Should we even care about the Nintendo Switch 2?
The successor to the Nintendo Switch is such a hot topic, that Nintendo has recently felt the need to add a new disclaimer before every Nintendo Direct: “There will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during this presentation.”
Nintendo even made this disclaimer during a presentation about the Nintendo Museum, and since then, that sentence has become something of a meme on X/Twitter. But Nintendo’s impulse to include that disclaimer with every announcement shows exactly how hyped people are for the successor to the Nintendo Switch.
But for every pop culture hype, there are the skeptics and grumps in the corner. Their question should be taken seriously, though. Is it possible we’re overhyping the Switch’s successor?
Why the Switch 2 is important, even if it’s bad
The Nintendo Switch is set to bypass the PlayStation 2 as the best-selling console of all time. It also came out in March 2017, over seven years ago. That’s ages in console years. At this point, it’s set to outlast the timeline of even the hyper-successful Nintendo Wii, which launched in 2006 and was discontinued in 2013. It’s no wonder people are curious about the Switch’s successor.
Nintendo tends to release its consoles mid-generation compared to its competitors at Sony and XBox (if XBox can even be considered a global competitor, given its relative non-existence in Nintendo’s home turf). Considering this, the success or failure of the Switch’s successor is actively important to the future of gaming.
Overall, the gaming world is in a huge slump, experiencing over 20,000 layoffs in the past two years. Sony and XBox have each faced multiple waves of layoffs, even going so far as to shutter affiliate studios. By contrast, Nintendo is growing.
Additionally, as reported by Bloomberg, Sony says that the not-even-four-year-old PS5 has reached the “latter stage of its life cycle” after sales peaked earlier this year. Meanwhile, the seven-year-old Switch is still selling, hitting 143 million sales in August. And, during its first-party Nintendo Direct this summer, Nintendo proved it still has a lot up its sleeve. Those tricksters showed us a new Zelda game with only a few months’ notice!
Whether or not the Switch’s successor can garner widespread excitement and turn those into sales will be a hugely pivotal moment for the entire gaming industry. So yes, if you are interested in the future of gaming, you should definitely care about the successor to the Switch.
But also, from a purely fan-girl standpoint: holy shit, I care. I care so much.
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