The Nintendo Switch 2 is «just» a bigger and more powerful Switch – and that’s a good thing

After months of rumours and speculation, Nintendo finally officially unveiled the Switch 2 on 16 January. Some fans are disappointed by the concise and simple presentation. Same goes for the fact that the Switch 2 is «just» a larger and more powerful Switch. No big gimmicks, no groundbreaking innovation.

I can understand the disappointment – and yet I look to Nintendo’s console future with great confidence. The Switch 2 isn’t a revolution that’ll shake up the video game market like the Wii and the Switch 1 did. Rather, it’s a logical continuation and refinement of the handheld console concept.

Nintendo isn’t taking any big risks in its next console generation – and that’s a good thing!

Nintendo wants to avoid a Wii U situation

The reason for Nintendo’s sober communication at the unveiling of the new console probably has its origins in the Wii U disaster of 2011. The company faced a similar situation back then. The Wii was a huge success (over 100 million units sold) and they wanted to introduce a direct successor to it with the Wii U.

However, Nintendo unveiled that new generation of consoles with a confusing trailer, putting a big focus on the new tablet controller and way too many (!) accompanying gimmicks:

Many potential buyers couldn’t figure out what Nintendo was actually showing. A new tablet controller for the Wii? Or just a new, prettier version of the Wii? The name Wii U didn’t help with this confusion either. Adding just one extra letter to a console’s name made their intentions even more ambiguous.

The result: the Wii U was one of the biggest flops in Nintendo’s history. Only 13.5 million units were sold.

In comparison, the first trailer for Switch 2 has got a lot of things right. Nintendo keeps things clear: the Switch 2 is an evolution from the first Switch. It’s bigger, better and more beautiful – garnished with a few new innovative features such as mouse control.

The name also clearly communicates this. It isn’t an intermediate version of the Switch, but a true successor console, a new generation. After the huge success of the Switch (almost 150 million units sold), Nintendo doesn’t want to take the risk of another mega-flop.

It’s all I need

I guarantee Nintendo will hit the bull’s-eye with this safe strategy. Because, quite honestly, a bigger and faster Switch is all I want. Many Nintendo fans around the world feel the same way.

I have fond memories of the Switch launch in 2017. The handheld-console hybrid concept really fascinated me back then. You’re telling me I can play my full-fledged console games (not just stripped-down versions) on the go? Unbelievable! Over time, this initial fascination has slowly fizzled out. Partly because the graphical differences to stationary consoles grew massive with the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S at the latest.

The Switch was already technically outdated at launch, and with each new year in the life of the hybrid console, I’ve felt its age more and more in terms of stuttering and blurry games. Over the last few years, it’s felt less and less like I can play full-fledged console games on the go. It’s always games full of technical compromises that somehow had to run under the load of old hardware.

With the Switch 2’s anticipated performance upgrade, Nintendo can reignite the spark I felt in 2017.

We still need more information

In the previously announced Nintendo Direct presentation for the Switch 2 on 2 April, Nintendo has to go all out. They need to convince fans that what they hinted at in the announcement trailer’s real. They have to convince us that the Switch isn’t only physically bigger and more beautiful, but also has significantly more power under the hood.

Games shown at the Direct must make it unmistakeable that they wouldn’t have been playable on the old hardware. Otherwise the hybrid spark won’t be ignited once more.

But again, I’m optimistic. Unlike the Switch 1, the Switch 2 won’t feature an outdated, off-the-shelf Nvidia chipset, but relatively modern technology that’ll enable impressive graphics even in handheld mode. Digital Foundry already simulated what could be possible with the new T239 processor last year:

Competition? No chance

Looking back on the last 20 years of Nintendo’s history, a conservative strategy with this «bigger and stronger Switch» seems somewhat counterintuitive at first. Nintendo has been withdrawing from the highly competitive high-tech console market for some time now and is pursuing a so-called Blue Ocean strategy.

With this business strategy, a company leaves a market as soon as it becomes too crowded (the Red Ocean) in order to create a new market without direct competition (the Blue Ocean). This is achieved by focusing product development on innovation and new target groups rather than on expensive technological progress.

And that’s exactly what happened with the Switch in 2017. With a handheld-console hybrid concept, Nintendo tapped into a completely new market that operates parallel to the fiercely competitive Red Ocean PlayStation and Xbox consoles are swimming in. All while sporting outdated technology.

However, the gaming market has evolved since the Switch launch. More and more players from the PC sector are trying to grab a piece of Nintendo’s handheld territory with powerful PC handhelds. Is the blue handheld ocean slowly turning red?

I say no. Despite the increasing number of PC handhelds, no manufacturer has been able to replicate the simple hybrid concept of the Switch yet. PC handhelds are too complicated and too expensive for the masses. They’re not attacking Nintendo’s Blue Ocean, but fighting in a new red handheld ocean of their own.

Even the most user-friendly and affordable PC handheld, the Steam Deck, wallows in commercial insignificance compared to the Switch. According to estimates, the device has sold just five million units since launch (2022). That’s not even four per cent of monthly active users on Steam.

Why should Nintendo worry about this and look for a new blue market? Instead, it makes sense to continue perfecting a still unrivalled concept.

A look into the future and the Switch 3

From this starting position, «only» presenting a larger and more powerful Switch also makes sense with the Blue Ocean strategy. The blue waters of a hybrid market still offer plenty of fish to catch.

I only see real competition in Nintendo’s handheld console niche if Sony and Microsoft decide to seriously enter the handheld business. And that’s just a matter of time. Microsoft has already confirmed that the company’s working on an Xbox handheld. According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, however, it’s still years away. And there are increasing rumours that Sony’s also working on a portable PS5.

If Sony and Microsoft really do decide to launch traditional stationary as well as mobile hybrid consoles with the next generation, Nintendo will have a problem. With the Switch 3 at the latest, the company will have to say goodbye to the market it created in 2017 and set sail for new waters.

But this is all a future worry. For now, I’m looking forward to the bigger and more powerful Switch, which I hope will be released soon.