho.

I'm not expecting Nintendo to pull out new games but I think they do want to pad out more of the Switch's lifespan over the course leading up to the successor. But

@PikminMarioKirby the big Mario title teaser is possible if 3D Mario is cross gen, but that’s not something I can really say yes or no on. Mario Wonder DLC wouldn’t be a bad guess, they have some concepts they didn’t use for levels saved up, would make a quick release and you could do a new physical bundle for retail. My only thing with this direct is that it’s a direct that they’ve haven’t had as long to plan out as they originally thought. The past plans involved having the next console revealed by now, so that probably means whatever filler they need to put into it is stuff that is, for lack of a better words, been in storage or is being rushed together.

I agree specific game reviews is a pretty minor part of the equation for most people, but I do think a lot of people dip briefly into 'review space' before buying a new console, similarly to how people might glance at some random reviews of products in a furniture store before buying a new table. If there is enough bad press, it will filter through into casual searches and start having an effect. I don't think it has really been an issue for Switch, but if the current trend continued I could imagine it eventually having an effect.

Most of the people I work with have young-kids and most of them got a Switch because it is family friendly, cheap-ish, they had heard of it and knew it was popular and well received, and in about half of those cases they noticed Switch had some games they could play after the kids had gone to bed (they aren't really gamers per say but we are of a generation now where a large percentage of people with kids played video games when they were themselves children, so the temptation to dip back in if the family is getting a console anyways is very real.)

I think the 'heard of it and knew it had a good reputation' is perhaps the largest draw at least from that anecdotal crowd. When I casually mention it, none of these people have any knowledge of rumours of a future Nintendo device. None of them owned a Wii U and most literally don't know what it is despite almost all owning Wiis at some point. It's actually kind of fascinating how little many points in the arguments in these forums would even be a factor for most of the people I know. Again, anecdotal, but I tend to think of those acquaintances as a sampling of 'typical' Switch owners, or at least much more typical than myself or other forum dwellers.

Also, wow, the forum went nuts while I was at work today. 😆

@DanijoEX-the-Pierrot Yes Wii had some great games. Wario Land Shake It and Mario Galaxy 2 would be lovely, along with Kirby's Epic Yarn.

@NarwhalKing Yeah a big Mario teaser if kind of iffy. I think Nintendo has a decent sized list of unreleased but finished games, so they can be prepared for any 'drought' of games. Some of these games will probably be fan favorites, I assume.

Remember, majority of times, Nintendo has an insanely high selling console.

You thought GameCube was not popular? Well GameBoy Advance was selling 80+ million around the same time, and is still one of the best selling consoles of all time.

Wii U flopped? 3DS was there at the same time selling 75+ million.

Not to mention 3DS and GameBoy Advance are both essentially more powerful versions of their previous versions (DS and GameBoy respectively), and they still sold insanely well. This proves no new gimmick is necessary, just good marketing and good place in the industry, as well as a variety of well-polished games to entice both gamers and non-gamers alike.

Nintendo Switch's Successor doesn't need a huge new gimmick to sell well. 3DS and GBA prove it. Expanding on an original idea is always a good step, but only if done correctly.

Nintendo has almost always been in a place where at least one of their consoles were selling extremely well. They almost always used to have 2 consoles going at once. However, they have since combined.

If this trajectory continues, Nintendo Switch's Successor doesn't need a huge gimmick. It all matters about pricing, games, advertising, brand, and state of industry.

Can we expect Nintendo Switch's Successor to sell better than Nintendo Switch? That's doubtful. However, 90+ million isn't out of the question, considering how popular Nintendo is, along with boosts from amusement parks and insanely popular movies. The Mario-series Movie is releasing 2026 which should give a huge boost to the brand. 2025 has (I think) Super Nintendo World in Florida, which will also boost brand-recognition.

Nintendo Switch's Successor doesn't need a huge new gimmick to be popular, however it is determined by several variables. This console can still sell insanely well without a huge new gimmick. What did the Gamepad do for WiiU? Innovation isn't everything. Could I be wrong about this console selling well? Yes. Nothing is certain, although I do have a lot of confidence in Nintendo's next console.

@FishyS
Yeah, most people are barely aware of new consoles until they decide to go out and get one. People do stuff like pick up a console just for one game release they're super into. Or because they're going on a trip and want something for the plane. Or they got a new TV and want to stretch it a bit. Or their kids birthday is coming up and they want to get them something

I think people on forums such as this tend to think of users as being like them. Pouring over every details, knowing the full ins and outs of every platform. And some certainly are. But for most people the console they end up buying is the one that was in that ad, the one their friend or family member recommended or the one the sales rep at EB Games said was good

The average user isn't going to be sold on anything but a simple message. And something like "Switch 2, plays all Switch games now upto 4K". Pretty simple

@BobLongRickTangle
You've repeatedly made a point of ignoring the bulk of the post and instead choosing to attack small out of context snippets. Usually with an interpretation of them that goes counter to the main argument of what you were replying to. It's the very definition of a strawman

Also, this supposed "strawman" you've pointed at here that I apparently made? It was in reply mostly to this post you made here

I wasn't taking you out of context at all in that quote you have taken of me. I wasn't building up an argument you didn't make in any sense. I was saying that no, I don't agree. That Nintendo's primary goal ISN'T to convince people who just got a Switch to go out and buy another console. Nintendo's goal is both to convince these people not to buy into some other platform and also to capture any non-captured users and are choosing which platforms to invest in

In your specific example we're talking about a family console where power isn't a concern. With the launch of a "just more powerful" Switch 2 those people probably won't upgrade. Regardless. But where will they be spending their money instead? If they're not interested in power they're not buying a PS5 or a Steam Deck or a PC for little Jimmy. They'll probably just stick with the Switch for now. Buy more games for it. So again..... why would Nintendo be concerned about those people? Don't try and formulate an argument, think. Why would they be concerned about someone who isn't leaving their platform? They wouldn't be. Their concern would be when they leave what platform are they moving to. i.e.

To be frank, @Bolt_Strike made a fairly decent argument for your case earlier. A case for why Nintendo might want some extra Nintendo spice to make their product appealing alongside a potential XBox or PS Portable. They may well be right. But personally, my view is that Nintendo is the incumbent in this space. Which is a view that's backed up by the Switch being one of if not the best selling gaming platforms of all time. And while it's in decline currently it's still a good ~40% of the console market

All they really have to do to do well again is not stuff it up. They don't need some whacky idea to inspire people who already have a Switch to run out and buy this new hardware immediately. They just need to release new hardware that hits all the same bullet points as the Switch but, you know, less outdated. And with of course new software which, ultimately, is what we're here for