The Switch is one of the most successful consoles of all time, and many fans are eagerly awaiting Nintendo’s plans to follow it up. Though gamers have remained in the dark for some time, recent news about the Switch‘s successor has at last provided some illumination.
Rumors, leaks, and even more official sources (such as patent documents) have all been sources of information about the Switch 2. Thanks to a number of patents recently filed by Nintendo, theories have spread like wildfire as to how the company’s next console will shake out. Everything from a dynamic HUD that accounts for player position to a dual-screen layout (akin to the DS) has been put on the table. Nonetheless, Nintendo has been tight-lipped about anything concrete.
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Nintendo Switch 2’s Backwards Compatibility Likely Means the Console Won’t Face One Issue its Predecessor Did
The Nintendo Switch 2 has officially announced backwards compatibility, and this will be an important fix for a major issue of its predecessor.
One Nintendo Announcement Likely Ensures That The ‘Switch’ Name Is Here To Stay
Like an oasis in a desert, new official details have finally emerged about the Switch 2. In a corporate policy meeting on November 6th, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa announced that the next Nintendo console will have backwards compatibility. Moreover, Furukawa also confirmed that the Nintendo Switch Online service will stick around into this new frontier.
Backwards compatibility is great news for fans, especially those on the fence about jumping to a new device. However, it’s the announcement about NSO that’s the most revealing in regard to the Switch 2’s future. Nintendo Switch Online may be a controversial service, but Furukawa confirming that this exact service will continue is telling; the ‘Switch’ in NSO implies that Nintendo’s next console will keep its predecessor’s name, in one form or another. To extrapolate even further, this would also suggest that the new console will maintain the Switch’s namesake gimmick—that being the Switch’s hybrid nature. Both of these elements were already assumed by many, hence why fans have been calling the console the Switch 2, but this added evidence gives room for more speculation.
The Switch 2 Is Likely To Keep On What Made The Switch Great
The Switch’s hybrid quality has been one of its biggest selling points, allowing players to tailor the console to their liking. Moreover, the Switch’s portable mode quickly became the best option on the market—backed up by a strong library of great first-party exclusives, indie hits, and classics from previous generations. Though there’s been some concern about Nintendo focusing on smaller projects in lieu of the Switch 2, such as Alarmo and Nintendo Music, if the company maintains the strong Switch bones, it’ll have a strong case for success.
While there have been many rumors about the Switch 2’s bells-and-whistles, there are a few things the console really needs to address. Power has been a big concern for Switch users, as its hardware is only a rung above the Xbox 360. Nintendo has always lagged behind its competitors in terms of graphical power, and this has scarcely been a problem—but a strength upgrade would really aid the Switch 2, preventing it from falling behind.
The other hardware bugbear is the Switch’s Joy-Con drift problem. Though it may not affect every Switch user, it’s never stopped being a problem for the device. If the Switch 2 maintains the range of hybrid functionality found in its predecessor, as is implied by the continuation of NSO, it is absolutely essential for the console to put an end to the scourge of Joy-Con drift—something Nintendo has faced multiple lawsuits about. A patent has been filed by Nintendo that pertains to new joystick technology, which suggests that the Switch 2 will make moves to hit Joy-Con drift at the source. If Nintendo can successfully make the Switch 2 more powerful and put a stop to Joy-Con drift, fans will have more than a few reasons to be excited.
Nintendo Switch
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Weight
- .88 lbs
- Storage
- 32 GB
- Display
- 6.2-inch LCD Screen / 1280 x 720
- Battery
- Approximately 4.5 – 9 hours