Let's speculate about the 'Switch 2' one last time

The end is in sight at last. 

"Switch Up" mockups by Olivier Raymond.

After years of people speculating on Nintendo's next hardware, the 'Switch Pro' included, the end of that tiring cycle is finally here! Now, we can move on from speculating on hardware that we don't even know is real to speculating on hardware that is real but still knows nothing about. What an improvement!

All jokes aside, everyone was expecting a successor to the Switch sooner rather than later. The Nintendo Switch has done very, very well for Nintendo. The net profits of the Switch era are higher than Nintendo's profits from 1981 to 2016. Combined. Even so, after more than 7 years on the market, it's simply time for something new. With a simple tweet, we now know that Nintendo will unveil what comes next before March 2025.

I've talked about what this successor could look like this successor could look like in the past, but now that there's light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, I want to go over what I want out of Nintendo's next hardware one last time before its reveal.

Without further ado, let´s talk about it.

Performance and Visuals

It's as good as a done deal that the next Nintendo console will be another handheld/console hybrid. In the FY 2024 earnings call, Nintendo President Furukawa was asked if the next console would be something brand new or not. He answered with: "Switch next model is the appropriate way to describe it." So yeah, a hybrid console it'll most likely be, and I'm happy with that. I very much enjoy being able to take my Switch anywhere I can, and it's innovations like this that make Nintendo such a successful hardware manufacturer.

That the console will be more powerful is also a given. Every console has had better tech under the hood than the last. Even the Wii was just a wee bit more capable than the GameCube. How strong will the next console, this 'Switch 2,' be? Around PS4 level seems to be the golden zone. Not just because of all the rumours, but because I think that level of fidelity and power seems plausible in a handheld in 2024. Plus, it's a big enough jump for consumers to notice the difference and see it as a worthwhile upgrade.

I most certainly do. The Switch can't put out 4K and anything like that as the competition, but I don't mind. Do games like Horizon Forbidden West and Ghost of Tsushima look very nice and do I enjoy that about them? Yes, yes I do, but that doesn't mean I need all my games to look like that. Far from it, I enjoy a great deal of different visual styles, from cell-shaded to pixel art. If the 'Switch 2' can output 4K or not, which is heavily rumoured, is all the same to me.

I, however, am anxious to see what more power can do for games beyond graphics. How this level of power will lend itself to more ambitious game design. I can't say what I'm looking for when I say 'more ambitious´ but I will say this: a more powerful Switch should be able to run Pokémon Scarlet & Violet properly. By Arceus, that would be nice.

On the developers' side of things, a PS4-level Switch would mean that many 3rd party multi-platform titles the Switch is now losing out on should feasibly run on the 'Switch 2.' To take a somewhat recent example, Square Enix could very well port FF7 Remake to the platform in their new multiplatform strategy. Getting more 'big' 3rd party titles will certainly help the 'Switch 2' in attracting players and filling release gaps like Wii U ports did for the Switch.

Nintendo could also use the lessons other developers learned in the past decade or so and advances in technology to help keep development time and costs in check. These have gotten out of hand in the last decade, something Nintendo has managed to stall due to the 'outdated' architecture of the Switch. The jump in tech will cause the development costs and time of 'Switch 2' games to rise but since Nintendo is behind the curve here, I doubt it'll be as bad as the current crop of PS5 and Xbox Series titles. 

Tears of the Kingdom already runs and looks very good but I think it will get an upgrades 'Switch 2' version. The game to push such upgrades. 

Backwards Compatibility and Ports

Good. With all of that talk about visuals and powers out of the way, let's move on to stuff I find more interesting. Let's start with whether the next console will/should have backward compatibility (again).

The current speculation online is that, yes, the 'Switch 2' will be backwards compatible with all Switch games, digitally and physically, and I couldn't be happier. The way I look at a backwards compatible 'Switch 2' is that it'll just be an instant replacement for my current Switch. A newer, more powerful console that I can play all my old games on will safeguard their preservation while taking advantage of this new hardware's benefits. Those don't even have to be performance enhancements.

Once I got my 3DS, I never went back to my DSi XL. Yes, DS titles visuals aren't as sharp but the 3DS's circle pad, improved UI, and the activity log just made playing old DS games a lot more comfortable on the 3DS. Plus, only having one device to play both types of games on is just plain convenient. I'm hoping the 'Switch 2' will provide me with a similar experience in that regard. 

Backwards compatibility can also help drive 'Switch 2' sales. Expecting the 'Switch 2' to be just as much of a success as the current Switch is unrealistic. Just like the Wii, due to a variety of factors such as its unique hybrid concept and the pandemic, buying a Switch became the hot thing to do. Many bought a Switch just for the hype, and many will no doubt have long lost interest in the console and won't have any interest in a successor.

The core audience will doubtlessly upgrade to continue their gaming journeys, but what about the casual crowd? For those, a backwards compatible 'Switch 2' is a good option for when their old Switch breaks down. If priced well, then buying a new 'Switch 2' would be a good deal. A way to keep playing their old games but they can also play the new games, should they want.

I think backward compatibility could also benefit the sales potential of older Switch games, though more so from the customer's point of view than the developers'. With a backwards-compatible 'Switch 2,' it means that the OG Switch games will remain somewhat relevant since, well, you can still play them on the new hardware. This could lead to games, especially those released late in the Switch's life cycle, selling for longer. 

The flip side is that once the 'Switch 2 ´ is announced, while a game might be excellent and be marketed everywhere, all eyes will be on games for the new console. There have been reports that some third-party publishers have said to Nintendo that they don't want backward compatibility, for this very reason I believe. They don't want late releases to be dead in the water and they want those profitable ports—the ability to resell their games as a new SKU on the new platform. But, as we've seen with the PS4/PS5 generation, backward compatibility doesn't stop publishers from making a new SKU for their older titles for the new hardware.

Nintendo Switch Online and UI

When it comes to Nintendo Switch Online (NSO), I'm certain that will move over to this new console. They've said as much before. The exact words Doug Bowser, head of Nintendo of America, used were, "Our goal is to minimize the dip you typically see in the last year of one cycle and the beginning of another. I can't speak to the possible features of a new platform, but the Nintendo Account is a strong basis for having that communication as we make the transition." I do believe that this extends past the account you need to make for the eShop and to NSO itself.

With NSO, Nintendo entered the same 'pay for online + a game subscription' territory as its competitors, and that's a consistent revenue stream I don't see Nintendo giving up. Since the games on NSO are basically just apps anyway, I don't see any hurdles in carrying this subscription service over. With updates, I hope.

I'm not a big enjoyer of NSO. I only have it because of Pokémon (Gotta catch them all!) and the most I've used the NSO emulators is to play Pokémon Stadium, Mario Kart, etc. when friends come over. I prefer to own my games rather than 'renting' them. However, that doesn't mean I don't want to see Nintendo grow the service and make it better.

I find the free DLC packs a nice bonus—a good price/quality relationship and something that makes sense to try out through a subscription service. After all, there are no demos for DLCs. For instance, after trying out Wave 1 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, I bought the rest myself since I now felt confident in doing so. More of that would be nice.

What I would really like though is being able to just buy these retro games outright. That is my biggest issue with the current NSO retro games system. I get that Nintendo wanted a gaming subscription service and such, but what is the issue with also giving us the option to own these games outright? That people won't subscribe to NSO? Even without any extras, the fact that you need NSO for online play seems like incentive enough.

All 3 DLC packs you can currently play with the NSO expansion pack. They should really start throwing in more DLC packs, like Breath of the Wild´s Expansion Pass.

What else, what else? Well, I wouldn't mind some actual themes. The simplistic design of the Switch interface is a strength, and the lack of activities, ads, etc. is what makes the UI so nice. It's just straight to the point. That doesn't mean I don't wish there were more customization options beyond just black-and-white backgrounds. Sell themes ala the 3DS again, allow for more customization when it comes to ordering your games on the home screen and we're golden.

Some sort of achievement system too, perhaps? Not that I'm into achievements and trophies at all, but I know it's something a lot of gamers like from PlayStation and Xbox. Nintendo has a sort of achievement system with the points you can earn in certain games with your NSO subscription, so building that out could work.

Last but not least: bring back the activity log! Tracking how long I play each game, down to the minute, is so handy when it comes to self-regulating my game time. Not to mention when judging my playtime for reviews.

New Joy-Cons and Extra Buttons

With all of this software talk out of the way, let's move on to the hardware side of things. Are there any hardware-related rumours going around? Naturally, though not as much as you'd think. Of those, the only ones that piqued my interest are those about the controllers. Joy-Con drift is a real problem. I've lucked out in that I only had to replace one Joy-Con in these 7+ years, but it is clearly a big stain on the Switch's reputation. One Nintendo needs to avoid with their next console.

These rumours don't talk about drift but do mention that the Joy-Cons have been redesigned, now featuring an all-new magnetic system with extra (back) buttons. I'm not sure about that magnetic design. I can recall a developer interview about the Switch that was about the origins of the 'click' sound that plays when you attach a Joy-Con to your Switch. The tale goes that early on in development, the Joy-Cons were magnetic, but the resulting connection lacked sturdiness. They still liked the sound the Joy-Cons made when snapping on and off the base though, and thus the ´click´ sound we know was born.

It's for this reason that I'm not too thrilled with this idea of magnetic Joy-Cons. Yes, technology has advanced this last decade, but to what point? Will that sturdiness problem really be a thing of the past? I'm not sure.

I also wonder how the extra buttons that these new Joy-Cons supposedly have will work. If I can map these myself, then that would be very handy and be like that 3DS Circle Pad I mentioned, and it would be interesting to see how developers would use these extra buttons. Well, other than less menu hopping to equip items in, say, Zelda games.

But what about the current pro-controller and Joy-Cons though? Will those be compatible with the 'Switch 2'? Accessory manufacturers who were given a sneak peek of the hardware say so, which would be really nice. I got my Switch Pro controller late in the game but haven't touched the Joy-Cons ever since I got it. It's that comfortable. Getting to reuse it for the follow-up console would be excellent. I get to keep that comfortable design, and it'll save me some money to boot. 

But if the new 'Switch 2' Joy-Cons, and logically the pro-controller, have extra buttons that plenty of games use, then you can't use the old controllers with those titles. That would defeat the purpose of backwards-compatible controllers since you'd still need to switch controllers. I'd rather have one (pro) controller for the console than two.

Lastly, I wouldn't mind a 1080p larger screen, a better kickstand, and such things, but since 90% of the time I play the Switch docked, they're not features I see myself getting much benefit from. They would still be a good idea for the millions of others who do play the Switch a lot in handheld mode, though.

Final Thoughts

And that's all I wrote. All that I wanted to say on the matter of the 'Switch 2' before Nintendo officially reveals what it has been working on. To talk about it in this 'Schrödinger's cat' '-like state where anything and everything is still possible. And yes, just in case you haven't caught on yet, I do really want the next Nintendo console to be another hybrid machine. I might not bring the Switch with me often, but I do very much enjoy the option to do so. I brought it with me this very day (time of writing) on a train commute for some more Bayonetta Origins action, just to name an example.

The Switch is also my number 2 console when it comes to the number of games I own for it. Over 50 titles and still counting. The only reason it isn't number 1 is due to the 3DS's firesale before the eShop closure. With this large library and that convenience at my fingertips, it's a console—a formula—that I want Nintendo to continue ala DS to 3DS. Just another, more powerful, backwards-compatible Switch that keeps the good times rolling.

For now, we'll have to see what Nintendo has been up to behind the scenes, but that won't be for much longer. Till then, all we can do is speculate, and boy, am I tired of speculating after this. I just want to know what this 'Switch 2' will be like!