Do We Need a Nintendo Switch Successor?

The conventional wisdom is that the Nintendo Switch is not powerful enough. I ask; says who? Can you still play fun new games on the console? Yes! Has Nintendo abandoned the console? No! Are there things that can be improved? Of course!

According to Nintendo:

“Nintendo Switch will be entering its eighth year in March 2024. We will continue to release new titles and content for Nintendo Switch without being bound by the traditional concept of the platform lifecycle. Going forward, we would like to continue to see many consumers play Nintendo Switch, and to maintain our business momentum.”

Nintendo

I’ve always dreaded the change of console generations because I am cheap, and don’t want to spend money on a new console box. For context, I (almost) always buy the next generation, but my gut reaction is to stay with the current.

Fortunately (for me), I think those days are coming to an end. I have long said that Microsoft’s next Xbox will likely be a streaming box, if not simply a streaming service all together.

I would not be surprised if Sony followed suit with their PSN+ model and Nintendo was the only player in the console space, down the line.

Nintendo has gone in its own direction ever since the Wii. Prior to that, the company would release a powerful console: SNES, N64 and GameCube. All three of these consoles were more powerful than the competition (excluding the GameCube, which was eclipsed by the Xbox. It was still more powerful than the PS2.) The Wii was completely different. While the PS3 and Xbox 360 were extremely powerful, for the time, the Wii was like the prior generation in power with a new idea.

Nintendo’s handhelds were always a generation behind. Given that the Nintendo Switch is now a hybrid handheld and console, Nintendo may continue the trend of their prior handhelds.

Like I said earlier, I prefer to keep my existing console, but if a new one comes out, I will buy it; eventually.

So, I ask again; is a new Nintendo Switch really necessary?