I've been thinking about this, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks the most logical thing Nintendo can do right now is chase the wild success of the Switch with a more powerful version of the same hybrid system concept. It's not hard to see what they'd do, take the OLED model, give it better pair of pro joy-con and beef up the specs. We're probably at the point where such a device could output 4K while docked, and 1080p in handheld and being within Nintendo's price range. And this is all well and good, should be an easy way to keep the money coming, but, it's also not very Nintendo-like to just release an improved version of the system before and nothing more.
In fact the examples of this are few: the Game Boy (Color) to the GBA, the NES to the SNES, and the N64 to the GameCube. That's pretty much it (maybe the SNES to the N64, but I'd argue that the change of focus to 3D was enough alone to make that a unique enough change in it's own right). Everything else they've ever done has pretty much been with something unique to accompany the change in hardware: shift to 3D, 2 screens, motion control, Stereoscopic 3D, detached second screen controller, hybrid console/handheld. You get the idea.
So what does Nintendo do with the Switch 2 beyond beefing up the specs and (hopefully) giving it a better set of joycon controllers? Well maybe they could really blow our minds with some sort of hologram display or something else I'm not even fathoming right now, but I think they could do a lot by simply re-introducing lost concepts from the previous generation of unique Nintendo hardware.
First of all, consider the massive install base of the original Switch, at this point the Switch has sold over 114 million units, and that number is probably closer to 120 million units at this point. Keep that in mind as the Wii U only sold 13.5 million units total. It's probably a safe bet that with that many people already owning a Nintendo Switch, that a fair amount of them are going to be the ones to also quickly buy a Switch 2 when they first go on sale. Nintendo could use this to their advantage. Enable the Switch 1 to connect with the Switch 2 to essentially function as a second screen controller. Nintendo could try and convince you to keep your original Switch in order to experience unique 2 screen gaming setups on the Switch 2, not to mention how easily LAN multiplayer games could be achieved for games that can run on both systems (I imagine a Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with the Switch 1).
Because not everyone would have both systems, they should always keep this an optional control method of course, but by allowing it, we could make experiences like designing courses in Mario Maker more enjoyable like they were on the Wii U. We could have on the go inventory management and map display in Tears of the Kingdom and BOTW, etc. etc. You'd probably have to download like a companion app per game on the OG Switch, but it should be feasible (albeit maybe a bit of a large download depending on the game), Nintendo used to allow such an idea with download play for single-pak multiplayer with games on the 3DS, DS, and even GBA.
So that's all well and good for bringing back 2 screen play, and maybe more asymmetrical experiences for the new system. But how about they give it an optional glasses-free stereoscopic 3D when played in handheld? I don't know what kind of specs it would need to achieve this, but imagine if we have the option to play games in 1080p in handheld, or turn that down to 720p while getting the glasses-free 3D effect of the 3DS. Maybe I'm in the minority but I loved that feature, and it'd be so great to see it return for an HD portable gaming device.
Plus, the large built in 2 screen audience they could foster and the 3D feature could really help the Switch 2 stand apart from the many hybrid gaming PC devices we see popping up all over the place. Of course, Nintendo games alone will always be big selling points, but in a world where Nintendo is no longer the only hybrid gaming device out there, they're going to want to find something unique to make them stand out when we know it's not going to be by being the most powerful version of such a device out there.
I dunno, what are your thoughts? Is this all a bit too fanboy like? I can see that argument, but I do think the opportunity for at least part of this to occur is definitely there and I would love to see it.
In fact the examples of this are few: the Game Boy (Color) to the GBA, the NES to the SNES, and the N64 to the GameCube. That's pretty much it (maybe the SNES to the N64, but I'd argue that the change of focus to 3D was enough alone to make that a unique enough change in it's own right). Everything else they've ever done has pretty much been with something unique to accompany the change in hardware: shift to 3D, 2 screens, motion control, Stereoscopic 3D, detached second screen controller, hybrid console/handheld. You get the idea.
So what does Nintendo do with the Switch 2 beyond beefing up the specs and (hopefully) giving it a better set of joycon controllers? Well maybe they could really blow our minds with some sort of hologram display or something else I'm not even fathoming right now, but I think they could do a lot by simply re-introducing lost concepts from the previous generation of unique Nintendo hardware.
First of all, consider the massive install base of the original Switch, at this point the Switch has sold over 114 million units, and that number is probably closer to 120 million units at this point. Keep that in mind as the Wii U only sold 13.5 million units total. It's probably a safe bet that with that many people already owning a Nintendo Switch, that a fair amount of them are going to be the ones to also quickly buy a Switch 2 when they first go on sale. Nintendo could use this to their advantage. Enable the Switch 1 to connect with the Switch 2 to essentially function as a second screen controller. Nintendo could try and convince you to keep your original Switch in order to experience unique 2 screen gaming setups on the Switch 2, not to mention how easily LAN multiplayer games could be achieved for games that can run on both systems (I imagine a Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with the Switch 1).
Because not everyone would have both systems, they should always keep this an optional control method of course, but by allowing it, we could make experiences like designing courses in Mario Maker more enjoyable like they were on the Wii U. We could have on the go inventory management and map display in Tears of the Kingdom and BOTW, etc. etc. You'd probably have to download like a companion app per game on the OG Switch, but it should be feasible (albeit maybe a bit of a large download depending on the game), Nintendo used to allow such an idea with download play for single-pak multiplayer with games on the 3DS, DS, and even GBA.
So that's all well and good for bringing back 2 screen play, and maybe more asymmetrical experiences for the new system. But how about they give it an optional glasses-free stereoscopic 3D when played in handheld? I don't know what kind of specs it would need to achieve this, but imagine if we have the option to play games in 1080p in handheld, or turn that down to 720p while getting the glasses-free 3D effect of the 3DS. Maybe I'm in the minority but I loved that feature, and it'd be so great to see it return for an HD portable gaming device.
Plus, the large built in 2 screen audience they could foster and the 3D feature could really help the Switch 2 stand apart from the many hybrid gaming PC devices we see popping up all over the place. Of course, Nintendo games alone will always be big selling points, but in a world where Nintendo is no longer the only hybrid gaming device out there, they're going to want to find something unique to make them stand out when we know it's not going to be by being the most powerful version of such a device out there.
I dunno, what are your thoughts? Is this all a bit too fanboy like? I can see that argument, but I do think the opportunity for at least part of this to occur is definitely there and I would love to see it.
