Why Nintendo’s next console won’t be too different from the Switch… an expert explains

“Nintendo is more likely to “just” beef up the current Switch, change a few things (i.e. the terrible Joy-Cons), or add some bells and whistles with the new device,” Toto tells indianexpress.com in an email interview.

The Switch was a brave attempt at redefining the game console when it debuted in 2017. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

This is due to Nintendo’s focus on a single hardware, which has worked big time with the Switch and might not change anytime soon in the future. “With the Switch, Nintendo became a single-platform company, and they do not have separate handheld and TV console units anymore. They completely ignore mobile gaming, too. So, in theory, this radical focus on one piece of hardware to keep the company going should reduce Nintendo’s appetite for “crazy experiments,” he said.

Over the years, Nintendo has toyed with different ideas than its competitors—Microsoft and Sony—who mostly settled for a conventional approach to making the console. In contrast, Nintendo has always surprised consumers with both hardware and software. Whether it was Gameboy’s portable form factor, DS’ dual-screen, 3DS’ 3D display, Wii’s motion console, or Switch’s hybrid capability of playing both ways—being played docked with the TV or on the go.

“We are likely going to see a shift like NES to SNES rather than a shift like Gamecube to Wii,” says Toto. That sounds a lot like how the iPhone now gets iterative updates each year. But if Nintendo is indeed launching a more updated Switch console, it may find itself in a changed technological landscape that we are currently in, where reinventing new products is becoming harder due to market risks and fear of losing existing customers to competitors.

Kids try out the Switch console at a Target store in Los Angeles. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

If history tells us anything, Nintendo has always bucked market trends despite many predicting the company’s doom. It still found a way to reinvent the product category. However, after the failure of the Wii U, the company’s worst-selling console, Nintendo has become more conscious of its choices. Even though the Wii U was unique in many ways, bringing the idea of turning a tablet into a gamepad, it didn’t pan out.

Nintendo couldn’t afford another Wii U. It needed a hit. The success of the Switch not only helped Nintendo turn the tables but that one device brought the company back into mainstream conversation. But the fact remains that had Nintendo never experienced failure with the Wii U, it might not have created the Switch.

Nintendo is again in the same boat it once was with the Wii U. The expectations from Nintendo are sky-high, and the company doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes that led to the failure of the Wii U. Was it an extension or add-on to the Wii, or was it a new console entirely? Experts feel Nintendo needs a new device to replace the seven-year-old Switch, which is still going strong but feels dated. However, the question remains: what new big ideas is it exploring to make its next console even more appealing in 2024? Will the console have a signature feature that convinces consumers to buy a new gaming device, or is it simply a “much better” version with enhanced graphics?

The Wii U console continues to be Nintendo’s most misunderstood hardware to date. (Image credit: Amazon.com)

“I think the standard improvements include a better CPU, better screen, better GPU, and other upgraded components,” Toto said when asked about the upgrades Nintendo’s next console may have. This indicates Nintendo’s console will be more of a Switch 2 but with powerful internals. He also added that the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers at the time were a little gimmicky but quite fun. However, their novelty has waned in interest over the years. This leaves Nintendo to come up with something new, maybe a new “user interface concept” to entice customers.

But compared to the past, Nintendo is in a better position. The Switch isn’t just a console; it’s more of a platform that can be further improved and reiterated over time, similar to how Apple did with the iPhone. The fact that a device like the Switch can be used as both a handheld and a home console, and its portability has mass appeal, makes it easy for Nintendo to market a new console.

Nintendo’s message with the Switch was clear: target casual consumers, and it worked. However, if the Switch 2, or whatever it might be called, ends up being a hybrid console aimed not only at casual but also hardcore users, it could take Nintendo in a new direction. This transition is much needed for Nintendo, which has lately focused on creating an entertainment empire with theme parks and movies. Even if it is outside of its comfort zone, Nintendo has to look at a mature audience and diversified users to grow the install base. Its agreement with Microsoft to bring the Call of Duty franchise to Nintendo platforms for a decade may indicate the change is already on the horizon.

Although Nintendo’s next console will more or less follow the template the current Switch established, it’s the third-party game support that could make a huge difference. “Nintendo comes from a position of power, so we will likely see a lot more support from other studios when the Switch successor launches and beyond,” indicates Toto. The company has the most popular game franchises such as Super Mario, Pokemon, and Zelda that are exclusive to Nintendo consoles, but it needs robust third-party support to not only reach new users but also to fend off competition from mobile gaming on smartphones as well as cloud gaming.

Nintendo and Apple are known for ditching market norms. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

While Nintendo’s consoles and game characters have a cult-like following in markets like the US and Europe, the company still hasn’t shown interest in entering India. Though its games and consoles are available via third-party retailers, Nintendo’s absence from a market as large as India could be a lost opportunity. However, the fact also remains that India is a mobile gaming market, and consoles are only a fraction of the overall segment.

“I think Nintendo is generally interested in the Indian market, as Japanese businesses and the public are well aware of the rise of the country in recent years. Nintendo would move swiftly if they see an opportunity to get deeper into the Indian market, which is a quite hot topic in Japan right now,” he said.

Although the company has yet to confirm it publicly, Nintendo’s next console is expected to launch sometime this year at a higher price than the Switch did at launch. However, that doesn’t mean the end of the current Switch or the Switch Lite anytime soon.

“There will certainly be a transitional period where both systems, the new one and the current Switch, will be supported with software,” Toto says. “Nintendo has a tendency to reduce the price of at least their handhelds towards the end of the life cycle, and they will likely do the same with the Switch later this year.”

Toto doesn’t think Nintendo will make a mixed-reality/augmented-reality headset anytime soon. However, the company has previously dabbled with AR with the 3DS.