Nintendo Switch 2: Another update or a revolution? 🎮

Summary

• Many are disappointed that the Switch 2 doesn't offer anything groundbreaking, but Nintendo's previous consoles have been fairly conservative. 🎮
• Nintendo's history shows that consoles were straightforward upgrades; handhelds, on the other hand, were more experimental.
• Making the Switch 2 a refined version might be the right decision to maximize its existing success. 🚀

From what we've seen so far, the Nintendo Switch 2 is simply a bigger, better, and more modern version of the original Switch. Does that mean Nintendo is taking a conservative stance? No, it's just reflects that Nintendo remains faithful to its established strategy. 🔍

The Disappointment of the Switch 2's Lack of a Gimmick

A Eurogamer article titled If the Switch 2 marks the end of innovation at Nintendo, there's much to regret. It caught my attention shortly after the reveal video Nintendo posted a few days before writing this. Criticizing the company for seemingly abandoning its innovative approach in favor of a successor "sure" from the mega-hit Nintendo Switch. 😕

On social media, many people in the gaming world have referred to the Switch 2 in a similar way, calling it a "tasteless device» or expressing the feeling that it's basically a Switch "Pro" and not something truly innovative and new. 🤔

I absolutely 100% agree with Max here, The Switch 2 is the most Meh Nothing Burger Device ever, with the most uneventful Reveal ever in the history of gaming, this is so bad that Investors didn't even wait 5 minutes to say »nahhh thanks we're out«, This shouldn't be called a… pic.twitter.com/steCNJiNwh

— Tripster (@TRIPSTER0) January 18, 2025

Most Nintendo Consoles Were Simple Upgrades

The thing is, if you look at the history of Nintendo consoles as a whole, that streak of innovation risky is just a small slip in a line of gaming hardware that is usually pretty sensible. Interestingly, the Eurogamer article starts with the Wii, which is special precisely because it was a huge shift for Nintendo. The SNES was just an improved NES.

The Nintendo 64 represented a huge generational hardware leap, but it wasn't fundamentally different from a PlayStation, save for Nintendo's conservative decision to continue using cartridges instead of switching to optical media. innovative The Gamecube's unique feature is that it's cube-shaped and has a handle. 🟡

Nintendo tended to keep its consoles simple and experimented with crazy peripherals. The robot sold with the NES in the US, the Zapper, the Power Glove, and the NES Power Pad are all accessories innovative and out of the ordinary, but the console they connected to was not and these accessories were optional.

The Wii and Wii U Were the Exception, Not the Rule

The Wii was born out of necessity. It's easy to forget that consoles like the SNES, N64, and GameCube were competitive in terms of performance. hardware with its peers. With the Wii, Nintendo realized that it was not going to be able to match the graphics power and performance of their competitors, so they decided not to compete directly. ⚡

The Wii was like lightning in a bottle, but it's not the kind of foundation on which a future console line can be effectively built. The Wii U attempted to extend Nintendo's madness, but we all know how that ended. 🔥

Their Handheld Consoles Were More Experimental (But!)

I think Nintendo took more risks with their portable systems. Not being tied to a TV and with portability in mind, they were able to experiment with many shapes and features. Multiple screens, styluses, foldable consoles—they basically tried everything to see what worked. 🔄

However, if we look at their console lineup laptops, the main console series didn't make huge changes all at once. The Game Boy Advance was basically an improved Game Boy. A similar change to what we saw from the NES to the SNES. Same with the DS and 3DS. Same design. Same basic features. The only real difference was the updated hardware and the (still amazing!) 3D display. 🎉

So honestly, the move from Switch to Switch 2 is pretty much in line with the precedents set by the home and handheld console lines, which have now been combined into a single device.

Nintendo Is Making the Right Decision with the Switch 2

First, we don't actually know if Nintendo has done anything significant with the Switch 2 that differentiates it from the first Switch in any way. It could be that the rumored mouse-like function of the new Joy Cons is the novelty some are hoping for. Plus, there's the mysterious button that does, well, somethingMy point is, you can't judge a console by its looks alone. 🧐

However, even if the Switch 2 is just a souped-up original Switch with more power and more modern games, it's the right decision for Nintendo. The Switch has a massive user base, and nearly all of the Switch's games are on board this new console. 🎉

So there's no reason to make any big changes. The Switch 2 will almost certainly be great, and while Nintendo knows how to be creative and surprising, needs cheap tricks to succeed.