A pragmatic console reveal from Nintendo might feel like a shock to the system, but there's method in the (lack of) madness.
How do you follow a console that has sold over 146 million units worldwide? That's the conundrum Nintendo is attempting to untangle with the Switch 2.
The Switch has become the best-selling Nintendo home console of all time by some margin, eclipsing the 101 million lifetime sales of the Nintendo Wii with apparent ease.
If it can top the 154 million sales mustered by the Nintendo DS, it will cement its place as the best-selling Nintendo console in history. That would represent an enormous achievement for the Japanese company–and you have to wonder if it would ever be surpassed.
Yet, irrespective of whether the Switch eventually takes that crown, the hybrid device will forever be known as the console that proved Nintendo still had the juice. Its predecessor, the Wii U, sold just 13.56 million units across its lifetime.
It was a measly return in the aftermath of the Wii's meteoric ascent and raised questions as to whether Nintendo had shot itself in the foot by failing to effectively differentiate the Wii U from the Wii in the mind of consumers.
For better or worse, Nintendo isn't making that mistake this time around.
In its fleeting reveal trailer, Nintendo slapped a colossal '2' next to the Switch logo and showed the original console transform into something familiar yet different.
Like a serpent shedding its skin, the Switch 2 is a more refined version of its forebear. A distinctly 'new' offering that still feels immediately recognisable. New buttons, more curves, additional ports, and reworked Joy-Cons that some viewers believe hide a spark of creativity are the immediate differentiators, but those additions represent iteration rather than revolution.
It's definitely another Switch
Nintendo has previous in that regard. The company often produces revamped versions of existing tech. The Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS XL, and Wii Mini all spring to mind. Where the Switch 2 differs is in how it will mark the beginning of a new hardware cycle.
For years, we've become accustomed to Nintendo kicking off a fresh generation with barmy, unpredictable experimentation. Irreverent technology (and jubilant first-party software to match) that can't reasonably be compared to the rotund boxes released by Microsoft and Sony. This time, Nintendo is joining its rivals in playing it safe. In promising more of the same, but better, and hoping that'll be enough to repeat the success of the past.
It's an understandable position given the company's not-to-distant failings, but one that feels distinctly un-Nintendo. It's entirely possible the Switch 2 is hiding a few new tricks. Some keen-eyed viewers posit the reworked Joy-Cons could double as mouse-like controllers, offering new ways to play. Yet, Nintendo doesn't plan on releasing concrete tech specs for another couple of months, so that remains wishful speculation.
Taking into account what we do know, the Switch 2 appears overwhelmingly beige. The vibrant colourways of the original Joy-Cons have been ditched in favor of homogenous grey. A bigger screen promises a little extra real-estate, but it's unclear whether Nintendo is prepared to make OLED the standard. A new 'C' button has spawned theories galore, but it's probably sensible to temper expectations as to how much innovation can be squeezed into a single input.
The fact there is so much speculation over so little suggests the industry is struggling to reconcile itself with the idea of a Nintendo that is content (at least for now) to temper its adventurous side in pursuit of what it must feel are guaranteed returns.
A modern mystery worthy of Miss Marple
As we've already covered, the Switch sold like diamond-encrusted hot cakes slathered in gold. A key part of that success was how Nintendo was able to hit a palatable price point and gently iterate with the Switch Lite and OLED models, encouraging multiple sales within the same household. If it can do the same again, you'd have to expect a comparable uptake.
Nintendo's first-party catalogue has also been superlative over the years, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (a more complete version of the Wii U release) having sold over 64 million units on the Switch alone. It's no surprise Nintendo seemingly chose to tease a new entry in the franchise alongside the Switch 2. Others like Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Super Smash Bros., Super Mario, and The Legend of Zelda chipped in with aplomb, selling eye-watering amounts over the years.
Beyond that, it's vital to consider the console's wider impact. If imitation if the sincerest form of flattery, then Nintendo must feel like the bell of the ball. A massive list of hardware companies and platform holders have attempted to replicate the form factor of the Switch in the eight years since it launched. The Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and so many others all promise some version of portable gaming in a Switch-like package. Hell, even Microsoft is openly talking about developing a handheld in what would be a notable first for the company.
This is the reality of the post-Switch world. It cannot be understated just how influential Nintendo's hybrid device has become since debuting in 2017. For the first time in decades, here was a machine that genuinely changed how we played by dissolving the barrier between handheld and home consoles.
Will I be disappointed if the Switch 2 is completely devoid of whimsy? Yes, there will be pangs of melancholy, but then I also trust Nintendo to innovate in other ways. This is the company that turned The Legend of Zelda into a physics playground with Tears of the Kingdom, implemented a mechanic called 'Mouthful Mode' just to let Kirby swallow an entire automobile, and developed an alarm clock dubbed ALARMO because why the fuck not? Maybe we shouldn't despair just yet.
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