By: Christian Roethling & Andrew Hawlitzky
With rumours of Nintendo’s next console on the horizon, there have been plenty of discussions on what might be next for the company. As The Brock Press’ two resident Nintendo fans, what do The Game Boys predict for the future of the Japanese giant’s console business?
Christian—
If you ask me, the answer to this question is all too obvious: Nintendo’s next console is going to be a successor to the highly popular Nintendo Switch. I realize that this isn’t the most exciting answer, and it’s what most people already seem to predict. There’s a reason, though, why this theory is so widely accepted: simply put, it just makes the most sense.
It goes without saying that the Switch has been a massive success for Nintendo, selling over 132 million units as of Sept. 30, 2023. The hybrid concept has clearly resonated with many consumers, and Nintendo would be foolish to abandon this idea with their next console.
The hybrid model of the Switch might be a console “gimmick” in the same way as the Wii’s motion controls or the 3DS’ glasses-free 3D, but the difference is that the Switch’s hybrid gimmick is timeless and doesn’t really feel like a gimmick. While motion controls and glasses-free 3D are fun to play around with for a while, after some time passes, they mostly serve as basic gameplay additions rather than gaming revolutions. Hybrid gaming, on the other hand, makes gaming feel much more free, untethering gamers from the living room couch but also allowing handheld experiences to be played on a big TV screen. Hybrid gaming might be a gimmick at its core, but it’s a revolutionary gimmick that unlocks tons of gaming freedom. Nintendo is aware of this, and they’re not going to take that freedom away in their next console.
I think it’s safe to predict that the Switch 2 – or Super Switch, Switch Advance, Switch U (okay, that one was a joke) or whatever else they end up calling it – will be fairly simple in concept, but it will do exactly what it needs to: it’ll be a Switch that’s significantly more powerful than its predecessor. While the original Switch is amazing in concept, it’s quite lacking in the technical department compared to its competitors, leading to graphical compromises and several high-profile third-party games skipping the platform.
A more powerful Switch would allow developers more freedom to create their games, and they wouldn’t have to make as many compromises just to get a game running on the hardware. Forbes recently reported that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one of the Switch’s biggest releases of 2023, “runs rough” on the hardware and said it’s a “miracle this game runs on Switch at all.” While the game is certainly incredible, more powerful hardware would have allowed developers to achieve better performance in the title and perhaps implement even more features with ease.
So, that’s my prediction for Nintendo’s next console, which I am confident will be released by the end of the year. This may not be the most exciting or creative prediction, but it’s the most realistic one, and it’s what I think Nintendo fans should expect as we move further into 2024.
Andrew—
The Switch 2 has become much like the Half-Life 3 of video game consoles: it will never and can never happen, yet such a sentiment burns the ears of their retrospective fanbases. Despite all the wait and hype, there are very clear reasons why the Switch 2 is not coming.
With the release of the Steam Deck only two years ago, the hardware present in handheld consoles has not advanced to such an extent as to warrant a new generation. Until there is a serious hardware upgrade to what technology can fit inside a handheld console, a Switch 2 from Nintendo would not meet the standards for a new generation of gaming.
That said, I think the time for a revision to Nintendo’s Switch brand is on its way. A console with an HD-resolution screen, with explicit handheld gaming in mind, is exactly what Nintendo needs to continue its brand on handheld console gaming. I speak, of course, about the legendary Switch Pro: a console that has pilfered the trending section of X (formally Twitter) for years.
A new revision to Nintendo’s most successful handheld console would only make sense if it were released alongside a true home console.
Now is the perfect time for Nintendo to launch their first true home console since the Wii U (unless you count the Super NES Classic Edition). A home console would have the necessary power and graphical capabilities to launch Nintendo IPs into the modern age. Cross-platform titles could also find a secure place on a home console without the need for significant graphical compromises or cloud servers that prevent you from truly owning the games you pay for.
Though it is true Nintendo has adopted a Blue Ocean strategy to their company since 2006, which typically makes competition irrelevant to their business practices and has led to Nintendo underpowering their consoles, that does not negate the company from making future graphical innovations to their product line to a degree equal to their rivals.
The illusive Switch Pro should still remain a hybrid console with docking capabilities for gamers who enjoy home console Nintendo gaming on a budget, but like the OLED Switch, the Switch Pro should be marketed primarily for handheld gaming.
Returning to a two-console model similar to the Wii/DS era would be the best option for Nintendo right now to get the most out of both a home console and handheld release.
I think it is quite probable we see the Switch-exclusive era from Nintendo be followed up by the unnamed home console/Switch Pro era sometime this year.
The physical releases of both consoles would remain as cartridges for easy cross-platform gaming. In all likelihood, all past and future Switch games would be compatible with the Nintendo home console for smooth framerates and HD (or even 4K) graphics. However, there would also be home console-exclusive digital and physical releases for games that require the graphical intensity and/or storage space that a home console can provide.
Though my love of hybrid console gaming knows no bounds, the technological limitations are currently too steep in the modern gaming ecosphere for me to humour the idea of a next-generation Switch 2 releasing on its lonesome.
As the original Switch nears its seventh anniversary since its release, I look forward with great pragmatism to the next line of Nintendo consoles.
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Though our predictions may differ, the hype for Nintendo’s next generation of gaming has never been stronger. The Game Boys are hopeful that this year will be a turning point in Nintendo’s gaming lineup and impatiently await their next announcement.