We struggle to remember a time that we thought of the Switch as a 'new' console. Maybe back in 2021 with the release of the OLED and the pandemic popularity of Animal Crossing? Perhaps. For the most part, everyone is keen to jump on the "god, the Switch is sooo old" bandwagon. The thing is, they are right and boy are we reminded of that today.
That's because today, 3rd March 2024, marks seven years since the Switch's release. As you read this, the console is entering its eighth. Seven years. Let's let that one sink in for a moment.
You don't need us to tell you how neat Nintendo's little hybrid is. You already know it. It's the third best-selling console of all time. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is beaten only by the pack-in Wii Sports for the Big-N's top spot. We are still getting big hitters like new Zeldas and Marios. Blah blah blah. Hot take: Switch is good.
Even hotter take: seven years is a really long time. Babies have been born, potty trained, learnt to walk, talk and finish Year Two of primary school (first grade in the States) in the length of time that the Switch has been out.
Seven years is 84 months. 365 weeks. 2,555 days. 61,320 hours. Heck, that's 47 dog years for a medium-sized pooch, for crying out loud.
In that time, we have seen PlayStation 4s turn into PlayStation 5s, Xbox Ones turn into X/S and iPhones switch to a Roman numeral ordering and then back again.
For the sake of comparison, the SNES had pushed the NES into retirement after seven years, the N64 had long been succeeded by the GameCube, and even the Wii to Wii U was only a gap of six years. As far as Nintendo goes, only the Game Boy to Game Boy Color beats the Switch's current life span (a nine-year gap sitting between the two) but at least we got two home consoles in that period to tide us over.
Yet this Nindendog is still alive and kicking (by which we mean the Switch, not our actual Nintendogs — they were sent to live on the farm a long time ago). 2019 brought us the Switch Lite and 2021 the OLED, but the launch model has managed to stand the test of time to the extent that many of us still lean on the OG in 2024.
And what about that eShop? The Switch's virtual storefront is now home to around 11,448 games (at least, that's the best estimate from the North American eShop, though regional libraries will vary) and it continues to grow by the day. In short, seven years has given us a heck of a backlog.
Things may well feel like they are slowing down now and an upcoming slate dominated by remakes and remasters has us (like everyone) looking towards the prospect of new hardware with longing eyes. But, for today at least, let's remember that the little console's genius. It is its birthday, after all.
Way to go old sport, here's to many more — but not too many. Please.