What to expect from Nintendo in 2024
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The future’s bright
Details beyond that are hazy, though some reports, not least the one linked above, suggest the new hardware will still include a cartridge slot, a handheld mode option like the original Switch, and perhaps an LCD screen to keep costs down. None of that is guaranteed by any means, but if nothing else, the timing does feel right considering Nintendo’s history.
The Wii U launched roughly six years after the Wii, and the Switch launched just five years after the Wii U. This year marks seven since the launch of the Switch, and while there’s certainly an argument to be made that console generations are only going to last longer and longer, that’s still quite a bit of time considering the PS5 and Xbox Series X are roughly half that age.
And let’s be clear here: Nintendo is still putting out bangers, despite the Switch’s age and perceived limitations. While there’s plenty to be said about the performance woes of the latest Pokemon games, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are both incredible pieces of work. And while the release calendar for Nintendo is relatively barren after March of this year, there’s still Mario vs. Donkey Kong in February and Princess Peach: Showtime! in March. (Not to mention Another Code: Recollection this month!)
But if I’m being entirely honest, Nintendo doesn’t actually need to do much of anything this year to continue being my platform of choice, and I suspect I’m not the only one. Especially when you take into account the OLED model, I regularly find myself skewing toward the Switch when it comes to anything multiplatform. Sure, I’m still going to play Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on the PS5, but anything that isn’t entirely locked down typically ends up being installed on my Switch over anything else.
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For me, the Switch is right in the sweet spot of beingjustgood enough for the vast majority of what I want to play that it doesn’t matter that I’m not getting the most impressive, realistic graphics in the world. All that matters is I can boot it up and immediately jump into Vampire Survivors or Dave the Diver or any number of first- and third-party titles that work and look perfectly fine.
So while a small, technically-driven coat of paint would be nice, there’s really little that Nintendo absolutely must do to make the Switch 2 a smashing success. In fact, for my money, there are essentially only two major shifts that would really make it a worthwhile upgrade: a fix for Joy-Con drift and something resembling actual online functionality.
There are plenty of other little quality-of-life changes that Nintendo could make, and the company is known for zigging when others are zagging so there’s no guarantee that some wild new method of control or play isn’t bolted on. But the two most prominent issues with the Nintendo Switch being resolved with its successor would go a long way.
Rollin is the US Managing Editor at GamesRadar+. With over 16 years of online journalism experience, Rollin has helped provide coverage of gaming and entertainment for brands like IGN, Inverse, ComicBook.com, and more. While he has approximate knowledge of many things, his work often has a focus on RPGs and animation in addition to franchises like Pokemon and Dragon Age. In his spare time, Rollin likes to import Valkyria Chronicles merch and watch anime.
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