Another year goes by and here we are again. We think his next 12 months will probably be the most exciting thing to happen for Nintendo fans. new hardware.
It feels like years since we’ve reported on and discussed the possibility of another Nintendo system. have Many years have passed. Shortly after the original console launched in March 2017, rumors of a “Switch Pro” spread, with the Switch Lite and Switch OLED reconfiguring the base system in a modest way (and the original Switch offering a better battery). It’s been nearly seven full years since we’ve had any brand new Nintendo technology.
On the one hand, this is the result of merging the handheld and home console lines into one product. Unsurprisingly, hardware exposure is 50% less than the previous generation. But for an industry and an audience that thrives on shiny new things, it feels unusual for the Switch to enter its eighth year in retail without any announcement or confirmation of a successor.
It’s true that the Switch is a remarkable system, and we’ve seen developers work miracles with it.However, it’s also true that its mobile chipset wasn’t cutting edge even at the time of its release, and the work Nintendo has been doing to bring third-party titles to gamers these days has been slow as developers. a bit You can play with more horsepower. Obviously, no sane person would expect his PS5-level performance from a “Switch 2,” but perhaps he’d expect a 2020 or 2021 vintage version if he used the silicon installed in current consoles. This will be a significant improvement over his mid-2010s technique.
![switch oled ridley](https://images.nintendolife.com/fe8946bda548c/switch-oled-ridley.900x.jpg)
but! Including GOTY-level masterpieces like Zelda and Mario Wonder, powered by Pikmin 4, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Persona 5 Tactica, Super Mario RPG, Sea of Stars, Blasphemous 2, Red Dead ports, and Octopath II. Explore the last year of Switch releases. …, which doesn’t feel like a regular seventh-year lineup of consoles (and that’s just scratching the surface). In fact, as we look back at seven years of previous Nintendo systems, it’s clear that the Switch’s software health at this point in its lifecycle is a trait inherited from its handheld ancestors. , typically enjoy a longer shelf life than their domestic cousins.