The Nintendo Switch 2 has to be one of the most talked-about consoles of all time, with rumors about its starting lineup of games, potential power, and plethora of new features appearing online almost every day. Its alleged design has been leaked a number of times, and the date on which it was going to be announced has been leaked and debunked several more times, which has culminated in both even more hype and fans feeling a little exhausted.
It’s beginning to feel like the Switch 2 is pointless, especially considering just how long it has taken Nintendo to announce it and the stiff competition from handheld PCs that it faces. Of course, it still has hope, namely in its potential exclusives. However, for the Nintendo Switch 2 to truly survive, it needs to ditch its predecessor almost immediately out of the gate. If not, it risks making the same mistakes that other next-gen consoles have made.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Needs Exclusives To Justify Itself
It Can’t Be Stuck In The Past
From all accounts and reasonable assumptions, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be more powerful than the original Switch by quite a margin. Rumors are speculating that it’ll be about as powerful as a PS4 or a Steam Deck, and that sounds logical considering the available technology and the time frame in which Nintendo has made the Switch 2. As such, it’s not hard to imagine just what Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles could look and play like.
The exclusives the Switch 2 has on launch, therefore, shouldn’t be compatible with the original Switch; in fact, they shouldn’t even be remotely playable on it.
However, in order to get owners of the original Switch to pick it up on day one, the Switch 2 needs to launch with several exclusives that showcase these impressive new specs. The Switch 2 needs to go above and beyond to show what Nintendo has been capable of cooking for eight or more years, as its own hardware has long been surpassed by the likes of the aforementioned Steam Deck and ROG Ally. The exclusives the Switch 2 has on launch, therefore, shouldn’t be compatible with the original Switch; in fact, they shouldn’t even be remotely playable on it.
If the Switch 2 is going to justify its existence as more than just a more powerful upgrade to the eight-year-old console, it needs to offer something that the Nintendo Switch community simply couldn’t have dreamed of playing on the original Switch. The Switch 2’s third-party games should also feel impossible on the original Switch. All of this isn’t possible if Nintendo holds onto the original Switch and its admittedly sizable install base, as it will be far too limited and restricted in what it can produce.
Nintendo Shouldn’t Be Limited By The Original Switch
It Needs To Embrace The Switch 2’s Power
Nintendo has already confirmed that the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with old Switch games, which is absolutely a plus for those who have cultivated a huge backlog of titles across the eight years. However, while it is absolutely a must-have feature, it runs the risk of the Switch 2 feeling like little more than a souped-up Switch emulator. If Nintendo sticks to keeping the original Switch around much longer after the Switch 2 has launched, then players will be limited to replaying their original backlog.
Obviously, the Nintendo Switch 2 will have exclusives at launch as well as a smattering of impressive third-party ports. However, beyond those, all that players will have is a reminder of how outdated the original Switch has begun to feel. Nintendo should focus on offering upgrades to its older titles as well as to the third-party miracle ports that have the potential to look and run so much better on the Switch 2. It should lean into the power of the new Switch, rather than feel restricted by the lack of it in its original hardware.
Related
The Switch 2’s Launch Lineup Could Be Missing One Big Game
Although the Switch 2 is an exciting prospect for Nintendo fans, the console’s launch lineup could also be missing out on one big game.
Similarly, when developing new games, it shouldn’t do so with the original Switch in mind, even beyond its launch titles. Attempting to launch games across both consoles will only lead to them failing to reach their potential in both scope and visual fidelity. It has the potential to do more than it has ever been capable of doing, ushering in a new era for Nintendo and fixing the Switch’s issues that have been present from the start.
If Nintendo tries to launch games across both platforms, it may also risk increasing development time and costs, as has been seen with Star Wars Jedi: Survivorlaunching years later on last-gen hardware. This could lead to significant gaps between exclusives, an issue that has greatly affected fans’ perceptions of modern consoles, especially the PlayStation 5. It could also result in those on the last-gen Switch getting an inferior version, which, while they are somewhat accustomed to, would still be an unfair experience.
The Switch Needs To Die For The Switch 2 To Succeed
The Switch 2 Can’t Repeat PlayStation 5’s Mistakes
There are many valid reasons for keeping the original Switch alive once the Switch 2 has come out by producing new games for it. Namely, those who can’t afford the new Switch will end up feeling alienated. Additionally, while Nintendo has allegedly been preparing for the Switch 2’s launch with millions of units in order to avoid shortages, it could end up seeing a large portion of the Switch’s install base not move over to the Switch 2 anyway. This is exactly what happened with the PS5, as many PS4 owners never made the jump, according to Game Developer.
It is unprecedented for a developer to completely ditch its older hardware so soon after the launch of its new one, but the gap between the Switch and the Switch 2 could end up being one of the biggest leaps between consoles in all gaming history.
However, one reason why PlayStation 4 users never switched to the PS5 is because there was simply no reason to. The majority of popular games ran and looked just as good on the PS4 as they did on the PS5, and there simply weren’t the exclusives to entice players to switch at launch. Even now, the PlayStation 5 is struggling with its limited exclusives. Nintendo needs to avoid the PS5’s biggest problem by committing entirely to its new hardware, which is frankly the most logical move.
It can be hard to remember that the Nintendo Switch is eight years old. Most consoles launch within, at most, a seven-year period of each other. By the time the Nintendo Switch 2 launches, it will have been within the same timeframe that other companies typically begin dropping support for their older hardware. If Nintendo continues to support the original Switch for long after the Switch 2 launches, it will end up being 10 years old. It simply doesn’t feel feasible to keep it alive for that long, especially considering it’s barely able to keep up with current technological advancements.
Related
With The Switch 2 On The Way, Pokémon Gen 10 Games Must Focus On The Series’ Biggest Problems
The future of the Pokemon franchise looks bright with the upcoming Switch 2, but it will only remain that way if GameFreak fixes these issues.
In many ways, it feels like the Switch 2 is too late, but frankly, it is better to have it later than never. It is unprecedented for a developer to completely ditch its older hardware so soon after the launch of its new one, but the gap between the Switch and the Switch 2 could end up being one of the biggest leaps between consoles in all gaming history. Nintendo needs to take this opportunity to show it is capable of embracing the future and moving forward without the original Switch burdening it.
Source: Game Developer
Nintendo Switch
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Original Release Date
- March 3, 2017
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $299.99
- Weight
- .71 lbs
