The Nintendo Switch 2 is coming next year. At least, that’s according to a recent report from VGC claiming that key partners are already in possession of development kits prior to a scheduled 2024 launch. Given the Switch OLED released a couple of years ago and the base model all the way back in 2017, a successor to the hybrid console has been a long time coming.
I speak for millions of fans when I say that we are not only ready for such a successor, but in dire need of one to reignite our excitement for Nintendo. Developers are also desperate for specs that aren’t going to hamstring their experiences at every turn, a compromise we have seen in everything from ambitious ports to first-party masterpieces. We’re due an upgrade.
Truthfully, the Nintendo Switch could likely out another couple of years without too much trouble. Nintendo’s portfolio tends to rely on art design over visual ambition, and thus we all forgive performance hiccups when the experiences themselves are otherwise stellar. We saw this happen most recently with Tears of the Kingdom. While the sequel is more robust in terms of frame rate compared to its predecessor, it is still clearly pushing the Switch to places it has no right to in order to render its multi-layered open world. With nary a loading screen in sight, the game is a technical achievement without comparison. But it could be even better.
Imagine a game like this with an improved performance and higher resolution, perhaps even capable of achieving the lofty technical milestones present in emulators. 4K and 60 FPS with a greater draw distance and willingness to render characters without a continued reliance on cel-shading. A more powerful console outfitted with backward compatibility can retroactively improve older games while removing limitations the hardware has long demanded we abide by. You can forgive Nintendo for constantly weaving around obstacles associated with its own hardware, but for the better part of a decade now that has become the status quo when it really shouldn’t be. A
Games like The Witcher 3 and Doom Eternal are available on Nintendo Switch, but I struggle to describe them as enjoyable. Ports like this are miraculous achievements because they've managed to nip and tuck games down to their bare essentials to ensure they’re playable. Even if that means muddy textures and terrible frame rates, so long as it runs that’s considered a hollow victory. If you own a powerful platform, these ports cease to matter, but that shouldn’t be the case, and a successor could smooth over the cracks and even open up the possibility for future updates that bring them more in line with other options without forcing users to spend additional pennies or jump through extra hoops.
And don’t even get me started on the user interface. Despite launching years ago, we’ve yet to see the Nintendo Switch introduce custom themes, an improved eShop, or any worthwhile quality of life improvements you don’t have to pay for. I can’t decide if Nintendo is either lazy or just plain indifferent, but a successor would also open the floodgates for a user interface that doesn’t feel decades in the past and actually exudes some level of personality. What we have right now is bland and lifeless in ways I struggle to understand. It needs a change.
We love the Nintendo Switch, so it’s natural to want it to remain the same without fear of an upgrade that will upend our gaming habits. If Nintendo has any foresight, it will introduce a fairly simplistic upgrade with stronger specs and an updated design while still keeping the hybrid functionality we’ve come to adore. Backwards compatibility could keep our strong libraries intact, while improved technical specifications would naturally make the experience that much more pleasant without any need for complication. Nintendo has always played by the beat of its own drum, and thus we never take it to task for lacking power or modern bells and whistles, but the time is right for a Switch successor whether we want to accept it or not.