With the Switch 2, Nintendo continues to improve on the concept of a hybrid form factor, and that's okay. (Image credit: Nintendo)
Something was very different when Nintendo shadow dropped a 2-minute-long trailer video of the Switch 2 earlier this year. It wasn’t just how Nintendo chose to announce the Switch 2 that took everyone by surprise, but also how the trailer was cut and how the console was presented to the world for the first time. It was very un-Nintendo-like, but the move was very much in line with how Apple or other tech companies launch new products.
The trailer was slick, short, and without words but brilliantly executed, and it seemed designed to go viral and remain in our feeds for days. Nintendo doesn’t typically do that; it’s a conservative company that rarely drops trailers randomly to announce new products. But it did—and so did the addition of “2” to the Switch’s successor name. This signals how Nintendo wants to be perceived as a brand—not just among its core audience, traditionally kids, parents, and grandparents, but also among a newer audience. The image Nintendo wants to project is more in line with how Apple is seen as a brand, and the Switch 2 may be the first step toward building momentum for the new Nintendo.
The Switch 2, which is launching on April 2, and with all we know is that it is coming sometime this year, may initially appear to be the most “boring” next-generation console Nintendo has launched. It looks just like the original Switch, but bigger, with better Joy-Cons and possibly more horsepower. This company is known for surprises. After all, every Nintendo hardware has something unexpected about it, often defying predictions about what the company would do next—and that includes how it makes announcements.
No one could have predicted Nintendo would go wild when it introduced the Wii U, a console with a giant gamepad controller featuring a built-in display after the highly successful Wii, or that the DS, with its strange dual-screen design, would succeed the Game Boy series. Nintendo has always been known for experimenting with its products to the extent that it even came up with the idea of turning cardboard models into fully functioning toys. However, not all of its bold, experimental ideas have worked.
The Wii U, which followed the smash success of the Wii, was misunderstood in terms of what it was trying to bring to the market. (Image credit: Nintendo)
But when the Wii U failed commercially, Nintendo went back to the drawing board and made changes internally, although it never admitted that its bold gambit didn’t succeed (Apple does the same and never admits failure). That moment marked the beginning of reinspection. Then the Switch launched in 2017, and the console became a smash hit. Nintendo was back on its feet—this time, the success of the Switch not only defied the odds but also surprised the entire industry with the company’s big comeback. The Switch had all the secret sauce Nintendo was aiming for: better marketing than the Wii U, a big launch title, a brand-new hybrid console concept that had never been attempted before, memorable ad campaigns, a terrific pricing model, and positive word of mouth. The missteps Nintendo made with the Wii U were nowhere to be seen, and the company seemed more confident in the concept and how it approached the mainline console—one that appeared to be a cross between traditional gaming consoles and smartphones.
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The Nintendo Switch 2 is an extension of the original Switch, a concept that remains unmatched to this day. (Image credit: Nintendo)
Over the years, the Switch has only grown stronger, and Nintendo seems keen on not giving up on the idea of the Switch’s hybrid form factor, which remains the template for how a hybrid console concept should work—much like how Apple has refined the iPhone form factor and continues to do so. If the iPhone is the central force within Apple, Nintendo is taking a similar path with the Switch. And this is where the Switch 2 fits well into Nintendo’s strategy.
The Switch 2 is basically a bigger, better Switch. It’s unoriginal, kind of boring, and the lack of creativity has crept in within Nintendo—leading to the question of why the company is even doing this. Maybe it’s the common consensus within the gaming community, but if you read between the lines, it becomes clear that Nintendo always wanted the Switch—both as a console and a brand—to have a longer shelf life.
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Years ago, when the Wii was launched, Nintendo made it clear it wasn’t competing with PlayStation and Xbox—and never really had. With the Switch and how it has evolved over the years with three big refreshes, it’s very evident that Nintendo had been working on a plan to foresee how the Switch would evolve. Not only did the original Switch compete with traditional consoles, but it was even compared to a new crop of handheld PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Anything that can play games—regardless of form factor—has rivalled the Switch. Moreover, Nintendo wants to sell multiple Switch units within households, which is part of a larger trend. This also explains why the uptake of the Switch has been so high.
Nintendo, as a brand, is much more recognisable beyond the core gaming demographic. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The curious thing about the success of the Switch is that it made Nintendo a household name beyond its core demographic and traditionally strong markets like North America and Europe, making inroads into countries like India, where the Switch has been sold unofficially via Amazon and other retailers, even though Nintendo remains absent from this market. The success of the Switch created a huge brand-building opportunity for Nintendo and exposed the company to more markets where it was physically not present.
Not to forget, Nintendo is in a much better position now than it was a few years ago. The company is cash-rich, has stable leadership under the watchful eyes of Shuntaro Furukawa (who has been with Nintendo since 1994 and was groomed to take the top job within one of the oldest and most respected companies in the video game industry), and its game franchises and characters are more popular than ever rivalling Disney’s strong IP. The Kyoto-based company has also branched out into theme parks and the movie-making business, pushing it outside of the traditional console-maker territory and further into the territory of a lifestyle brand. Nintendo’s stronger culture of creativity in storytelling, a deeper history of technological innovation, and a stronger brand combine the best of Apple and Disney.
Nintendo is still a Japanese company at its core, but it is run more like an American company. The massive user base of the Switch (146 million units and 1.3 billion games sold and counting, along with 34 million paid Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions), alongside the new initiatives Nintendo has ventured into, shows how the company operates. Nintendo is focused on scale, and it all supports the theory of backing up the Switch 2.
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Nintendo has moved away from dual platforms strategy, and is focusing on one platform. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
With the Switch 2, Nintendo doesn’t want to dilute what made the original Switch a hit product by opting for a new form factor that may or may not impress consumers. Perhaps this is why the Switch 2 takes the core features of the original Switch and builds upon them, while also possibly addressing the issues the first-generation product had. It’s a clever move—maybe less ambitious than the original Switch was, but also the right thing to do by not reinventing the wheel with every new generation. It’s a thing Nintendo has finally figured out – settling on a proven form factor and improving it.
There’s still quite a mystery surrounding the Switch 2, though. Although the teaser only showed the physical hardware, such as the bigger screen, new Joy-Cons, new Dock, and a Mario Kart game, along with confirmation that Nintendo Switch games will be fully backwards-compatible with the Switch 2, the company literally didn’t reveal anything about the device beyond the leaks and rumours. Now, that’s classic Nintendo. And this may keep consumers interested for months. More details are coming in April.
The Switch 2 will be a huge hit, and Nintendo will likely sell millions of units within the first year. The path Nintendo has taken is much clearer, less risky, and more stable, and the company has learned its lessons from past mistakes. The Switch will continue to exist for many more years, much like the iPhone, and we may see Switch 3, 4, and 5 in the future. We just hope that Nintendo’s changes don’t fundamentally alter the Switch experience. The Switch 2 is still a tablet with detachable controllers, one you can either play as a portable device or connect to your TV for a more home console-like experience. It still plays your old Switch games, and your Switch Online subscription will carry over between devices. It’s the core of what the Switch is, and that’s not something that could easily be copied by any other company.
Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at indianexpress.com who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin.
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