More than 22 million Nintendo Switch units have been sold globally since 2017, surpassing the lifetime sales of the GameCube. This console intends to maintain its momentum thanks to blockbuster games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a great home for the indie game scene. The question is, what will happen when the console reaches the five- to six-year point when the majority of Nintendo consoles start to lose their appeal? What tricks does the Nintendo Switch have up its sleeve to maintain its magic? Find out now.
Throughout 2019, Nintendo plans to release a plethora of titles we’ve already known and come to love, for the Switch. Some of them are:
Mortal Kombat 11
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Assassins Creed 3 Remastered
Below are new titles to be released in the next couple months and later this year:
Super Meat Boy Forever – April
Animal Crossing – April
Luigi’s Mansion 3 – TBA
Pokemon – TBA
Yoshi’s Crafted World – March
The Nintendo eShop has also become quite the indie platform, carrying a wide variety of games from a multitude of developers. This has allowed the switch to become a “bridge” between console and PC gamers, and allows new developers to expand their titles beyond the beloved computer. The versatility of the Switch as a home console and a handheld has made it attractive to PC and console gamers alike, although there are still aspects we would like to see improved.
This leads us into the newest speculation, provided by the Wall Street Journal, about an upcoming, upgraded, new and improved Nintendo Switch. This year!
Now, we are entering March and haven’t heard too much on this topic, so we don’t know for sure if 2019 will bring us the next Nintendo Console, but we can dream, right? According to the article posted by the Wall Street Journal in October of 2018, Nintendo is planning on improving the display with recent technology found on most LCD smartphones. The screen was a common complaint with the Switch, along with frustrations concerning battery and storage. Nintendo suppliers did comment that a new console would definitely maintain the momentum of the Switch, and ensure competitiveness for the company.
As seen with Sony's PlayStations, mid-cycle console updates are now more prevalent. Shigeru Miyamoto, a member of Nintendo's creative team, stated that he wants the Switch to have a longer lifespan than other consoles. Nintendo intends to follow the trend. In spite of more games previously exclusive to the 3DS, like Pokémon, making their way onto the Switch, the 3DS will continue to be a viable and well-liked option for kids. The issue is how Nintendo intends to prevent these two consoles from merging into a single, super-versatile unit. Through titles like Mario Kart, Cooking Mama, Nintendogs, and of course Pokémon, the 3DS has continued to be popular. However, as these titles grow become playable on the Switch, will the same 3DS still reign as the ultimate childhood gaming device for future generations? Or will the Switch move in and claim the throne?
The majority of gamers I polled who had an opinion on the Nintendo Switch's future said that it still has promise. The Switch is still doing well thanks to games like Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, and Mario Bros., as well as third-party support and opportunities for independent developers. However, thriving does not imply perfection. The poor quality of the online service is one of the main issues. The main attractions with Nintendo Switch Online are the cloud saving and access to the NES game library. Currently, only six games are available for online play, and as the Switch progresses into its third year, we hope a wider variety of online games will be supported. With the new Tetris 99, a building block battle royal that released just two weeks ago, online gaming has begun to increase, enticing players to utilize the online platform. To really see the Nintendo Switch Online increase in popularity, Nintendo will need to step up its [online] game.