Reggie: Nintendo's Transition From Switch Will Be A "Significant Challenge"

I feel like he’s being a broken record and only says what people already know…… Anyone in the world thought that following up their most successful console ever would be easy?

Just saying..

Nintendo just needs to be clever in the way they will name their next system, I think Wii U and 3DS were not easy to understand for non-gamers whereas the way Sony named its systems is really easy to understand. Switch 2 would be obvious and not confusing even if the name would be underwhelming, everyone could understand it is a new version.

What about Sega Saturn to Dreamca... oh, wait.

At the moment I can’t envisage an end to the Switch lifecycle, just keep giving us great software and I’ll be happy.

@ludotaku hey it worked for Mario Galaxy 2

NES to SNES also went good, but those were indeed different times...

I cannot really think of anything else than a hybrid for the Switch successor, they created a whole new play genre with the Switch, going back to two systems wouldn't work IMO

One thing I think that needs to be kept in mind is that every back to back successful generation transition, except the NES to SNES has included backwards compatibility at least to previous generation.

Will be tough to replicate the springboard they had with Switch because that was born from disaster. Odyssey, Xenoblade 2, ARMS, Splatoon 2 alongside Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and BotW (ports but majority of people didn’t care because majority of people never had a Wii U) all within a few months of each other is a pretty crazy first party line up but that only happened because they stripped most resources away from Wii U in those last few years. They’re not going to want to kill Switch prematurely by putting all their eggs in a new basket and having a drought for its last few years but a strong lineup for the next machines first year or so is going to be key for that to be set up in a good place. Hopefully they can manage that without compromising one or the other

@koekiemonster Reggie is becoming like someone who can't let go of their ex after they broke up many years ago... 🥱

I think it's a little in poor taste, I guess when he was president he wouldn't have liked it if the last guy kept saying publicly how he should run things etc (even though some of his points are valid)

@koekiemonster Sony actually thought they were guaranteed to have a wildly successful PS3. Microsoft too was equally blind about the XBox One. Nintendo actually thought the Wii U was going to be as popular as the Wii. They did similar with the 3DS launch overcharging because they thought it was so certain that people would buy whatever they put out there.

So yea, success can actually generate a false sense of superiority that they can’t do no wrong.

@koekiemonster Exactly my thoughts, nothing against Reggie at all - but we hardly need his or anyones expert opinion on this.

As it happens Nintendo is one of the few companies that could pull it off - but not in the way most of the media and public is predicting. I think a 'more power' approach wont work even though everyone thinks they want a Nintendo 'Pro' hybrid console with the power of an Xbox Series X or PS5. I don't even think it'll work for those guys next time. I mean, at this point, how much do even tech-conscious gamers care how much better Forza 6 might look compared to 5? That game is already photorealistic and somehow a wee-bit boring looking because of it. So for us Ninty fans - is a much prettier BotW 3 really what you want - or do you want the Zelda games you never even dreamed could exist and to play it in a way you never imagined possible?!

Nintendo will probably (and I think correctly) give us another console no one was expecting. Maybe a new take on VR or AR or maybe something totally unpredictable. Nintendo's creatives have very publicly said over and over that they are most interested in finding completely new gaming experiences. In that respect the Switch was kinda too conventional for them really. Sure it was very flexible in terms of HOW you play, but the games are predominantly the same standard one-screen and pressing buttons affair we've had for decades. The design was marketing genius for sure, but in terms of gameplay experience it was nowhere near as interesting as the DS/3DS/Wii or even the Wii U concepts - and I think that bothers a company that cares about creativity as equally as profits. I personally think they'll dare to take a path no one will expect again.

To keep our precious and extensive Switch libraries alive I think they'll do a 'NEW' style incremental approach. I predict (or hope for) a lighter dock-able main switch that rocks a 1080p screen and has just enough of a processor boost so that all games can play with current docked performance (when undocked). Basically a best-of fusion of the comfort of the Lite but with the power of a 1080p (and non blurry) docked and undocked experience.

Another factor is that there now (or very shortly) exists lots of Chinese handhelds that do the above right now!. I could pre-order a (more affordable than you think) AYN Loki or AYA NEO Air and by the end of this year get a handheld the size and weight of a Lite but with a 7 inch OLED screen and that can run A LOT of my currently owned Switch games as well as almost any pre-Switch home or handheld system, PC, Android or Linux games with a well thought out UI.

So think about it - by the time a Switch 2 is released - would such a device be anything special or unique? Tech is moving so, so fast that Nintendo MUST once again be highly original to be relevant in the future.

So in summery I don't think a 'Switch 2' will work as well as everyone thinks for Nintendo. It's too conventional a move for the risk-taking company we love. I think it'd be a very bad move actually - even if it had reasonable sales. However they most definitely need further incremental support for the massive Switch user-base.

Nintendo only needs to keep the good fight in handheld games.
It's not even a rocket science that the best things that happened to this company is the handheld system. It's always good to innovate upon what invention they have already, as Nintendo will always be known for making new innovative ideas and ways of gaming in the industry, so I urge them to stay handheld and make it more powerful.

Handheld PC like the steam deck, onexplayer etc, won't replace them as they'll never have any exclusive games that you can't play elsewhere unlike the Nintendo switch.. portability is always a major factor, as both have that, but one have the charms the other don't.
I do believe if Nintendo decides on making their next system as powerful as the PS5 and XBOX, with plethora of Softwares like their counterparts then I'm certainly sure people gaming on other systems will jump ships. However, Nintendo has their audience and that makes them unique.

Well it's just my opinion.

This one feels like a no-brainer though. I bet it is called Switch 2, and is full backward compatible, and is essentially a more powerful robust system. If they launch it with full GameCube catalogue on the online, and maybe Wii, with strong lauch titles, i cant see how it would fail.

I think it'll clearly be a difficult transition. Realistically though we should be looking at "Switch" as a virtual platform in the way that "Steam" or "iOS" or "GamePass" are "platforms".

It's an ecosystem - Nintendo shouldn't be looking for their new hardware to establish a completely new ecosystem - it should just be the hardware you buy to access that ecosystem. If they do that successfully then the transition can be gradual without ever threatening their viability.

What Nintendo does need to be wary of though is making sure that they're able to supply the big heavy hitting first party games promptly and on a consistent basis. The early days of Switch definitely benefitted from a supply line of very high quality Wii U ports of games that hardly anyone got to play first time around.

I think he underestimates how mindless consumers are now. I mean every crappy Marvel movie rakes in a ton...People somehow still buy "new" sports games...

Give it PS4 pro strength hardware and it will still sell. Going away from portability will most likely be a type Wii U event though with poor sales.

Also why does Reggie keep dishing out his opinions? He doesn't work there if he forgot..

Reggie Fils-Aime: exhales

Nintendo Life: Write that down, WRITE THAT DOWN!!

Honestly, Nintendo shouldn't focus purely on success. But on making it the most fun, and releasing great games. Also not releasing the system too soon so there aren't any heavy hitters in the first year. The Wii U had that problem and never recovered from it.

The Switch did it correctly with a big Zelda, MarioKart, Splatoon and main line Mario game.

Problem I see is if they just make a more powerful version on a switch then its basically a overpriced steam deck thats less powerful. I think they're going to have to think of something amazing not just more power. You can already emulate switch games on steam deck and I think nintendo is actually quite annoyed with the steam deck.

@Matthew90 Nintendo could make a Zen 3 AMD APU handheld PC, as their next console. That would perfectly outpower the Steam deck (Zen 2).

And ofcourse Nintendo hates people who pirate their games. The Steam deck makes it easy to do that on the go. Luckily it doesn't come with emulators pre-installed and it's also very easy to play games you actually own on it.

@Moistnado 'If I need to buy a whole console to play Metroid Prime 4, I'll emulate it'

Ouch! That's a harsh reality for Nintendo now. I'll personally find a way to pay for every game I play - but I understand what you're saying about the hardware investment. And I've got to wholeheartedly agree with you on the Virtual Console situation.

The Wii U eshop was amazing and alive with so many legacy options. I was expecting my standard NSO subscription to be giving me at least N64, GBA and Gamecube by year 3 max for sure. Especially since I already owned many of those games on my Wii U and 3DS account. The way they ungenerously have drip-feed us NES and SNES games FOR 5 YEARS is an absolute disgrace. They've come across as the biggest misers in gaming and have definitely lost some credibility in the process. I personally love and buy a lot from Nintendo but I could not bring myself to buy the NSO expansion pack. I consider it the worse move of Nintendo in decades.

The ONLY thing I want is to be able to play my Switch library on the successor console.

It’s hard to tell since the Nintendo philosophy is to innovate and find new ways to play , for the switch they found a good concept that filled a hole in the gaming industry if they go too far from the switch they will loose the people who loved the switch just like with the Wii U . So it all depends what they will come up with the next console.Hope they just make a more powerful switch.

I know it's easier said than done, but I think the Xbox Series X has built a road map for what should be next.
The switch (again) but this time backwards compatibility that increases fidelity of past games, while continuing to expand NSO. That would just about be a home run for me

Admittedly still hoping the next console will be a struggle for them so that they'll hopefully try harder again on certain aspects.

@Moistnado Don't be surprise if Metroid Prime 4 is the last Metroid game to ever come out if that is the mentality of gaming nowadays. Know that the Wii U didn't even had a new Metroid game. Even if you do emulate it, still support the dev by buying a copy for someone else.

I think it's only difficult if Nintendo makes it difficult. If the Switch followup doesn't reinvent the wheel I can see it continuing the success. It's when Nintendo makes left field decisions that are poorly communicated/marketed that they have issues.

@Matthew90 Bang on. A better Switch just wont be that compelling even 2 years from now.

This isn't about bettering the SteamDeck, this is about new innovation to simply survive in the market. Games like we've never played before will ultimately win in the end.

Sure, many of the public will continue to buy the next incremental iteration of their favourite franchises until the day they die - regardless of whether the new version innovates or not. Idiots basically. But I'm not sure we all will anymore. I think a lot of people will move on if Nintendo is suddenly content to rinse and repeat it's past successes.

Eventually that approach won't even work for the big hitters like Apple and I'm sure they are aware of it. I already don't really care what the next iPhone might do because I already have a mindblowingly powerful one in my pocket that I bought secondhand for 2/3 the price. And if we dare to be brutally honest the OLED Switch was a boring-as-heck upgrade. A better stand, small bezels and a more vibrant screen?! Really! They won't get away with that again.

Not everyone want's to play essentially the same games and genres over and over but with merely prettier graphics and bigger maps.

@Serpenterror Thank you for saying that. I'm always relieved to hear form people who still want to support the creators of things.

@BartoxTharglod my thoughts exactly. We just need a souped up switch and continued the already brilliant successes. Also they should make a premium version that costs $100 more or something that lets you have premium online for life.

Nintendo needs to stop with releasing something completely new, with completely new dev/OS platform every time.

That time has past and even developers have grown to hate it. Consumers even more.

If they want to continue the success, they need to release a Switch 2 that is fully backwards compatible.

Both Microsoft and Sony have understand this with the release of XBox series X/S and PS5.

I myself had the XBox One X and when I got my new XBox Series X console, I could just plug it in and transfer my entire games library + existing save games over to the new console. It's fully backwards compatible!

I want to see Nintendo do the same. The Switch has now grown with an excellent library and they have come a long way now with Virtual Console (though still not on-par with earlier consoles as several generations are still missing).
It's just a complete waste and ridiculous to keep throwing all that away and start from scratch again.

Not to mention, which is more important, that digital bought games keep being available without worry that the Online eShop suddenly closes down. Especially if you want to promote digital purchases over wasteful (and expensive) physical releases.

Just thinking outside the box here but Nintendo is in a great position to go back to splitting their development into handheld and consoles. Instead of releasing a "Switch Pro" maybe they take the phone model and increment upgrades. Meanwhile launch a "traditional" console with power to play new 3rd party games. Nintendo could make it to where this new console syncs up with Switch in a unique way. (Think psp to ps4 like connection). Basically nintendo would have 3 pillars: eShop(which should be like Netflix for games), Switch, and new console. If done successfully maybe Switch can stick around for 10 years as the handheld. Only problem with this is that traditional consoles don't do well in Japan and Nintendo wouldn't want to give up on the hybrid market they created.

The only thing Nintendo has officially ever said about their future hardware is that they want Nintendo Accounts and "value-added services" (i.e. Nintendo Switch Online) to continue from the current Switch to its successor.

I think it's clear from this presentation slide that Nintendo wants the Switch successor to be a straightforward continuation of the current Switch platform rather than a big break, which is the correct strategy IMO.

@Moistnado While the original Switches had the most build issues, vulnerabilities, and poor battery life... The V2's improved on that, and the OLED model is a different beast entirely in terms of sturdiness. It feels like what the Switch should've been day one. A quality piece of kit. I'll add, haven't seen drift on either of my new joycon sets.

Reggie: It's hard to make successful follow up consoles

Sony:
PS - 102m
PS2 - 155m
PS3 - 87m
PS4 - 117m

Yes, PS3 sold only half of PS2, but compare PS3 to Nintendo's home consoles and PS3 was better than all but Wii, which PS1, 2 & 4 outsold.
NES - 62m
SNES - 49m
N64 - 33m
WII - 101m
Wii U - 13m

So the answer is easy, name it Switch 2, more power, none drifting Joycon is important, backwards compatibility, about the same price $400 max - 1 big reason PS3 sales are low was the crazy $500 & $600 price points after PS2 $300 - sell dual system games for about a year - Zelda BotW2 and a couple of others - then focus exclusively on Switch 2 after that for the AAA games.

I don't see a problem.🤷

@Shoeboxcat Same here! I absolutely love my OLED Switch. It's what the original Switch should have been from day one.

Nearly double battery life, fantastic screen and much better and sturdier kickstand design.

If Nvidia is able to deliver Nintendo a new, more efficient and much more powerful modern SoC for the Switch 2 (that can support up to 4K docked (even if its via DLSS) and Nintendo keep on iterating on the Joy-Con design (fix drift issues for those that experienced it and improved lock mechanism).
It's all we need to be honest.

@rjejr It's hard to compare different generations like that. NES was arguably as successful as Wii considering the market at the time.

@sanderev While that sounds good on paper, they would then be in the same rate race that are the x86 handheld PC's coming to market, trying to distinguish themselves from others, and that's not a place I think Nintendo wants to be. Additionally, they would have to emulate everything from Switch for any chance of backward compatability, and as Reggie eluded to, any disruption to the content stream being offered would damage the public perception of Nintendo.

For compatability, plus the lower cost of production and extra power efficiency, continuing to use ARM processors seems like a clear winner. They just need one built with far more modern tech at this point. Things have come a long way.

Can I say something sacrilegious? I think listening to Reggie has always been tiring and insubstantial, it was just PR. And that makes sense too because NOA doesn’t have much to do with the content, everything we care about happens in Japan. NOA markets NOJ’s work for the US, that’s it.

I wonder how they feel about him flooding the press with his opinions lately.

@Jeronan Spot on! I feel the same way. The Switch formula just needs to be iterated upon, not abandoned. The OLED model breathed new life into this system in ways I did not expect. It will be fascinating to see what comes next in terms of improved processing, resolution, and backwards compatibility. Some are speculating that it'll have a Tegra X1 co-processor, to ensure perfect backward compatability. But who knows, maybe Nvidia can bake everything into a more modern chip and be done with it. Whatever the solution, I'm here for it.

I think with the Switch we’re seeing the start to a new family of systems, much like the GB family and DS family. If not, if Kyoto is developing some vastly different console that’s not backwards compatible, it’s wasted potential.

Switch is a winning, copycat-inspiring platform and I would think deciding a successor isn’t rocket science. Just like the NES to SNES or GB to GBA, give us more of a good thing.

All that's needed is a Switch 2, with full backwards compatibility. They don't need to reinvent the wheel this time - in fact, they never have needed to.

He has a point but I do think Nintendo with their monopoly over the handheld market should leverage this position. Put the switch profits into new games and making third party deals. It costs too much to make a box similar to sony and MS however ARM/mobile has grown leaps and bounds and can offer similar experiences. The only really big issue is getting the current install base to upgrade. They will have to cut games on the current model but allow for (hopefully full BC) on the new successor. Otherwise too many people will camp. The second thing they will need is certain pillar games with new versions to entice users to upgrade. Both sony and ms are showing that is a tall order right now (as they either have a number of games that straddle gens or not enough new games to draw the non faithful from their last gen systems. I’m a gamer but perfectly happy on my ps4 and xbone because neither company has made it mandatory or desirable to upgrade) so Nintendo will have its work cut out. New systems (and the market) are a finicky beast.

I agree.

Switch Advance sounds nicer to me but Switch 2 makes consumer people understand in general.

The idea of the Switch as a hybrid console, (or a great handheld console which you can enjoy on your tv as well) needs to he maintained.

Have to say taking a leaf out of Sony's book may be needed this time in terms of nomenclature though IMO.

(I haven't been tempted at all to upgrade from my PS4 to PS5, by the way)

Wonder how many people like myself aren’t getting a PS5 and therefore will have only one new console to buy when the time comes.

Why change it? You can stick to the formula and just improve on the power. Make it as strong as the Steam Deck or even stronger. No need to built a completely new console.

I'm buying it either way, sorry to anyone who won't like it. A few years after it's relevant, you'll probably love it.

I think they’re going to run in a different direction than we’ve seen them do in the past: stay with a product line. They’re not going to move away from the Switch. Furukawa and the shareholders are going to want use this base, grow it out and continually update the Switch as a device rather than a console. Will they make changes to it? Yes. Are they going to run in a completely new direction and abandon the Switch? No.

We need to realize a change has happened with Nintendo, they now make gaming devices. They don’t make consoles any longer. People continue to talk down on this release pattern, but Nintendo has released a new SKU every other year and updated the original one too. The Switch Lite came out in 2019, then they replaced the original launch unit. In 2021, the OLED model was released. We will see something in 2023. They haven’t done that with any system prior, especially within the first two years of its life. Sure, limited edition handheld Gameboys, DS and 3DS unit, but those were mainly paint jobs. The “new” 3DS and DSi came out 4 years later, the GBC was about 8-10 years and GBA was a short jump.

@LEGEND_MARIOID I’m not sure they’ll change the name though. It’s a strong possibility, but they come out and say, “we’re updating the Switch.” Think of it, in terms, as the iPad line from Apple.

Original Switch OLED, Switch Lite 2, Switch 2 and Switch Pro (TV only unit).

@progx I like this idea and is a possible direction Nintendo could move towards to.

They have build a strong foundation now, call it the "Nintendo Switch platform". Based on Nintendo Account system, eShop, Nintendo Online + Expansion service.

So the next console release could be a traditional home console, which is much more powerful that can run native 4K and runs on the same Switch platform OS with full backwards compatibility with today's Switch.

Then from that moment on, the current Switch will keep existing alongside it, where Nintendo can keep on releasing new better iterations of this device. Along with the current dock being handy for those that like it and/or want to use it for travel/second location docked gaming.

That would be the best of both worlds, making all people happy. Those that love the Switch and those that wanted a traditional more powerful console will finally get one again. Where current and future games runs seamlessly on both consoles.

It just needs very good launch titles, probably a mario kart 9

@ludotaku So that's where Sony went wrong, using the name "PlayStation 3"? Also let's not forget the Dreamcast, a console with a name so rubbish that Sega are lambasted for it even to this very day.

@Clyde_Radcliffe Reggie is answering questions about the videogame industry, because those are the questions that journalists ask him. It's obvious why.

The transition can’t be a clean cut like previous generations have been. They should do the apple model and release a switch successor but have all games work for both for a few years with benefits for the new model. Some games can be restricted to the new model to encourage upgrades but this should be done slowly.

They just need to stick to a winning formula instead of trying new gimmicks every gen then are a gamble, look at playstation they stick to a similar design every gen and have sold 90-120 million consoles every gen.

Nintendo need to stick with the switch design but just make it more powerful evey gen.

One thing I will say though is if there is a switch 2 which is more powerful then maybe cartridges aren't suitable for the bigger games

The Switch has found a sweet spot in the market, so if Nintendo just came out with a Switch 2 that actually has the horsepower to run current gen games and is fully backwards compatible, they'll be just fine.

...Then again, it's Nintendo, so they could also throw out a completely different kind of console with some new wacky gimmicks that is not compatible with anything from the Switch and will absolutely crash and burn. I hope and pray they won't do that and instead just keep the gimmicks separate accessories like they've been doing recently, but ...yeah. It's Nintendo.

And if you're doing Switch 2, actually CALL it Switch 2 and not 'Switch U' or the 'New Switch' or 'Switch Plus', or whatever stupid philosophical garbage ...You'd think they'd learn that by now. The Blue Ocean strategy only works when that blue ocean of people has the clear and concise knowledge as to what it is you're actually selling. I love the Wii U, but that was definitely one of the dumbest names ever.

Motion controls were gimmicky and, ironically, limiting, and currently, the biggest appeal there is in VR. Which is covered by PS and PC.

High end hardware is well and truly taken care of with Xbox, PS, and PC.

And as much as I like low end hardware, unless it has a high end option, it doesn't have much use on its own. low end home consoles are really covered by MS at this point.

The biggest uncontested, largest appeal, market is mobile, and Nintendo has always been dominant there. The Switch's hybrid design is the appeal. It is the reason the console has done so well. It covers both the mobile market and the home market, but also has extra appeal because it is both in one.

With all the things wrong with Nintendo's platform I would have given it up by now if it weren't Hybrid. Keep it Hybrid, and keep the appeal. Leave the design and I'll probably leave for systems that do it better.

@Yosher there is definitely some truth to that. Nintendo in the Wii U era did so much right to make up for what they were doing poorly... It feels like some of that is gone in the switch era

As i read some of your coments i cant help but think Nintendo have painted themselves in a corner, follow switch with another switch-like machine (switch2) should be the best idea, however, can you imagine what the average consumer will do at the store with 2 game consoles that, most certainly, look and are named the same (after all, that's what supposedly killed WiiU) how much can they change the design so parents dont get confused? Is this something that can really be avoid with better marketing?
I can picture someone going for the newest Nintendo on Christmas, only to find it out of stock and taking the OG switch thus destroying some kid Christmas, or someone taking home the cheaper one thinking "they are the same thing"

@Yorumi "The way he keeps exploiting his former position to desperately cling to a fading spotlight makes me wonder why he ever left."

Probably more $ for less actual work. Sorry, not sorry. 😊

@Siskan "considering the market at the time"

I think you may have your "cause & effect" backwards. The console sales DETERMINE the market at the time, that is how you measure the market, by console sales. The market during PS1 years is better BECAUSE of PS1 sales. 🤷‍♂️

Kind of reminds me of when they said Paul Scholes hardly ever said anything in his career but once he stopped playing he couldn't shut up! If this is news then I'll be darned, at somepoint it's going to be 'Top Story Today Reggie Sneezed'. Anyone else sick to death of hearing about this guy?

@quinnyboy58 He’s a likable guy who was vocal during his time at Nintendo. My guess is he’s pushing to remain relevant so that he can re-enter the industry easily if he chooses to do so.

@rjejr the expensive price of the ps3 at the time had a lot to do with lower sales totals for that console..

@ludotaku I 100% agree the name has to be simple, clear, and provide the unique selling point in a word or two. I say go retro and call it the "Super Switch."

@Matthew90 steam deck is not cutting into Nintendo profit and more people just buy a game on switch then to emulate on steam deck

@Vix Nintendo knows what their doing and their directs show that well and games being released

Just hoping the next thing continues to be a handheld! That's the only way anything gets played by me these days.

@rjejr PS2 for example wouldn't have sold nearly as well if other consoles hadn't paved the way for the market beforehand. The market doesn't reset every time a company releases a new product.

this is why they should go with a switch 2
runs the same games but better

I could have told you that. I get that this is just a memoir but I've never seen these highly paid executive demonstrate any of the brilliant and savvy business acumen meant to justify their obscene pay. Except when they're promoting a scam. They're really good at conning people.

@johnedwin Yeah I think so too, but like the 3DS sales ended ok after price cuts. Not great, but 80m for any console home or handheld isn't a flop by any measure.

One thing Nintendo may have been thinking when they decided to launch a $350 OLED Switch is to see what the market was for a 5 year old console that never went down in price to go up in price $50. So if Switch 2 launches at $399 in a year or 2 it's a small step up. If they have to sell Switch 2 for more than $399 they should probably rethink a few things. I know the next gen consoles are both $499 but I don't think Switch 2 will have that kind of power, more like PS4 Pro - checkerboard 4k out, likely keeping the new OLED screens.

@ludotaku the succesor to the switch should be called nintendo switch U

I’d say Nintendo would be forced for a major specs overhaul because of Steam Deck (which base level entry price is close to the Switch and affordable, considering it’s $50 more expensive when a game is $60) and other portable PC’s, but that’s not what will happen at all.

Nintendo doesn’t need 16GBRAM to run their flagship games, they’re just fine with 4 times less. So their next console, which will probably won’t be too much different than the Switch, will be just as successful, regardless how poor will be (power-wise) compared to their “competitors”.

No significant challenges at all — they have Mario, Zelda and Metroid exclusively for their consoles, and this won’t change anytime soon (or ever).

@Jeronan excellent post! I have an OLED Switch that I don’t play bc I dread having to transfer a ton of digital titles. My guess is that we might just see a Switch 2. The key being to own Nintendo hardware to tap into Switch eco system. It launches with some heavy hitting titles.

I think the wild days of Nintendo are gone, they play it more safe now (with Iwata gone).

So they will just go to a "boring" Switch 2, which has a high chance of being a success.

@Clyde_Radcliffe

"Reggie is becoming like someone who can't let go of their ex after they broke up many years ago... 🥱"

With their umpteenth "Reggie" article in the last month, you could probably say the same thing about NintendoLife.

DS to 3DS wasn't too bad once they gave it the price cut. And I expect they'll do basically a Switch 2; no way do they go back to having a dedicated console and handheld.

Im just hoping they don't ditch the whole "hybrid" idea since it pretty much occupies its own niche even with similar devices existing.

with the marketing they have even leaned into the whole "play your way" idea so it would feel disappointing going back to the "play how we say" style (a lot of wii games had mandatory motion controls even in examples where button controls would have worked such as in DKC returns)

as mentioned in another article im definitely hoping its more of a DS>3ds situation with the next system building upon the switch.

The best chance for Nintendo is to just keep evolving the Switch, keeping it backwards compatible a bit like iphone. That way, they will keep the massive customer base.

They (Nintendo) will probably have to come up with something that wows people. Just doing a Switch 2 doing more or less the same thing as the original, would kind of be same as what they did with the Wii U and that wasn't exactly successful (even though a lot of its games actually ended up being very successful on the Switch - which is kind of odd when you think about it).

But the thing is it's kind of difficult to say what Nintendo should do next (other than probably something that included a handheld "option"), but it's really up to Nintendo to come up with that, not us hobby analysts, it's their job after all.

One thing I personally think would be important is to ensure there are some good 3rd party support, because it's not all people that are interested in Nintendo's first party offerings.

How they will manage 3rd party I don't know exactly, but of course there could be remasters of the PS4 generation Resident Evils (7, 2 and 3 remakes and Village) for example.

Another route could be something like having Gamepass or some emulator of Xbox 360 generation games (PS3 ones can't be emulated easily it seems - not even on PS5) maybe enabling them to be played with 60 fps.

But then it would more or less be directly competing with the Steam Deck (but that could actually be necessary or else Nintendo would loose a lot of handheld focused customers to that one - including myself).

I simply don't think Nintendo could live with only having first party and a few high profile 3rd party games like Monster Hunter, a few fairly niche turn based RPG's etc. I'm not sure there's enough hardcore Nintendo fans to do that.

Like Reggie says it will not be easy to launch a new system, but it never really has been, has it? I think Nintendo hardcore fans will just have to hope for the best and hope it won't turn into a N64/Gamecube/Wii U situation, because this time Nintendo won't have a handheld platform to fall back on if their home console fails.

Nintendo is now more or less a one trick pony (they do have some movie/movies coming and amusement parks coming - but how successful they will be nobody knows - but the same can said for their console business really).

I don't care what they call it as long as it's something original. I mean I'll pick it up no matter what, but I think naming it Switch 2 or Switch U or 3Switch is a terrible idea. I already have a Switch, why do I need another one? It makes it sound old, like a system that already came out and rather than make a new system, it's just an upgrade.

Like the NES 2, that's just a remodel of the NES. A Wii 2 sounds like the name of the Wii Mini, an N64 2 just sounds very dated. Nintendo doesn't just make one system after another with minimal upgrades like Sony or Microsoft, so for Nintendo to just name it a Switch 2 it sounds like they just ran out of ideas and this is literally practically the same thing as what we all already own. And if you're a Nintendo produced or indie game fan, more power isn't an attractive offer, since games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros or Splatoon, they all run great on the Switch, same with most indies, and it has a very fast OS as it is.

That's why I think they'll include a robot or do something weird that sets it apart. I've been hoping that with that 3D technology they invested in, maybe they could make a good VR display out of that. Then they could sell us all the old games again, with working in VR as the new gimmick to sell it again. ARMS, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe +, Splatoon, Switch Sports, Fitness Boxing, Ring Fit Adventure, those games would all be worth buying again to play in VR.

Er how about nes to snes, ds to 3ds, ps2 to ps3, ps3 to ps4? They were all successful…

@Nintendo_Thumb Considering that Nintendo wanted stereoscopic 3D in the Gamecube but couldn't do it properly until the 3DS, I could totally see them revisiting VR after dabbling in it with the Virtual Boy and Labo VR.

Keep the name simple to differentiate that it's a new Switch. New Switch or Switch 2 or Super Switch. Backwards compatibility is a must. Make sure all NSO content comes over as well so that library isn't starting from 0. Give the option to also purchase classic games if people prefer. Launch the system with a guaranteed system seller. Mario Kart would be a good pick. I also suspect Metroid Prime 4 will be a cross-gen launch title. While Metroid has never been the biggest franchise sales wise, having it as a launch game may help the series break a new record.

It better have handheld mode support. I'm always on the go.

Forward systems that are backwards compatible are always an instant success.

It'll be fine, who would have thought this underpowered hybrid with only a handful of decent games would have been as successful as it has been? Throw out any old crap, you have a dedicated audience who don't care about graphics or playing the latest games so relax 😉

WiiU was a great hybrid console, the confusing part was only what i witnessed in stores. Where people tought the WiiU was some kinda add on for the Wii.
So for the Nintendo switch they can still keep the switch name, but please dont use the U in lol.
Call it Switch 2. Like Playstation with the numbers.

You know, I think Nintendo is running out of "gimmicks". We aren't really surprised anymore by stuff like motion or touch controls. 3D is pretty much dead. We've had toy/figure/game combinations. Portability and shareability already have been done with Switch, and honestly with the Steam Deck and the likes gaining in popularity, there won't be much more to gain there either.

So yeah, I'm honestly having a hard time imagining what's next. I don't think they will make it with JUST their big games (of which a lot, personally, are starting to get way less interesting lately).

@yuwarite While I would be sceptical on this a while ago, i've had my Deck for a few months now, and I honestly don't think I will buy a Switch 2. I haven't touched my Switch either.

I'd argue the transition to the next Switch will be one of their easiest. Not only will they be coming off the extremely successful Switch, but they no longer have to worry about two systems nor the transition from two different architectures to one different architecture(like the Wii U + 3DS -> Switch).

Nintendo should stick to the Switch concept, innovating every console is interesting, but very risky, if the gimmick catches on, you’re golden, if it doesn’t, you’re hosed, also, what viable gimmicks are left?

Sony is doing fine just iterating on the Playstation-concept, whereas Nintendo’s track record is more… varied, Wii did great, but WiiU did so poorly that Nintendo could recycle the biggest games for Switch because nobody played them, with present-day development costs, the risk is just too big,,,

Nintendo may face a new Wii U disaster if she don't adapt. Players in PS5 and Xbox Series got free upgrades of old titles and backward compatibility. Nintendo never offered this before and i'm afraid that they wont offer it now.

@The-Chosen-one Maybe the Wii (not the U) also caused a bit of Nintendo "fatigue". It was a bit of a fad with sales dropping like a rock the last two years before the Wii U released (also the dual screen screen "gimmick" didn't work just closely as good as on the DS and 3DSs IMO).

And no, Nintendo shouldn't just copy Playstation (or Xbox for that matter). No they should keep doing their own thing. And I wouldn't be surprised if they came up with something innovative yet again to keep them stand out against the competition.

They just have think a bitter harder than they did with the Wii U and actually make it worthwhile. Nowadays they only have one shot; the 3DS (which I think is underrated) saved them during the Wii U days, but they won't have that back-up now.

@koekiemonster Nintendo of America don't even make any real decisions of Nintendo aswell just marketing in America lol

This is an easy one, the switch 2.
plays all switch games backwards compatable has new switch 2 exclusive games.
come in 3 models
switch 2 - home: saves money on battery and screen to provide better pad and possible boost to resolution.
switch 2 - duo: like switch now, handheld and docked
switch 2 - lite: just handheld.

@F_Destroyer I don't really like the hybrid concept because it means weaker specs for people that don't really care about portability or it being extremely expensive

@sanderev look at what they're charging for the current switch do you really think they'd make another one that's more powerful than the steam deck & not make it extremely expensive

@koekiemonster your estatement doesn't reflect how business people see the market.

Years ago, analysts thought anything with Wii on it's name would be successful.

His statement is not obvious, you just don't know enough about the video game market.

Well if it's like the Switch but more high powered then it'll be just fine.

This might come across as cop out advice, but Nintendo needs to not worry about matching the success of the Switch and focus on making the next system maintain the exact same strength of the Switch, without introducing too much that is not needed, and improving where improvements are needed. Pretty boring advice I know, but it more or less worked for the transition from PlayStation 1 to PlayStation 2, and even the NES to the SNES.

Call it Switch 2. Stronger Switch with backwards compatibility and no weird gimmick.

Challenge met.

Just make the dang thing backwards compatible with all Switch software with a better chipset. Done.

They have the only hibrid console in the market, and sony and microsoft are only interested in cloud gaming. They can't directely compete against Sony and Microsoft in the home console market and they don't have competition in the handheld market. They don't need to do anything crazy.

And just as Sony said, handheld market isn't rentable, because no company can constantly supply two consoles with games at the same time now that development costs and times have skyrocketed.

A switch advance would be enough for their next console.

They have the perfect console. Just give me the same thing with more power under the hood, and let me transfer my library to the new console. If they do that, I'll be happy and they can have my money.

The transition is simple: there's no transition. The Switch is so wildly successful that you simply release a Switch 2, along with killer titles like Zelda BOTW2, Metroid Prime 4 and Mario Kart Ultimate, and the fanaticism will continue. Reggie even cites PlayStation as the obvious example. They essentially release console sequels each cycle, and that's all Nintendo need to do.

@dimi
Nintendo never did backwards compatibility?

Success = new Switch with joy cons that DON’T DRIFT. Can we at least just get that? The hybrid device model is a winner. Switch 2: same but better specs plus…DUAL SCREENS. Like Switch DS that’s also a dock-able console. SOLD!

They just need to make a Switch pro or Switch 2, backward compatible with switch carts. It ain't rocket science.

I've already moved on, got my Steam Deck about 6-8 weeks ago, haven't touched my Switch since. And I used to play that thing every single day, minimum 3-5 hours a day. Easily put in thousands of hours on my Switch. Enter the Gungeon alone has a play time of over 900 hours for me. But the sheer amount of games available to me now that aren't on the Switch is enormous. Already played and finished Horizon Zero Dawn, Metal Gear Solid 5 and now Sekiro and Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order. It's amazing to play these high quality triple A games portably (and it's soo much more comfortable than the Switch as well for me).

@Would_you_kindly Why bother having a fourth powerfull machine on the market? Already PS5, Xbox XS, PC... It's refreshing that Nintendo does something else. Not to mention that their games don't require a ton of power to look good (ex :Luigi's Mansion 3)

Gentlemen, what about a Super Switch 64 ?

Should rename him:
Reggie Fills Website Space

@dimi The Wii U, Wii, 3DS, DS , GBA and GBC ALL had backward computability.

And of course all that backward compatibility was with one previous generation (except GBA could run GB and GBC games) and some even improved the older games.

If the Next Nintendo console keeps the formfactor (which I think it will) and the cartridges, there will be BC.

At the very least, Nintendo has caught themselves in a bit of a lucky break. The amount of time it'll take for PS5 and XSX to be considably "mandatory" for developers is longer than previous consoles thanks to the chip shortage. This'll give Nintendo more time to consider their strategies

@Would_you_kindly Valve did underprice the Steam Deck by a lot (especially the 64GB model). A more powerful Nintendo console would be more expensive indeed (than the Switch). But if Nintendo would actually make a high end handheld gaming device. I think a higher price would be acceptable.

Also it wouldn't be a big problem to emulate the Switch, or add an ARM co-processor to it so it can run Switch games. It would allow the console for more PC ports as well.

It would even be cooler if Nintendo made it an actual PC and released an eShop for PC (Windows and Linux) So you can chose what OS to run on it (like with the Steam deck). But I know that's just wishful thinking

@westman98 with cartridges/discs yes. But you couldn't restore the content you purchased digital could you?

From someone who has just bought a current gen Nintendo console for the first time since the N64 (Switch OLED) - Nintendo just needs to keep doing what they are doing.

If Nintendo try to directly compete with Sony or Microsoft they will lose. They hit upon the right format when they released the wii. They competed indirectly by offering a 'different way to play'. Although the wii u was a disaster they refined the concept with the switch and it was a smash. They now have some great first party titles and hold a current niche share of the market.

All these factors are what convinced me to prioritise a switch over the ps5. Nintendo need to continue to offer what the competition doesn't and if they do they will continue to go from strength to strength.

Switch 2 needs to be an evolution not revolution, give us what we currently love but make it better. Larger memory, better graphics, quicker load times, higher resolution but don't lose what makes it stand apart from the others which is the portability ease of use and clever design.

In short, don't fix what isn't broken.

What will Nintendo want to do with their next major console upgrade depends on how they want to market it. I see two questions that are before them:

1. Will it be marketed as full fledged next generation console whose leap in power and specs will place it far above what is possible to satisfactorily achieve on the original Switch's hardware? We'll call this a Switch 2.

2. Will it essentially be a Switch Pro - a system with a modest increase of specs, but not so much so that games would require exusivity?

If the answer to the first question is a Yes - that the next Switch will represent a new platform and replacement for the current Switch - then Nintendo will have to go all in on communicating this. While that might seems like a no-brainer, the Wii U was effectively crippled right out of the gate due to confusing marketing and bad naming conventions, as the average customer didn't know for sure if the Wii U was something new or just a Wii revision.

Specs on a Switch 2 would have to represent a pretty big improvement over that which is currently possible on Switch. It doesn't have to compete with the likes of a PS5, but it should def strive for something at least on par with the capabilities of a PS4. If they do this while maintaining full backwards compatibility along with a major expansion of their online services (which should include games from all previous systems), then I think a fully next gen Switch 2 stands a reasonably good chance at repeating the success of the current Switch, give or take a 15 million consoles.

If the answer to question number 2 is a Yes - that the next Switch will be more of a console refresh than a totally separate system with totally separate games- then Nintendo needs to be sure that this is communicated properly. The hardware specs on any such Switch Pro would not have to be a radical departure from Switch 1, but should at least represent a tangible improvement in graphical fidelity, resolution, frame rates, and processing speed.

Nintendo should probably encourage developers to take advantage of these increased specs but not to the point of designing games that can only be played on a Switch Pro. If they want to release a handful of exclusives on it ala Xenoblade on the New 3DS, that should be an option, but I think in most other cases, a game developed with the Switch Pro in mind should still be entirely playable on an original Switch. Such a game might take a hit in fidelity and frame rates on on Switch 1, but it should still be able on run on it.

If Nintendo were to go this route, I really think they should go bold on the pricing: on the day of Switch Pro's launch, it ought to sell for less than what a Switch currently costs, even if only just marginally so, and should really be at just about the same price as Switch 1, so as to incentivize a mid gen upgrade. Keeping the price low would allow it to continue the sales of the Switch going for another couple of years. And if this is how they plan to sell the Switch going forwards - as incremental upgrades which will not require game exclusivity - then they ought to be doing this at least once every other year, ala the Gameboy / DS with their various same gen revisions.

And while they would eventually pretty much have to produce a legitimate Switch 2, going this route would at least give them some kind of pseudo pillar to hold onto in case things would go awry, as they'll not have a GB, DS, or 3DS to bail them out this time.

But, yeah, I think despite Reggie's vaguely negative, quasi passive aggressive cynicism, Nintendo has a pretty good shot at exceeding expectations. Even if their Switch 2 would sell 30 million fewer units than Switch 1, I think that would still be a considered a fairly impressive success. I'm pretty excited to see how it all shakes out.

What is Reggies problem anyway? Was his departure perhaps not as friendly as we were led to believe?

@dimi
Nintendo consoles didn't even have a digital storefront until WiiWare and DSi Shop, which were accessible on Wii U and 3DS respectively.

With the way tech is developing, it's only a matter of time until they can produce a Switch successor which packs a punch comparable to PS5/XSX despite still being portable. They just need to continue the trend.

@BartoxTharglod
Nintendo will not do a Switch 2, it's too obvious. They seem to thrive on being innovative and trying something new and challenging. Software as well as hardware.
Otherwise we would of had a new Adavance Wars or F Zero years ago.

VR. Miyamoto will make some Mario game that justifies having a head set.

@larryisaman

They could actually do the same thing they did with Wii U to the Switch and have it work out ok, provided that the Switch is still getting strong third party support.

In 2016, the Wii U got Twilight Princess HD, Star Fox, Pokken, Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Paper Mario with heavy hitters like Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2 and Mario Odyssey being held back for the Switch. The Wii U had a pretty weak 2016 first party lineup, but it would have been “good enough” if it had the amount of third party support the Wii U was getting in a typical year.

Nintendo’s best upgrade cycle was the NES to the SNES and the GBC to the GBA: they took what was popular and already worked and refined it for the next generation without any gimmicks.

I know Nintendo like to make out they are this wonderfully innovative company but bar the Wii, every one of their successes has been in making a more traditional console. The Switch has become so popular because, bar the ability to ‘switch’ between portable and home play, it has all the familiar trappings in terms of controls and software.

I don’t think Nintendo will be going leftfield with their successor. They need to build on the success of the Switch, not eradicate it. We need a ‘Super Switch’ (which is a terrible name) with better analog sticks, OLED by default, 90hz screen, 1080p display, upgraded stats and 100% backwards compatibility with all Switch hardware and software.

This way Nintendo could sell the screen part as a separate part so people can upgrade on the cheap as well as selling a whole new setup.

With the Switch, Nintendo has already gone longer than ever before, without announcing a successor. We are in an unprecedented situation.

Not even the original Famicom was on the market in Japan as long as the Switch has been, without official talk of a follow-up system appearing.

This time, whatever comes after Switch, we seemingly won't hear about it until Nintendo feel they absolutely HAVE to talk about it. This will buy them R&D time, but a success just isn't a guarantee. Not with the way they like to do things, at least. ^^

I like Nintendo for constantly trying to think outside of the box with their consoles but for once I think simply going with a "Switch 2" with full backwards compatibility would be for the best

@RadioHedgeFund
And yet the SNES sold less than the NES.
And the gimmick laden DS wildly outsold the GBA.
Nintendo is prone to gimmicks because history has taught them it works.

Once in a while it doesn't, but they haven't really been given sound reasons not to try.

@Pod The SNES sold less than the NES because Sega got its act together and whilst the DS might have been laden with gimmicks its best selling games were still Mario Kart and Pokémon, software that didn’t even need them. Had Nintendo brought out a PSP-like successor to the GBA (which they probably had saved as a backup) and brought out Pokémon and Mario Kart, it would still have sold a gazillion units.

The Switch might also be laden with Gimmicks but its best selling games are Animal Crossing, Mario Kart and Pokémon.

@ludotaku Yes definitely the Switch 2 or the Super Switch. Simple marketing, sequels and backwards compatible. Wii U could have been a completely different story if they'd just called it Wii 2 and marketed it as such.

@RadioHedgeFund
I'm not saying you're wrong, but I hope you also see why Nintendo really hasn't been given any reasons NOT to try out new gimmicks.
It gets them attention from the rest of the world, not just their fans, and it does sometimes move the medium forward.

@smithyo full backwards compatibility might not happen. To be able to reprint code that easily would be like having multiple, simultaneous wives of the same person. What has been let reprinted are obviously weaker spells than the original release. And it seems thats exactly what nintendo wants to avoid. Divorce is a serious landscape change problem.

Add more power. Job done. That's all that is required to make a new system and subsequent ones for the next twenty years. They're never going to go back to a two system set-up, hybrid will stay, it's quite simple really.

Then DON'T move on from it. Do what the other major players in the console market are doing - upgrade the existing hardware.

I think the opposite, actually. Switch is quite perfect and as upgradable, as any tablet. I would keep the actual concept, simply improving the hardware. The real shame would be to loose the amazing eshop library and backward compatibility. I played nintendo my whole life. My switch collection is quite big and 99% digital, but if Nintendo closes switch eshop to the new hardware I would personally stop buying its products in the future for good, because they would basically make me loose a LOT of money invested in switch library…

Yeah, a Switch 2 would definitely be ideal. But inertia can be a helluva thing and Nintendo has a very long history of failed consoles following up successful ones.

The only real exception is the 3DS, but even then that's only because Nintendo made a huge effort to turn things around after an enormously disappointing first year or two. (Something they pointedly did not do for the WiiU.)

@ludotaku They should call it the Switch-A-Roo Howda' YaDo Portable 2. Now with Happier-Con controllers featuring 4K Rumble.

@Tharsman The PS3 was over engineered with the Cell Processor not being really good for gaming (Xbox 360 was more powerful), and they built into an entire PS2 to make backwards compatible. With the Xbox One, Microsoft made the poor decision to force buyers into Kinect, wanted to make people go online to secure games, and forgot about the games. The Nintendo Wii U was a good idea, but they didn't understand why. Nintendo thought games would use the second screen, but the true killer feature was playing games off screen, but games that needed TWO screen couldn't be played this way. Plus the table was low res with old touch screen technology. Nintendo simply focused on the wrong use of the tablet.

@Pod

The SNES sold less because of the Genesis. It had good competition. Take the Genesis out of the equation and it would have outsold the NES. Most Genesis owners in the US had a NES first. They went Genesis for two reasons. Sonic the Hedgehog and Nintendo taking two years to even get the SNES to the US market.

The NES/Famicom had the entire 8 bit market cornered to itself in Japan and the United States. Only in Europe did it have good competition from the Master System. But even then, affordable home computers were far more prevalent as game machines in Europe than the US or Japan. Stuff like the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spectrum competed with the 8 bit consoles in Europe. That wasn’t the case the in Japan or the United States.

Nintendo should honour their history while looking to the future for the Switch successor. Call it the Super Nintendo Switch. It's nostalgic & it effectively communicates it's a next-gen Switch.

Vote now!

Wii Switch, Switch U, Wii Switch U, Gameboy Switch, Super Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switchtyfour, Nintendo Y, Virtual Switch, Nintendo Tesseract

@BartoxTharglod Exactly.
If the new console is 100% backward compatible with the current Switch, I will buy the new console as soon as I am able. If it isn’t, I will likely wait for quite some time while I keep playing Switch games I haven’t gotten around to yet. I am sure many current Switch owners feel this same way.

I think many are kind of right in how Nintendo used to work in thinking "Switch 2" is going to be a completely different type of console rather than just a more powerful Switch. However, one factor that people aren't thinking about is that Iwata is gone. The out of left field ideas as a business approach came about because of the kind of creative mad professor Iwata was. But Furukawa is a traditional accounting-focused business executive, not a left-field visionary. He's the type more likely to just double down on what works like a traditional company and not reach for the brass ring even if it means imploding like Iwata. Iwata was high-risk, high-reward. DS, Wii, Switch were all high risk departures that were high-reward. WiiU, 3DS at first, were not. Furukawa doesn't strike me as a high-risk guy. The era of Nintendo going crazy in their designs might have ended with Iwata, and even his last console is the very traditional Switch.

In Yamauchi's day, also a conservative businessman, they just went the more power route. NES to SNES, to Nintendo Play Station, to N64, to GCN. And it was a losing, but predictable, progression.

I think a more powerful Switch 2 would be successful, but it wouldn't be that catapult to 1st place Switch 1 was. Switch 1 offered a revolution. The same thing but with more rendering power won't really spur mass adoption like Switch did. But...how can they come up with the next big thing that fills a niche nobody knew they needed? A more powerful Switch 2 is what most of us want, but a new more powerful Gameboy that also docks but is less powerful than a PS5/XSXS isn't going to capture the masses the way the portable console idea did. How can they make it interesting to capture the masses? IDK. Otherwise I'd be working for Nintendo I guess.

@westman98 you had to buy the same games again in 3ds store though... like old ports and arcade

I know people crap on the PS3 but it still sold over 85 mil units and ended up passing the 360 to be the second highest selling console that gen. So maybe for every other company it's only been a 'handful of times' it's gone from success to success but to me when your worst selling home console moves numbers that companies, including one of the legends of the industry like Nintendo, wishes it could push with its worst-selling platforms, Sony has a blue print others should look at.

PS1 was at around 110 mil, PS2 150, PS3 drops to the 85-87 mil (those are the numbers Iv'e seen reported) but then you're back up to 115 or so with PS4 and PS5 has been off to a great start and will at least reach that 90-100 mil range. What Nintendo needs to do is just make commonsense decisions. Stick with the hybrid model but iterate where needed kind of like NES to SNES. One thing, besides a steady stream of good games and price, that will be huge for the next system is full backwards compatibility. Game preservation is becoming a big talking point and if the full Switch library (or at least good majority of it) can't be carried over, that will be a sticking point for a lot of people that could cause a headache for Nintendo.

@dimi
Nintendo themselves didn't release any notable cross-generation on Wii/Wii U and NDS/3DS.

Free upgrades for 3rd party cross-gen titles is...well...up to those 3rd party companies.

@brunojenso

I like your angle and just knowing Nintendo I think your take is more likely to be right than a straight up Switch 2 successor.

Thing is the current environment almost demands BC. M$ has done a wonderful job offering full BC all the way back to their original XB and while $ony hasn’t gone quite as far you can get w lot of prior gen games and the key is I can keep taking the vast library I have been accumulating forward.

I hope somehow N can do it all. We are past the point of diminishing returns with the whole TV/Console dynamic. I think VR is the future of gaming. What else is left in gaming other than pushing immersion and thats VR.

Ok so here is my hope. We get A BC hybrid that uses a 1440p OLED screen (double the Switches 720p) and the system uses DLSS to push 1440 portable and 4K docked. It comes with a quality VR mask to slip the unit into and that mask has advanced gyros for head tracking and audio earbuds (like psvr simple but works). With BC major titles could be patched either for texture/res/frame rate improvements or VR support or both. Some new titles may be Switch VR only but many can continue to support the family. This could all be easily possible if Nvidia can deliver a true ‘next gen’ mobile chipset for N to utilize.

Truthfully though for many people the Switch being a hybrid is/was a big deal. No one is even really trying to inhabit that market with much seriousness. N is still and always the dominate force in portable/handheld but Switch gave them another market with the Hybrid gamer. I just don’t think they want to walk away from either market, especially when there is so little true competition. Its gonna be tricky but hopefully they have learned lessons from past generations wins and losses to better know how to follow up one highly successful stint with another.

@QuickSilver88 Great thoughts - and yeah backwards compatibility is essential as you say. Gamers are rightly sick of having to leave behind the huge investment of the library on a previous and eventually unsupported device. Also agree with you that even if the next Nintendo is a radical piece of inventiveness, Nintendo will still need something that is still firmly routed in their dominant handheld market.

All I'm saying is that it better support my Switch and 3DS cartridges.

@QuickSilver88 1440p on portable mode is overkill. Steam deck runs at 1280x800 and its fine. 1200x800 resolution is 206 PPI.

@F_Destroyer I remember parents being confused about the SNES name too, thinking ot was just an NES upgrade thing

@OrtadragoonX
I'm not making any aguements on WHY the SNES sold less than the NES, but the N64 sold even less still, and the GameCube even less.

Nintendo has seen plenty of empirical evidence that in order to maintain or increse their market share, or assist in growing the entire market, they need something more and/or different than just upgrades in raw power.

I predict the FLIPSWITCH console you can use your phone with wifi as a contoller and or personal screen with a cheap app.

You heard it here first. lol

@dimi

I was thinking 1440P because it would be usefull for VR. 1080P is pretty much the minimum for VR use (PSVR and other Gen1 masks) so making it 1440P would make it a nice VR device and make it easy to 2X upscale existing Switch 720P portable games. You know Nintendo......this is all speculation and they will probably give us something no one is expecting.

@ludotaku Super Switch. Period. They already have the successful history of the “Super” name being linked to Nintendo in people’s minds. Add it to the success of the Switch brand. It seems like a no brainer. Imagine if the WiiU was called Super Wii, perhaps things would have been different there.

The smart thing to do would be to iterate, like with the NES to SNES, and GB to GBC/SGB to GBA to DS, and GC-Wii-WiiU

The GB thru DS migration was actually pretty good for the platform, the loss of the GBA slot on the 3DS was a large disappointment. But being able to play the original GB games on the DS, gave it such a long life. It was also a super disappointment that the GB/GBA/DS/3DS games could not be used on the switch in any shape, despite the device having the power to do so.

So the right path forward is that whatever comes out next is an iteration of the Switch. Add 4K while docked, add a second USB-C port next to the headphone jack to support USB-C headphones or HDMI-out on the device itself without the dock.

Put 4 USB ports on the dock so that you can have 4 local players use whatever controller they want and play party games wired instead of playing for an hour on the joycon/switch pro controller and then having nothing to play it with when the batteries die.

Speaking of controllers. Fix the joycon/analog stick drift on all the controllers. I have a 15 year old Xbox 360 controller that works nicer than the joycons. I have a vintage NES and SNES pads that work better than the joycons and the SNES pad is far more comfortable. Please, just release NES/FC, SNES/SFC "controllers" instead of joycons. The joycons are the most uncomfortable "innovation" Nintendo has ever made.

I doubt Nintendo would read this, or take any suggestions from western fans, seeing as how out-of-touch Nintendo routinely is with it's own fans.