The Switch 2 will continue its predecessor’s innovative trend of being a handheld and home console hybrid. It’s easy to see why Nintendo didn’t stray from this concept, especially since handheld gaming is now more popular than ever.
However, with more handheld PCs becoming a thing, one has to wonder if Nintendo will keep this trend up for its next console. Could this be Nintendo’s last hybrid system as the company tries to innovate in other ways?
As we mentioned earlier, handheld gaming is massive right now, and that will only continue when the Switch 2 comes out. Since it will be more powerful than its predecessor, fans hope to see even stronger titles run on the system. With rumors of powerhouse games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake coming to the system, we could see Nintendo at its most powerful.
But will that be enough to keep this trend going strong? As game development continues, these products will only get stronger and take longer to make. The novelty of having a more powerful Switch can only last so long, though a consistent release schedule from Nintendo and third-party devs could help.
It will be interesting to see if the Switch 2 will be innovative enough to keep current Switch fans and win over newer gamers. Rumors of magnetic analog sticks that won’t drift, and a supposed “mouse” feature for the Joy-Cons could do that as well. Having a console that provides an easy PC-like experience could change things indefinitely.
Nintendo loves to innovate, and we imagine that the company will want to do something crazy after releasing the Switch’s successor. This is the same company that made the DS and Wii, so we imagine they’ll want to innovate gaming again with something less conventional than another handheld/console hybrid.
Then again, Switch 2 could sell so well that Nintendo could focus solely on handheld hybrid consoles. Constantly releasing Switch systems that are more powerful than the last could make Nintendo a bit like Apple and their iPhone strategy. Fans of the company know that Nintendo has been influenced by modern trends before, with the Wii U gamepad essentially being a tablet controller for that console.
Only time will tell if Nintendo will try to be innovative with its consoles again, though we’re not sure what else they can do. Now that they’ve made motion controls a thing and continue to popularize handheld gaming, they might have hit their limit. They could try dipping their toes into VR again, like with the Switch’s Labo accessory, but that feels like a gimmick with no strong legs.
Could the Switch 2 be their last console hybrid? Yes. However, it could also continue their trend of making even more handheld consoles, which isn’t inherently bad. In the end, fans want a machine that plays good games, and Nintendo tends to deliver those in spades, even when they don’t sell well.