Nintendo's Big Decision

Why do something safe when you could do something stupid?

The 3DS is the perfect template they should look to. As you pointed out, fundamentally, it's an upgrade to the DS. Yet, it built an innovative idea into the core that they could either take advantage of or ignore. This seems like the perfect middle ground for a Switch successor.

Meanwhile Miyamoto: "Here's a VR headset. Also you can stick out your tongue to make Yoshi grab fruits!"
*proceeds to demonstrate with a celebrity guest star*

GB to GBC or GBA to NDS really feels like what they should go for here. Looking back, original DS had full backward compatibility and tons of value add to justify the upgrade for existing owners and smoothing over any instability around whatever innovations they bring. My DS would have been worth the price on the improved GBA experience alone (esp given I never had an SP)

I hope they have a compelling new gimmick for Switch 2.

Innovation is iterative ... Proven by the fact that Nintendo was already dabbling in 3D technology during the Gamecube days.

Why does everyone assume that Nintendo does “Crazy things for unexplainable reasons”? That’s a 100% misread of how Nintendo operates.
Nintendo has always been a very conservative and very traditional Japanese company that makes well calculated low risk decisions.
Their first 4 home consoles all followed the exact same strategy of “most powerful system available”. This seemed to work for a while, but when this strategy absolutely backfired during the GameCube generation they adjusted course.
What could they do? Faster systems are Super expensive to develop, third parties had all moved on to Xbox 360, and First party in Nintendo games never really relied on super high Fidelity graphics. Both Mario and Zelda are fairly cartoony. With that in mind it made Total sense to simply repackaged the GameCube hardware inside of a new box add some wiggle sticks and rerelease the GameCube as the Wii.
This went really well! So well in fact that they thought they should make a sequel to their best selling system, and they came out with the WiiU! And how could the WiiU Appeal to consumers? Well let’s think… what is the next obvious step after motion controls for casual gamers? A touchscreen! Not only with this be “fun and easy” it would be a great way to unify their Nintendo DS and Wii Experiences!
Sadly for Nintendo this utterly backfired because, As it turns out, the casual market doesn’t actually have any Interest in purchasing a next generation game console! Even worse they had spent tons of money Developing critically acclaimed games That basically sold no copies! So what did they do?
Well their home console department was bleeding cash, they desperately needed to release a new handheld, they didn’t want to split up their limited software and hardware team resources, And they wanted to find a way to sell all of those games they had developed but found no audience for. What to do?
Why not simplify their business model? Instead of having to split your resources between a home system and a mobile system? Companies like Nvidia are already selling Mobile chips for tablets that are basically as powerful as the Wii U. What if they just made their own tablet, Bought off the shelf components, modified android, And released a console that could play both Pokémon and Zelda!
Boom, Nintendo switch.
The fact that people think that Nintendo is going to give up on this cash cow and release some kind of Radical gaming helmet or a Mystery motion activated butt plug or some alien device Proves to me they don’t understand Nintendo at all.

Nintendo releases the NES, a powerful 8-bit console with 2 controllers.
Nintendo releases the SNES, an improved version of the NES.
Nintendo releases the N64, their first 3D console, with 4 player multiplayer.
Nintendo releases the Gamecube, an improved 3D console with added broadband internet capabilities, Lanplay and gameboy integration.
Nintendo releases the Wii, a casual-focused console with internet, online play and channels for all sorts of activities.
Nintendo releases the Wii U, an improved Wii with friend lists, video chatting, and miiverse.
Nintendo releases the switch, a hybrid console/handheld with the freedom to play anywhere with anyone.
...Nintendo releases the Switch 2, an improved Switch with what I have to imagine is going to be upgraded hardware and new social features. Could be the return of streetpass or miiverse, could be actual parties and chatting, could be something wholly new. But I wholly expect them to add some ways for people to have fun together. It's something they've done with every single new console except the SNES. Family fun sells consoles- whether it's Mario Kart, Smash Bros or Wii Sports.

I could only imagine what the new gimmick is gonna be. Watch them put two switch screen together like a DS.

You know, the switch is so successful that i wonder if there could be any integration with what comes next. Both the Wii and WiiU had games in which the ds could be used as a controller. I could see nintendo going down the path of the handheld system also functioning as a sort of controller for their next mainline. It's probably not gonna happen, but who knows? Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if controllers with screens themselves actually do start appearing at some point. I think that's the logical evolution of the ps touchpad. I could see a game like cod for example using it as a sorta minimap.

Id argue that the switch still does not have any real competition. Sure, there are products like the Steam Deck and the Asus ROG, handhelds capable of accessing your steam library and playing your games on the go, the market those consoles are trying to get to compared to the switch are very different. Keep in mind the Steam Deck is at minimum $400, twice the price of the Switch Lite. The market for these high-end handhelds are the dedicated consumers, who are not the Switch's market. The Switch's main market is the casual market: families, children, and people who play games from time to time, on the go, or with friends. There's no console that currently competes woth Nintendo to fill this very big niche.

This channel is my favourite nintendo channel on youtube, whenever a new video drops I am stoked to watch it. Keep making this great stuff!

I think Nintendo will do both. They'll have a succesor to the Switch, but have some gimmick or feature thats unique and revolutionary.
Maybe a more powerful Switch, but it comes with a headset you can plug the screen into, and use the whole thing as a VR System? Idk, just throwing things out there.

I mean considering how much they expanded their brand, I think its okay for them experiment this time around. Though I could see them going the evolution route considering how close the Switch is to being the best selling Video game console of all time. But at the same It would be interesting, to see what they come up with next.

Evolution for system and revolution for game design

I truly hope Nintendo hits the 160+ million mark. Everyday there's more gamers in the world, and that record will be shattered sooner (should the switch hit it), but I want the switch to reach that landmark.

I could see them taking both approaches. Everything we love about the Switch upgraded and refined but say, bringing back optional glasses free 3D in handheld mode. This time at a much higher resolution.

Nintendo is often doing iterative updates
Ds to 3DS Wii to Wii u… I get that the wii u is different but still the same branding
And now switch to switch 2 would be imo perfect time to do it
The Wii brand had lost all its momentum before the Wii u so it was bad to iterate on that branding back then
But the switch is a different beast and it would be foolish to not try a safe iterative follow up and it would be easier on the dev and 3rd party to feel right at home than a weird revolution that might fail

Please let it be a super powerful DS with backwards compatibility all the way. There's no excuse.

When it comes to evolution or revolution - I know many Switch fans say ‘just give us a more powerful Switch,’ but that’s just not what Nintendo does. You need to convince a WIDE market that this thing is NEW and worth investing in.
That said, it’s a ‘why not both?’ situation - I think this thing will keep the hybrid formula but have enough bells and whistles to seriously differentiate itself as a machine. The DS to 3DS jump is a perfect example of how this could and should go

I crave a dual screen experience, like the one on DS, 3DS or Wii U. But instead of streaming the image to the Gamepad as it was with the Wii U, the Switch 2 should stream the image to the dock which then would upscale the image to the TV. If you would slide it open you would reveal the second screen underneath and turn it into handheld mode by doing so.
That way they could expand on the seamless hybrid concept, while bringing back a fan favorite and tested feature at the same time, all while making their Dual Screen game collection accessible in new ways. They could also add a 3D slider to the upper screen.
Not only could a device like this stream the image to a dock, but also to a VR headset, they could sell separately. Imagine Metroid Prime 4 in VR!

I hope the new switch’s gimmick is a detachable and reachable screen so it can be both a 3ds or a Wii U

Something I've been kind of theorising and REALLY hoping for, is that the Switch successor ends up being this kind of "backwards Wii U". Rather than the gamepad's audio/video being streamed from the immovable console, it'd be the opposite: all the major processing happens in the gamepad instead (just like the Switch!), and the TOP screen's AV is instead streamed FROM the gamepad's bottom screen. This top screen can then be either attached to the gamepad in handheld mode (by safely slotting it in place) or docked to a monitor/TV, with the dock also responsible for improving and upscaling the video output.
Returning to dual-screen gaming like this, but now as a true handheld-home-console hybrid like the Switch, would genuinely open up so many new and perfect opportunities. With dev time for games getting longer and longer as hardware improves, Nintendo's first-party devs might not be able to get new Animal Crossing or Splatoon titles out very quick for example (and we also don't want them to rush those out!), but they could much more realistically give us ports of games like AC New Leaf and Splatoon 1 in the meantime, both to afford themselves more time to work on new titles, and to give players who missed out on those games/systems a chance to finally experience them. They could bring over the Wii U HD Zeldas with their gamepad support, and several 3DS games that would've begged for better camera controls would now be able to have those too. We could also finally get DS emulation back after the Wii U had it-especially with how little DS games seem to be repped on the Switch currently.
Also I'd like to believe that they dropped Mario Maker 2 so quickly because a 3rd game would be able to bring back the uncompromised, much better editor controls from the 1st game (it really doesn't hit the same without the 2 screens and touch controls), and they're saving things that they would've otherwise added to 2, for 3?

Definitely agree with many points in the video on both sides and think they go hand in hand. Nintendo can always innovate in different ways beside just changing up the formula, Whether as stated a new line of products or something like the 3ds. Themes parks and movies is likely a way for them to expand while not forsaking their raison d'etre and having backup. Obv not enough but it's good nintendo recognize their issue so even if they play safe and next console while a success is like DS to 3ds, they have additional awareness from people. And speaking of that, people saying stronger switch dont understand that it cant just be *only* a better switch as while it may a hit, unless people want to play a certain game and if switch games still release no point in upgrading (like with ps4 to ps5). However it *can* be a stronger switch; Keep the core features and innovate elsewhere like with games.
Firmly believe they'd found something with the switch and similar to iphones(structure not time), will put out a new iteration every several years however obv spice it up with whatever nintendo magic they have to draw in old and new eyes. They dont have to divert there's always room to improve so it would be a shame to see the switch not achieve its full potential. But as said in the video and again with the apple comparisons, this is where if they want can introduce new products lines that go along since they dont have to worry about success. Now with a console they cant just release an equal level device especially since they merged their devices but seeing a idk Nintendo AR glasses that allow u to play ur console without the console would be sick. Ways to expand instead of having to revolutionize similar to the labo. Feels like Nintendo are just free to do whatever they want and im excited to see what comes next

It'd be really interesting to see where Nintendo goes with this because this is the first console since the GameCube without Iwata in charge. Before that we had Gunpei Yokoi's vision, so in a weird way this would be the first time Nintendo doesn't have a well-known and strong leadership behind its console launch. I hope Yoshiaki Koizumi is the general producer again just like he was for the OG Switch.

I'm really wondering what Nintendo are going for next-gen. In the past, it was common for Nintendo to just release a new iteration while following the same formula of the predecessor (SNES is a better NES, GBC is a better GB, etc), but in recent years they seem more afraid of doing that. Both the Wii and DS were innovative and were immediately successful; both their sucessors didn't do nearly as well. To decide their next course of action, Nintendo probably had to analyze their current demographic. Enthusiastic gamers would probably be willing to buy a Switch with improved technology, even at an increased price; casual gamers would not care about that at all and would expect a more drastic change.
Personally, Switch was the first Nintendo console whose innovation actually interested me. The Wii's motion controls, the DS's touch screen, the Wii u's gamepad and the 3DS's 3D all felt pointless. So, I would love a new iteration of the Switch with better performance and third-party support. Guess I will have to wait and see what's next!

VR. I think the killer app is VR.

2:40 a counter argument is the n64 and gamecube which infamously refused to adopt standard dvd formats at the time, apparently to combat piracy.

i want the next console to be like... a switch/3ds hybrid. 3ds is the perfect console to me. i love dual screen games. i love the way that it integrated into daily life, how like the switch it was designed for portability but it made taking it places like a fun enriching experience. i miss how animated all the system functions used to be. switch system ui feels so sterile. this is something that will absolutely never happen though

Nice video! It's not really a decision that Nintendo are making now though, I'm pretty sure they already have all the details of the switch 2 finalised and they are at the logistics stage for coordinating the launch

switch 2 suspense and hype definitely feels less than switch 1

Nintendo and Nvidia just cooking deliciously a Switch 2. Leave them alone ❤

I only want the joy-con and pro controllers to have retro compatibility xD I have a lot of them and they were really expensive. Other than that, I don’t mind what they do

Really good video, well thought out sound points on both sides.
Aside from the fact that the few times Nintendo has talked hardware transitions over the past couple of years they've mentioned things like "suprise and delight" and a focus on providing "unique propositions", there's one other key area that adds an addition point towards revolution, and that's Nintendo's ability and history of creating new audience segments, and what these new demographics mean when it comes to buying their new hardware.
Nintendo "saved" the gaming industry with the NES after the crash of 1983 and with that gained the core gaming audience, only to almost completely lose that same audience when many gamers grew up and wanted the mature themed experiences only available on PlayStation (PS1 outsold N64 3-to-1).
They then built the casual audience by creating simplified, intuitive control inputs that anyone, including your Grandma could understand with the DS and Wii, only to lose these audiences when the iPhone really took off a few years later.
With the Switch, they've brought back some of the core audience with the adaptability and versatility Switch brings to how and where you can play videogames, but the biggest new audience that the Switch brought to the table was the "young family" audience; consumers who loved Nintendo when they were kids back in the 80's and 90's and now have children of there own, and so want to revist their childhood experiences (this is why NSO is their killer app this time; it's Nintendo nostalgia bottled) whilst simultaneously sharing safe gaming experiences with their young children - approx 5-12yo.
Nintendo have gained and lost new audiences more than a few times and you can be sure they'll be focussed on holding onto this new audience that makes up a large percentage of Switch owners for their next generation hardware. The problem here is one of convincing them to part with $300-400 for something that they essentially already own since the current Switch plays games from their childhoods flawlessly, has modern versions of old classics, and has games that are more than good enough graphically, for a young audience; therefore better graphics and frame-rates alone won't be enough to convince them to part with their well-earned cash.
For this to work they need a new hook that speaks to this audience, along with well paired software (that killer app) that will convince them to shell out for a brand new system otherwise they risk having to rely on the core Nintendo audience alone, which is the situation they found themselves in with both the GC and Wii U.

I think switch attach might be an external ssd. But I don't think it will see the light of day, unless they want to keep supporting switch 1 for a few years into switch 2.
Honestly lack of ssd is the biggest flaw of the switch for me.

I can see the next generation of Joy-Cons trying to get as close as possible to VR-like features like finger-tracking and improved motions but they will NOT be the main focus of the new Switch. I think the main gimmick of the Switch will be the improved graphical capabilities, and how games on the Switch 2 just wouldn't be feasible on the Switch 1; not only because of the shiny new Joy-Cons. They'd still probably would sell a Lite model for a more basic generational jump.

HD Rumble has been very well used imo. Just been really appreciating in Prince of Persia.

Let's not forget the N64 was made intentionally difficult to code for in order tk have only the best devs. That backfired nicely.

A little screen on every controller that you can attach to the main switch or play separately on the TV would be huge, that way you could literally play every single Nintendo game

I'd love for the Switch successor to have Wii U specific features

The innovation (probably): hiring former Sega devs who worked on Dreamcast as consultants to make games almost impossible for "preservation."

I have to say, in these trying times of Nintendrout, your videos are an oasis that soothes the mind.

I liked the 3D effect of the 3DS. Wish they would bring that back in an upgraded form.

Now I want to prefix this by saying I think/hope I'm wrong in this opinion, but if you ask me it ought to be Evolution.
Right now the game's industry is experiencing not so much a collapse but a contraction. With a lot of third party studios downsizing or being closed as a result.
The healthiest response to do in a climate of market uncertainty is make an upgraded switch. Same architecture, improved specs and perhaps a few new bells and whistles. Take that to developers and say "Here is something you know how to make games now, you have better tools to make games and you won't have to spend much more to do so, what do you think you can do?". Hopefully by reducing the barrier of entry, it'll encourage more risks and innovation from the conventionally cautious third party world.
The only potential drawback would of course be the real risk of mountains of shovelware like we saw in the Wii era.

Evolution or revolution, Love that quote!

The HD rumble costs cents and is very simple to implement for devs.

Quality eye tracking, and maybe a folding screen. Modest hooks, but otherwise play it safe, definitely got to be backwards compatible.

11:05 what is this game ?

6:14 😢

To me evolution is definitely the way to go now. By always searching for revolution, you can end up just creating new gimmicks that won't be an actual revolution. Real revolutions don't come out of nowhere like that. It takes time and reflexion for it to be a game changer. More frequently evolution is what we need to improve a good concept and approach perfection. Thinking we can revolutionize the market every single time is delusional and running into a wall. Every revolution is a miracle somehow.

Thats so true about the 3d and hd rumble. Useless gimmicks that drive up the cost. I'd rather have smaller bezels and oled drive up the cost bc i actually care about that.

Imagine is they call it the “new” switch

I know we're gonna get something not far from the Switch, but I'm hoping for some Nintendo risk taking innovation.
I'll take a Super Switch 3DU in Atomic Purple.

I bet they will make a second switch and not call it a switch at all. Just to keep the blue ocean strategy open for the next console. Nintendo doesnt want to bind itself to a switch by calling it a 2, and thus saying there might be a 3,4,5 etc

I can't speak for anyone else but, when I bought a PC I stopped playing my PS5 but I didn't stop playing my Switch. I also still play my Switch in both docked and handheld modes. I would be ecstatic if Nintendo just released a more powerful Switch in the same way that phone companies release new phones. I'd buy it and I'd use it frequently.

I feel like since the switch has kinda normalize console quality on the go they should have a unique twist kinda like the 3DS, I feel if they just made a switch 2, while still being successful, wouldnt hit the 100 million mark.

always Evolution 1st. Look at SNES, GAMECUBE, WIIU, although they didnt sell much,they are the best Systems Nintendo ever released.

After the insane prices of the 3ds i wouldnt be surprised if they reinvented it. I know they still care because the last update from nintendo was aimed at bricking peoples systems

That's a great thumbnail

And of course the Wii had another backup plan: being a souped up Gamecube

So,in Summary, Nintendo should just make another switch with updated hardware... Unless of course it has some sort of mystical magical prediction for the future.

Accessibility is key. Anyone can buy and play a switch. Ps5 and xbox and steam deck not

NES -> SNES
GB -> GBA
N64 -> GCN
DS -> 3DS
Wii -> Wii U
so eventually
Switch -> Switch 2
It just have to be more powerful, no need a Double Screen abomination

It’s going to be a Nintendo Dual Switch and have remade DS and 3DS games.

Nintendo has basically already said there is no big Switch 2 gimmick.

Switch 3D? Or is that not a thing anymote

I just want 4k and vr

I don't know what Nintendo will do, but I know what they MUST do: the Switch hardware is outdated and can't keep up with the times, so they have to release an upgraded version, be it revolutionary or not. Otherwise the Switch won't be able to play modern games, not even ports.

Idea: Nintendo Switch Slide/Nintendo Switch DS and return of Nintendo VR, maybe very powerful and stupid console that will be kinda big Nintendo Switch with snapdragon X elite chip 😂

Do you guys think Nintendo's gonna take on VR in a serious way? They have experimented a couple times already...

I don’t want revolutionary. I want 60fps and 1080p

"Too big to fail" nothing is too big to fail

I think the best move for nintendo “innovation” moving forward is in the accessories. The switch is almost the perfect system… the “final form” if you will. Any departure from this form factor will probably be met with failure… depending on how crazy the R&D department gets

I think getting the casual ("blue ocean") crowd on board without a cool new gimmick is gonna be very hard. After all, to these people, the Switch was the first new Nintendo thing since the Wii and DS (or possibly since the 3DS if they're actually aware that that's actually its own platform and not just another DS), and the Wii and DS were the first Nintendo things since the Game Boy and some other thing they half remember from the 90s (if they're old enough). How are they going to get all these people buying cheap, late era Switch bundles to pick up the Switch 2 (or wahtever they call it) if it's kinda just a 4K HDR Switch with better load times? Especially since graphics have hit diminishing returns, especially with Nintendo's colourful art style - after all, the difference between the NES/SMS and the SNES/MD was profound (I was born in 1991 so I'm literally too young to ever truly comprehend the impact of seeing e.g. F-Zero's Mode 7 graphics for the first time), and the difference the next time around was literally the difference between 2D and 3D, but the difference between the Switch and the next console is probably barely going to be noticeable to casuals, especially in a short ad trying to sell them a new game system.
Not to mention, they're not the only portable in town anymore; the Steam Deck is doing decently and rumour has it Sony is also launching some kind of portable system next gen.

if they dont give us switch 2 I buy steam deck . switch was my fist nintendo

Best console
👍👍

Nintendo Focus.

Nintendo doesent need revolution. People want to play Nintendo games with a more powerful console and thats it.

I love this video

Fans : We Want Innovation 🙏
Nintendo : The Switch U 3D 👏

The next console will be called the Switch Up.
Games will have Up in their names.
The Switch Up will be the definitive version of the Nintendo Switch.
Upscaled everything.
The orientation will also change depending on how you hold it. The joy con can be placed either way (think USB C).
Its physical size will be bigger. Joy-con will be bigger.
Up. Up. Up.
Switch Up. November 21, 2025.

6:35 thats probably the worst example possible. That Zelda is anything but innovative, its just a dlc with a 70$ price tag

a switch 2 is going to flop. Just like the Wii U. Confused Parents and grand parents are not going to buy it up like they did the switch

I wouldn’t be surprised if the next system was a combination of the Wii U and the switch where you have a game-pad like controller so they can port over DS and 3DS games more easily
In handheld mode, the “switch” could attach to the game pad so you would essentially have a giant DS

Yes, Nintendo always has something innovative about every system. But clearly, every second generation of their home consoles have been an evolution. Their next home console will be an evolution system to the Switch.

The killer app could simply be a real web browser and/or mobile apps. If you want people to stay on your device longer let them get on the internet in ways they are used to.

Nintendo should just make normal home consoles and normal handheld consoles.

Just add another screen, instant success.
Gba to ds was a hit, this'll be like the OLED equivalent.
Good chance to re-release the Wii U catalogue as well with full double screen compatibility

The only three things I want from Switch 2 is ..
1) Backwards compatibility with all Switch 1 games.
2) For all the old Switch 1 & new Switch 2 games to run at 60fps/1080p natively in handheld mode.
3) For the Switch 2 to have at least have a 5hr battery life while gaming on the go, before needing to be recharged again.

I think the detachable second screen is a great idea. Call it the Nintendo DS or Nintendo Double Switch

The New Nintendo Switch 2
Or Nintendo Switch 5 (since it's the 5th model and to compete to the competition)

Thry should release the wii u again and change nothing about it. Abandoned the switch. Sounds crazy but it will work

Nintendo should just take the safe path that everyone wants, call it switch two / super switch. Make it a stronger house power switch such as 1080 p screen storage of 64 gigs and some online features to chat / message friends and jump into a game that said friend is playing. Ny friend is playing Splatoon and on my home screen I click his Icon and my copy of the game boot up and send me into the lobby of whatever game mode he is in for example.

May God save us all