Nintendo President Reiterates That Switch Is "Just In The Middle Of Its Lifecycle"

He’s got to back that up with improvements to the online service and a bigger variety of software

Oof

To keep it short why my reaction is like that, another 3~5 years of Switch in it's current hardware (ram, CPU, GPU) configuration doesn't sound that good idea.

I know for sure a lot of people will say the Switch will be fine, but most of these people don't see the true issue, and I will restrain myself from explaining that, considering a lot of these people with that opinion are often tone deaf anyhow.

We were told that the Wii U was still being supported and then it was axed the next year.

I know the Switch is in a different situation, but it's not like they're going to tell us if something else is coming.

they are able to maintain momentum this year because of a strong line-up but come next year with likely a weaker game line-up and after 7 years on the market Switch momentum will decline

And I don't like that he's still saying the Switch in the middle of its life nobody wants this to last 10 years

I understand their position here but I can't say I'm pumped to have to play switch for many more years to come. Oh well as long as they can release good games for it that's all that matters in the end.

sounds more like more console updates than having a fully new system sometimes this or next year

@Korgon
I would at least expect some hardware updates coming this or next year. they always did stuff like that in the past.
I also want a Switch Pro but right now I still can live with what we have. The Problem is more that companies are giving a ***** and that results in games like Pokemon Legends

I have the OG switch and it works just fine. As long as Nintendo drops 3-4 exclusives a year for it I see no reason to upgrade.
I use the xbox and ps5 for everything else so...

While I'm tempted to go for the Jimmy Neutron meme here (Switch has been in the middle of its life cycle for what, the third year in a row?😄), I understand the sentiment. Said sixth year is almost upon us with Switch still boasting pretty much all the strengths that have carried it this far, on top of the already insane library that is already set to be further reinforced with stuff like Rune Factory 5, Ezio Collection, BotW 2, freeroam Kirby and Sonic, Bayonetta and Splatoon "threequels", potential Genshin Impact... and that's just SOME of the KNOWN stuff.

@RupeeClock I hope not. GBC was the next generation. The others extremely underperformed compared to the original (in sales) and ultimately ended the generation. Also they didn't have many exclusive games and the performance gains in other games was minimal.

I can understand why Nintendo would be reluctant to move on from such a massive success. If we do get a "Switch Pro", it would be wise to not leave the Switch behind.

Imagine two cartridge slots - a wider one for heftier "pro" games and the backwards compatible OG Switch slot.

Middle of the life cycle, huh?

Better see a switch model with some actual power behind it in the next year or so. It needs a hardware upgrade desperately.

I could see the Switch going for another 2-3 years in terms of gaming. Even though the Switch hardware is outdated they still managed to make their games look great.

@Kimyonaakuma,

If you thing a Switch Pro or Switch 2 is just around the corner, you are living in cloud cuckoo land, they have just launched the OLED and the console is still selling at a fast rate, the games for the system are doing insane numbers, as long as they keep producing consoles they will sell them, I would expect a lite revision to OLED this year and the OLED to pretty much become the regular model once they sort production out.

My guess is a Switch reveal 2024 with release date of late 2024/ early 2025, perhaps even later.

I sure hope a hardware revision is incoming.

The UI, eShop, and online systems need a massive refresh then.

Redo them as if they were built for a brand new system, and make the Switch feel like a new system, while also addressing the long standing issues.

@Joker1234,

And the wider mass market does not care about graphics or frame rates, of course some will argue that third party developers will always want the latest tech for their games, but Nintendo is not relying on those guys to shift consoles or games.

I wonder how well the cloud versions have done like Control, Hitman 3, etc.

If Nintendo has data suggesting those have done well enough they may decide to have the Switch last like over 10 years and just accept that the future of 3rd party support is cloud versions.

@RupeeClock "All previous games" is not going to happen. Even the XBOX Series X can't do that. Games need to be patched to use the improved hardware. And that's where they failed with the New 3DS. Only a handful of games where patched. I can see it happen to some of the evergreen titles from Nintendo and some major publishers. But most won't bother.

@CactusMan That's sensible, yeah. I was just thinking if they decided to change the form factor for any future versions.

I think Nintendo said early on they wanted each person in the household to have their own Switch, like a smartphone. What if the Switch is effectively Nintendo's last console, and they just keep releasing hardware revisions? Like we get the Switch 2, Switch 3, Switch 4, etc. every few years. After so many revisions, new games start to no longer be compatible with the old models. Maybe you could keep your original Switch and skip the Switch 2 because they're cross-compatible, but by the Switch 3 or 4, new games won't be supported so you have to upgrade. So basically like your iPhone or PC.

@The_BAAD_Man that's what I was thinking, making a new console with 2 cartridge slots or at least some kind of backwards compatibility. the switch library is massive, it takes a while to go through all the games if you're busy

I can't see the current Switch(es) doing well after this holiday. I think the scheduled games and the current shortages will work in Nintendo's favor this whole year.
Despite splitting the user base, I think a revision makes sense more than ever. They can't release a Switch 2 among shortages. Just look at how the other 2 are struggling. However, they can release a "pro" and if they momentarily run out of chips, they can fall back on the other models.
Maybe by 2024 conditions will be better and they can start thinking about releasing that Switch 2. But the pro would boost sales in the meantime. People would double dip with Switch 2 after the release window.

@Mattock1987 They already have a huge variety in software.

@sanderev The DSi sold over 40 million units, that's not an underperformance and the generation only ended several years later. The GBC sold close to as much as the original gameboy in half the time.

@RubyDevilNine It is also very simple to ignore issues, it is also very simple to say "oh well it doesn't matter if your opinion is right, you are too negative so you probably doesn't like the Switch"

Thats internet (and starting part of your comment) in a nutshell.

You can like something and have crituque about it, blindly enjoying something that has issues is the wrong thing, enjoying it and admitting it has issues is the better way.

And this from a old PS Vita fan here, if you know enough about that system you would understand what I am talking about.

Also I do have a Switch mind you and enjoy it, even after replacing my joy-cons 3 times (and my partners 4) in the past 5 years, even while aside from the N64 joystick no other system ever broke in my case.

I enjoy the games no matter on what system they are, even if that system has issues, but I am not blindly "happy happy joy joy" saying it doesn't have any issues, every system has it's own issues and ignoring them gives companies a "free card" to not care about fixing them now, or in later revisions.

P.S.

" But don't worry, because Nintendo, as like any company as well, cares for you... but only for your money."

Don't go that route, too many people do and it's silly.

I care as much about these companies as they do about me, and if a product would be a true mess, then I would not buy it.

And now I expect someone to read what I said in their own way, comment on me and still not understand it.

So to those people, please read CAREFULLY, because most people here do not and then blame my comment for being negative and that kind of stuff.

While it's not negative, it's me being realistic. And if you like your Switch or any other system, ignore what I said and don't comment, go play the games you like, something I would do if I read this and didn't read it properly.

With how my Switch library has grown and will continue to do so, I really hope that the next system is backwards compatible. This really should be a given with Nintendo systems, since the 3DS could play games for the DS, which could play games for the GBA, which could play games for the Game Boy, and the Wii U could play games for the Wii, which could play games for the GameCube, but seeing how the Switch was not backwards compatible, it's up in the air if Nintendo will start a new streak of systems with reverse-compatibility.

@Rayquaza2510 idk. Chip shortage. If a successor came out sooner most people wouldn’t be able to get one anyway.

@LUIGITORNADO that could be a possibility

@BTB20 they’re still known for family friendly games and have a handful of franchises they keep coming back to

Nintendo would be stupid to end the Switch's life cycle while it's easily beating its competitors. And, as Satoru Iwata said during the Wii U era, "we have reached peak graphics". So I see no reason to have a 9th generation at all.

@BTB20 The DSi ended 3 years after it launched. And like I said, I don't see the GBC as an upgraded GB. I see it as a different handheld generation. Since it does something the GB completely does not. (color) And sure you can say the same about DSi ware, but that is a very much smaller scale.

Bring out some new controllers that don't need repairing after 6 months and I will pay whatever they want. Then I will get back to loving the Switch. The 4 broken joycons I have at home (which I shouldn't have to send off) are why it only gets used for couch-co-op Fortnite anymore.

People pointing out the "obvious" problems with the switch genuinely don't seem to realise that those DONT MATTER to the people who buy a switch, or if they were as dire as they make them seem they would have tanked the system by now, but they haven't.

So the next "console" may truly be a "Switch Pro" after all and will almost certainly run the same game modulation as the Switch. It will likely be more powerful spec-wise but will likely be part of the same "generation" and will be akin to what the PS4 Pro was for the PS4 base.

Good to hear, I'm in no hurry to upgrade.

Nintendo is stating Switch in his half lifecycle since 2019, how long Shuntaro Furukawa is gonna keep making this statement?

Ok so if we have to put up with this for another 3 years, they better improve the the online offering, fix the voice chat and give us some smaller franchises that don’t take too long to develop eg…wave racer, f- zero, diddy Kong racing etc

Good, less money to spend!

how long until third parties/Nintendo games suffer to run on Switch?

Look at the PS3, at the end of its lifecycle it was host to some of the most amazing games, it could’ve carried on for years, there was no need at that point for a PS4 so good on Nintendo I say…….we want more games, not new hardware.

I'm not sure if I like this. I think one of the reasons Wii U flopped was that they waited too long and interest in the Wii had waned too much. If they wait until the Switch is losing popularity then it becomes harder to sell the next generation.

@sanderev What exactly did you expect? The DSi to sell for 6+ years like a new console with 90 million units like the DS Lite? Something like that never happens with the final revision.

@RubyDevilNine Oh yeah! I totally want to deal with joy-con drift after Nintendo stops manufacturing joy-cons! Just like I would totally want to go back to my DS that no longer has a functioning X button instead of my 3DS, which is starting to have the same problem.
Systems deteriorate over time, and the only way to play these games much later down the road is either by having a secondary system that you only open after your current primary breaks, or if the next gen system is bc.

The Switch has been amazing and this really isn’t news. First off they said when the Switch came out they would support it for at least 8 years, also they are not going to say that the Switch is done, time for a new console soon lol.

I will say I’m super happy with the Switch and I could use this system for another 6 years just the way it is no issue. If I need to play a game that doesn’t come to the Switch I have a PC and am thinking about getting a PS5 if even possible lol.

My biggest worry is they move on to fast to something new.But when they finally do I hope it’s backwards compatible with the Switch and Switch like, hope they just play it safe for once and continue down this path instead of making something that discards this big library and starts all over.

@chardir Nintendo is still selling Mario Kart 8 nearly 8 years into its life cycle, with it constantly being in Nintendo's top 10 best selling games. Will Mario Kart 9 suffer because Nintendo waited so long? Probably not, and I doubt the Switch's successor will suffer either, especially if MK9 is a launch title.

@johnvboy

I guess that's why the market constantly buys new consoles? Cause they don't care about graphics?

Switch is too old now imo except for pixel indies which I guess if that's all you need then the Switch is fine.

I moved on to the PS5. I think I'm bowing out of Nintendo-land. Really nothing to keep me as I just don't care about Mario or Zelda (after the crap BOTW pulled).

I would like to see new hardware in three years. But since I use my Switch primarily as a port/indie machine, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Switch software support for five or six more years.

@LUIGITORNADO
this does seem like it would definitely be the biggest hurdle in terms of releasing new hardware or even a revision.

@KayFiOS Mario Kart 8 failed to save the Wii U.

Remember most newer systems are out before the end of the life cycle of the older system and sometimes years. The newer system would most likely be out before this current generation is over. Look at PS5 and PS4. PS5 has been out over a year now and Sony said they would still produce the PS4 for another year. So if they still think the switch is mid cycle. We will probably see a new system late next year. I am sure they wanted sooner but with the chip shortage they probably pushed it out some which is smart. You do not want a issue like Sony has. not only that I do not see a huge jump in this current generation in either my PlayStation or Xbox. Hell the PS5 was launched without 1440, free sync, Bluetooth audio etc.

I don't know if I want my Nintendo console to still be a Switch by 2027...

@Rayquaza2510 100% this take. I sold my Switch but would buy another if they made a Pro version that could produce better graphics. I play on PS5 and PC so moving between those and Switch is like playing on a potato. I love Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. but I am so tired of the Switch version looking the worst. I don't care about portability, so it just left me with a subpar console experience. Breath of the Wild is my favorite game of all time now, so I am certainty a fan, but if they plan to go another few years with their hardware then I won't be back until Switch 2, I guess.

What else are you going to say? “We wanted to do a mid-cycle refresh, but components are not widely available so we just released one of the two models last year.”

If Nintendo said why they can’t do an update, it would hurt momentum and sales. They want to sell as many of the available units as possible, they’re not going to hurt potential sales to reassure people waiting on the next system.

It’s can be maddening, but no one is getting ahead on hardware in gaming right now due to this shortages. Sony is going to make PS4s again with available components since PS5 parts are scarce. Microsoft… they could be doing better to address the issue with the Series X rather than point to the Series S, at least being back the Xbox One X.

@sword_9mm,

Missing my point, to most there will be very little difference between a PS4 Pro game and a PS5 one, just because the core is obsessed does not mean everyone else is, some people jus buy because it's the latest thing, and if people are indeed obsessed with graphics, why has the Switch sold so well.

@RubyDevilNine
It does feel like their comment could have used some elaboration on when calling someone "tone deaf" since the way its worded can come off as implying people who are okay with the switch are in that category.

i feel like i do with other similar discussions, i feel if someone is putting people down for simply enjoying something then im not cool with that but am more than fine with someone criticizing something.

on the flipside I'm cool with someone for enjoying something though less so with some who feel like they outright dismiss criticism as whining or other words to that effect (iirc there were people accusing those critical of the NSO emulation issues of "lying")

i apologise if i worded this poorly.

As long as they keep the BOTW2 release this year (especially either summer or holiday) the momentum will sky rocket. The year is already starting out well.

@johnvboy

You're insane. Play the matrix demo and get back to me how there's no difference between a pro and a 5.

Look; you can be in that 'graphics don't matter' contingent like the dumb Wii years but most of us are not. Enjoy 'indie retro game 100' on the Switch I guess. I'll be enjoying tech from the year 2019 instead.

@sword_9mm,

Played it on the Series X and thought it looked great, but in fairness think games on the Xbox One still look fine.

On a related note shouted to my wife when I was playing the Matrix demo and she said it just looked like any other video game, the wider mass market eh, or perhaps she is insane just like me.

Not sure why the fact people do not see the same things as yourself should trigger you that much, as surely the only opinion on any of this that matters is your own.

Furukawa is like the clock at work on a Friday afternoon, somehow it’s ticking twice as slow as it should..

@johnvboy

The framerate was awful but it did show that there's a technical increase.

I'm not 'triggered' as I've left the N ecosystem. I've stuck with them since the NES even through the awful Wii and I've finally decided my limited game time is not going to be on something from 2004 from a company that's the most hostile to it's customer base. If i want to play BOTW2 or some Mario game I'll emulate it on PC and get a better experience.

Switch on course to sell loads more. Maybe break the DS record who knows ? Of course they aren’t gonna say. Yeah we got a new system out soon. Nintendo will probably just do a DS style update to the switch like Switch XL or something with a bit more power and backwards compatible with the switch library out the gate. Who knows. Ten years is a long time in human years in console years that’s even longer.

@sword_9mm,

Sorry triggered was the wrong phrase, but trust me I am not insane, and do see the quality of the Series X on my new OLED telly, but I also feel that the graphical jumps are not as stark as they once were, it's more fine details, for instance 1080p HD to 4K is apparent, but I am far more impressed by the HDR grading as this really brings a new dimension to the presentation.

But trying to convert my other half is impossible, it all looks the same to her.

As for Nintendo, they are just not going for power anymore, think the next generation Switch will be on par with a base PS4, and will not run the battery flat in ten minutes and heat your house up.

Not so sure Nintendo are hostile to their fans, they are just there to make money like everyone else, and as I have said the Switch offers me a totally different experience to the Series X, but I enjoy both as I do not look at or judge them in the same way.

For as long as Nintendo keeps bringing new and exciting games that don't limit their developers, the Switch will be able to sustain a long lifecycle. One of the biggest traits about most Nintendo handhelds is their longevity, because of the lack of direct competitors in that market. Sony clearly hasn't returned to this side of the industry and Microsoft has only been interested in cloud gaming on-the-go. Mobile has always been more of a coexisting ecosystem rather than a competing one, and part of that comes from every mobile game requiring optimization to fit most weaker mobile devices, even though we already have devices more powerful than some PCs (such as the iPad Pro).

Remember another 5 years of the Switch doesn't necessarily mean 5 years until the next new hardware. There could be an overlap.

I do think there is a possibility that they return to a separate handheld/home console concept with the Switch remaining as-is but moving to the handheld part primarily and it interacts with the beafier home console.

@chardir It was impossible to save the Wii U. The only way a new Mario Kart might have done it was if it was a launch title, instead of another generic 2D Mario. It still managed to become the Wii U's best selling game though.

I'm sure more people would be fine with this if Nintendo just fixed Joy Con drift. I can't catch Pokemon properly in Legends if I keep drifting out of the tall grass.

@Mattock1987 bigger variety of software? Please explain. As for online improvements they continuously do that. As for the eshop it’s no worse than PlayStations honestly, I actually find PlayStations to be worse. Theirs, epics and steams then nintendos. As for software they have many ips on their system that are theirs and and are still working on others along with working with other companies like UBI to bring more to the system. The rest of them are up to the other companies to bring to the switch.

@KayFiOS I live my WiiU and still play it today. You are correct though, after the first year the grave was dug for it to be advertised and to pick up sales. Great system also which is what is sad but on the good side the WiiU and DS had a baby ( the Switch)that is even better.

@Rayquaza2510 So from what I’ve seen is you have no argument. You are just mad about the joycon issues and don’t think the switch could last another 2-3 years without improvements. I find all of your comments to be very one sided so basically if you don’t like it don’t play it or buy it period, Nintendo doesn’t need you anyways. I also have 10 sets of joycons for all our switches in the house. I have only had to send off one set from the day one switch release that is it. Maybe if you took care of your product it would last longer first of all, second Nintendo fixes them for free and act replaces them not fixe them so if you have multiple sets there should be no issue at all.
All systems have their issues, Sonya batteries last an abysmal 2 hours if your lucky and their interface is slow and crap let alone their store and half the games they have themselves are nothing but rebases and they think all the games they have are gold and never have any real good sales. Nintendo has its issues as well and so does Xbox but Nintendo could literally go another 5 years+ probably without even updating the system just like playstation and has tmwith the 4 and Xbox with the One which both still sell very decent but not as much as the switch. The switch is portable and just like the D’s that is why people love it, that and the fact you cannot beat nintendos IP’s.
So please have an actual real argument as to why they wouldn’t be able to continue to sell the system as is for a few more years before stating such nonsense. Even pc still comes out with games able to be played with a 7 year old graphics card.

@Shredderlovespizza so tired of the switch version looking the worst? You can only get Nintendo games on Nintendo. Your comment makes no sense what so ever.

Give us a Switch Pro next year that boosts performance (native rez in handheld/1080p on TV/60fps) and I’m good for another 3-5 years. Many games on the current hardware are starting to look rough. Arceus looks like a PS2 game with higher resolution visuals slapped on.

@PinkLemonade Yeah a Pro version would be nice.

PlayStation and Xbox do a higher spec console mid life cycle such as PS4 Pro.

More developers and now streaming their game ports to Switch which is not ideal for portability and it saves them time and money not having to optimise the game for Switch hardware.

Specs don't limit creativity, imagination does. And the more graphics chase realism, one could argue the less imagination they have.

I'm good with it being in the middle of its life cycle if they intend on creating a new home console and focus on the Switch as mainly a portable. Which we know they won't... Nintendo needs a more powerful console. Just look at recent Nintendo releases for proof of that with their low and inconsistent framerate and low resolution.

The Switch has been showing its lack of power for a while, especially since the new consoles hit. It's only going to get worse. Change the Switch to focus on handheld only and give us a more powerful console that can at least handle 1440p/60fps.

I love Switch and it is still my primary console, but I added an Xbox series S to compliment it. It looks like it's going to be awhile before Nintendo upgrades its hardware, and they have fallen behind in some games (think no Madden, no NHL game, no 4K support, etc). A lot of the Switch appeal is handheld mode, I can play it while my wife is watching TV, but for next gen gaming you need an Xbox which now costs the same (or less) as a Switch.

Nintendo usually don't discontinue their handheld too soon, it mostly stay in the market for 7-9 nines before they give it the boot. Considering they hadn't plan on a successor just yet, Switch will probably be here for another 3 years. Make sense too since the pandemic is still on-going so people will play anything at the moment. Introducing a more powerful successor at this point will not be the perfect situation cause then those same people will had to worry about spending more for a better hardware.

@Dirty0814 Well I am obviously not talking about Nintendo First Party games. I mean games that are multiplatform. I have bought a handful and the Switch version is always the worst running and looking version.

@Shredderlovespizza Yeah after gaming on PS5 or Series X then jumping to a Switch game I feel like I spread Vaseline over my eyes with that low resolution and blurry textures. Occasionally the juttery framerate has made me feel ill, no joke. I love Nintendo and I do enjoy my Switch but it's time to upgrade, Nintendo. When you can't even maintain 30fps at 720p in a Nintendo made game its time to rethink your hardware specs.

I do believe if all you do is play portable mode then it's easier to ignore this stuff. And it's OK if people don't care about framerate or resolution but these really do factor into enjoyment of a game for many players. Framerate is especially important. I game on a TV most of the time so the issues are stark.

I don't understand why some people get mad at others wanting a smoother game experience. If they bring out a Pro system ignore it and let us that care enjoy it. With these Nintendo IPs we don't have any other legit options.

SuperMetalDave and the people who keep going on about "Switch 2" this and that won't be pleased.

@Synthatron_Prime All this, and I get tons of hate for wanting a better Switch. It only means I love Nintendo games and would love better versions. Can you imagine Breath of the Wild in Unreal engine!!! The more I play the harder it is go backwards (not counting retro looking games). I almost bought a Switch OLED but ended up getting a gaming laptop for not a lot more and now I'll be able to play anything. I really wish Nintendo would care but I just don't think they think about their hardware with it selling so well as is and they'll just cruise on what they have for as long as possible. Also, the Vaseline comment is on point, and I struggled to describe the experience, but you nailed it!

@Zuljaras Same Here! I don't want a new console anytime soon. Nintendo Switch is just getting Started! It would be very dumb of Nintendo to release a New, More Powerful, Console/Handheld during the pandemic and Chip Shortages. Just take a look at what is going on with the Xbox Series X and PS5. Sony is still hanging on to the dead ps4 for crying out loud.
Nintendo Switch Sales keep Growing like crazy!

I'm fine with the switch sticking around a few more years IF they can broaden the first-party release lineup. Two of the biggest upcoming releases, BotW2 and Splatoon 3, are direct sequels to games already on Switch. They will sell well mind you, but earlier entries already sold systems, and sequels aren't necessarily going to convince new folks to pick up a Switch. If say, they put out Prime 4, F-Zero, and a no gimmicks Star Fox all in 2023, that might bring back some older core-gamer folks (with balls that drag on the ground because they are soooo huge) that have stayed away up until now.
Hopefully now that COVID is calming down and they've expanded their teams a bit, Nintendo can kick the output up a notch. Because that was always what did them in around year five or six before.

The Switch is feeling a little dated to me, but I would be fine if they stretched it out a few years longer, if for no other reason the longer they wait, the more powerful the next system should be, tho u never know with Nintendo….

Moving forward from Switch OLED, the only changes I would like to see made without changing the brand to Switch2/etc:

• Joycons redesigned as optical rather than analog, transforming durability. The Joycon sticks themselves given more depth of movement
• the most modest of a boost in performance for QOL purposes, like stable frame rate, as well as improved UI, like an improved eShop, more options/wallpapers/folders/music in the home page, etc.
• AI upscaling for 4K docked, as well as AI implementation for real-time shader/texture upscaling.
• lighter unit. Launch model is already too heavy, much less OLED's weight.
• improved battery technology
• As mainly a Nintendo gamer, BOTW is as pretty as I ever need a video game to be. Simply increase internal production investments to scale up most first-party titles to match BOTW's polish.

Regardless of whether any plans have 'changed', the current tone from the company and market realities suggest that the Switch still has a good amount of time yet on the market.
This means absolutely nothing. NL review is making assumption based on just words nothing that no-one can verify. They don't need to be in any cycle to make a New Switch. Remember the Covid just put a Pause because all indications were a new Switch was in the work until Covid became the new norm. And with BOTW2 ~2022 that would indicate the need hardware to run it was in place to showcase BOTW2.

Switch still has plenty of life in it and Nintendo has shown strong first party support. I see third party support dwindling into indies like the Vita did. Hoping official emulators get added, Gamecube and Wii emulation are def possible as Super Mario 3D All Stars has shown.

The Steam Deck should satisfy my itch for AAA games and it should push Nintendo to make the Switch 2 something that is very powerful.

Alot of 3rd party games already skip the switch because of its specs so when publishers start making games exclusively for the new more powerful consoles switch will only get overpriced Nintendo published games & Indies

Nintendo is in no rush to go to a new system considering the ongoing success of the current one, PS5/Series C doing next to no damage despite people previously arguing they would “kill the Switch” when they dropped, and chip shortage/pandemic means it’s more safer call to milk Switch for another few years which by then market/populace hopefully stabilizes.

People here insisting doom and gloom about “the 3rd parties!” Because they are not rushing to jump a generation forget Switch isn’t remotely as dependent on 3rd parties compared to PS5 and Series X.

MK8D alone has 40+% of all Switch owners owning that game which blows whatever the highest Switch 3rd party has sold. Not to mention Switch gets decent 3rd party support regardless. Indies flock to the platform, low-medium budget Japanese anime games [Vita catalogue] that would get censored on modern Sony platforms still get released on it especially the VNs, and we still get big Western ports occasionally regardless. Third parties are not gonna completely abandon a 100+ Million install base currently the most popular platform regardless of spec levels.

Why do you think Capcom bothered with MH Rise or SE bothered with Octopath Traveler where both ended up as successes on the Switch platform? Even the Witcher 3 Switch port was reported a success from the devs.

Also got a laugh here about “tired of Nintendo having the worse version of a multiplat” as if that would change even if Nintendo went up a generation. They are not gonna have the specs remotely like a PS5/Series X so that fact won’t change regardless if Switch remained or a Switch 2 drops.

@jamesthemagi I think the oled is the closest to a switch pro we are gonna get. I think they’re gonna make whatever the pro version was gonna be their next console, call it the switch 2 or whatever, and take the next few years to further enhance the product, especially with the ongoing chip shortages etc which seem to have no end in sight and how well the switch is still selling. 🤷‍♂️

With the chip shortages they don't need to release a successor for another 2-3 years or so.

The current Switch has a ton of momentum still and 2022 looks to be a really big year in terms of major releases.

Also, as far as 3rd party games go, the vast majority of the ones released on Switch are either indies or ports of PS3/360 era titles (or earlier). It already wasn't getting most PS4/XB1 games, so nothing changes there with PS5/XBSX. Stuff like The Witcher 3 or Dying Light are the exception rather than the rule.

I would bet they couldn't release a new console soon if they wanted to due to ongoing supply shortages. Better for them to sell software to the 100 million current switch owners than to release a new console with limited supply and therefore limited customers to sell games to. Seems to me they're playing it safe.

So great! I love that the switch has alot of life left. I dread the 5 yr cycle. Way to short. Imagine buying a console in its 3rd year and having 5yrs to go before it slowly winds down. Nintendo now can keep banking the R&D money and make a fantastic successor when the time comes.

@Rayquaza2510 2 years until the next system sounds okay to me which is what’s projected. This year is stacked so should tide people over. Typically the end of the lifespan does not coincide with the release of the next iteration. Usually it takes another 2 years unless demand has plummeted like the Wii or never existed like the WiiU. I think even the 3ds lasted a couple years after the Switch came out.

It's time ppl accept it. Switch isn't going anywhere.

"But the power gap"

It's always been there and a new Switch won't change that. It hasn't stopped it from being an incredible system so far and that's not going to change over the next couple years, either.

Switch is riding high, and we're getting tons of killer games. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Some ppl get so perpetually obsessed with tomorrow they never stop to enjoy today.

Switch 2 will come in due time. Until then, grab a controller and try out some Monster Hunter Rise, some Metroid Dread, some Pokémon Legends Arceus. Get ready for that Assassin's Creed Ezio Trilogy, Triangle Strategy, Advance Wars and Kirby Forgotten Land. Prepare for Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak and Mario Rabbids Spark of Hope. Remember you have Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 and Metroid Prime 4 still on the way.

Forget about tomorrow. Enjoy today.

@JaxonH
I couldn't have said it any better than you did. People are wasting so much time waiting for Nintendo to bring out an unnecessary hardware revision when they could be spending the time enjoying it now.

Nintendo has ultimately proven that they're capable of using this older hardware to make fantastic games. If they could do it so well, why can't many other developers follow?

All those thinking they can't bring a New Switch out is blowing hot air. What makes you think they won't-there's nothing that says they won't but people just hang on to the world Half-Life that means absolutely nothing. That half-life is the current v2 OELD using v2 hardware and mentions nothing about upcoming new hardware since that won't be using v2 chipset anymore but updated chipset. Chipset advance and there be no way Nintendo is using v2 chipset in a New Switch that will be based most likely on a newer X2 Nvidia chipset if and when - but people still think Switch will use v2 chipset couldn't farther from the reality of chipset replacing older chipset for better performance.