The fervor around the newest Nintendo system has reached a fever pitch. With 2024 quickly coming to a close, all eyes will be on 2025 as Nintendo delivers what is expected to be the next console in the Nintendo Switch line. The rumored Switch 2 will ride a massive wave of hype following the resounding commercial success of the current Nintendo Switch system.
While the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic platform, no system is truly perfect and all of them can use a fix or two. In the case of the Switch 2, there are several improvements Nintendo could make that would make the next system even greater than the last one. One such change involves the system’s launch lineup and the ways it can improve a recent Nintendo tradition.
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The Switch 2 Could Fix A Problem From The Switch’s Launch
The Switch 2 Could Use A Better “Tech Demo” Than 1-2 Switch
Ever since the release of the Wii in 2006, Nintendo has created some kind of launch game that essentially worked as a “tech demo” to showcase the console’s new features. Between Wii Sports, Nintendo Land, and 1-2 Switch, the publisher has always found creative ways to demonstrate the unique features of its new platforms. Usually, these games are available as pack-in titles for the new platforms, but 1-2 Switch broke that tradition and was sold as a full-price offering from Nintendo.
This proved controversial, as not only did it mean the Switch would not come with a game out of the box, but 1-2 Switch was the worst-received of Nintendo’s “tech demo” launch titles. The game lacked anything in the way of meaningful single-player content, and compared to its contemporaries, the included minigames featured no sort of progression whatsoever. This stung even harder compared to a game like Nintendo Land, which was incredibly feature-packed and worthy of being sold as a standalone game.
The Switch 2 Should Take Notes From Astro’s Playroom
If Nintendo is to do another “tech demo” alongside the Switch 2, it should consider packaging this title alongside the platform. A game like 1-2 Switch had little business being sold as a full-priced game on its own and would’ve made a far greater impact if it was included alongside the Switch. Nintendo should make the next “tech demo” game a pack-in; that way, players have something to play as soon as they open the box.
Nintendo will have to do a lot of work with it, though, as the bar for a “pack-in tech demo” has been raised by Astro ’s Playroom on Sony’s PlayStation 5. Even despite its short length, this title served as both a full-fledged 3D platformer and a love letter to PlayStation’s history, making it a must-play even as a mere pack-in game. If Nintendo is to pack in a “tech demo” of some kind with the Switch 2, perhaps it would be best to take a few cues from what Sony and Team Asobi’s pack-in title accomplished.
A game like
1-2 Switch
had little business being sold as a full-priced game on its own and would’ve made a far greater impact if it was included alongside the Switch.
Tech Demo Or Not, The Switch 2 Needs A Strong Launch Lineup
Of course, it’s entirely possible that Nintendo won’t need a “tech demo” game alongside the Switch 2. If the rumors are true that this next platform is merely a more powerful version of the current Switch, there may not be much of a need to demonstrate its capabilities more meaningfully. If that is the case, though, Nintendo needs to make sure the Switch 2 has a killer launch lineup ready to go.
Even so, Nintendo has a prime opportunity to right what 1-2 Switch did wrong for its platform’s launch. The publisher could use Astro’s Playroom as inspiration to beef up its next “tech demo” game, or forgo that approach altogether and focus on beefing up the launch lineup more than its predecessor. Here’s hoping Nintendo can make magic happen again with a much greater launch lineup for the Switch 2.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console launched in 2017, capable of being played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh coming in 2021.