The Nintendo Switch Is A Runaway Success: So What Can Nintendo Do Next?

The future of Nintendo is top of mind for a lot of people right now as many of its key franchises are experiencing a new level of success amidst innovative gameplay changes and clever marketing, meaning fans are asking, “Well, where can they go from here?” But perhaps the topic that has been scrutinised the most is the future of Nintendo’s current console, the Nintendo Switch. Why? Because it’s so perfect. The Switch perfectly merges the home console and handheld console aspects of a videogame system and combines them to form something so perfect nobody knows what they’re going to do next. Well, except Nintendo, of course. So that’s what we’re going to do today. We’ll try to figure out how the big red can follow up on one of their highest-selling consoles, why they should do what we choose, and how they can do it as successfully as possible. An exercise in futility? Maybe. But it’s still fun, nonetheless.

First of all, it’s worth mentioning that I’m biased, and much of what I say in this article will be tailored to my tastes. So I will likely only be thinking about what I’d like to see, so please feel free to let me know what you want to see down in the comments section. Ok, with that out of the way, let’s get down to business.

I hate to be unceremonious, but I think Nintendo’s best option is to do the same thing again but with higher specs. Keep the hybrid nature of the Switch, add some 4K support and maybe add another USB port in the dock, and then possibly upgrade the Joy-Cons. The Joy-Cons have faced some criticism recently as they’ve been drifting for some people, including myself, and they’re just too small. I’m not a manufacturer, but making the controllers feel more substantial and improving the analogue sticks would go a long way toward helping them feel refreshed without needing to rethink the concept altogether. I know Nintendo likes to do new things, sometimes to their detriment, but as I said before, being derivative should be Nintendo’s game plan going forward.

There have been many rumours recently of a possible Nintendo Switch Pro, and I think that is a great idea. Nintendo should not by any means rethink the concept of the Switch. I could even see them forgoing the idea of console generations and making the Switch into another iPhone. I’m sure this would upset people, and it might not be the most consumer-friendly idea, but keeping with the status quo in terms of the console and making minor improvements to it in shorter increments than before is just too good for them to pass up. Their current platform can be played on the go or via a TV with almost no hassle, so upgrading the console in the future to ensure games don’t suffer is necessary. We’ve seen a laundry list of games that don’t run well or are missing features because the Switch can’t keep up with them, which is never a good thing.

Plus, various third-party games have been watered-down cloud versions, meaning they can’t be played outside of the house due to relying on internet connectivity at all times. Specifically, Hitman 3 and Kingdom Hearts which have tons of fans, so having these games in a lesser form doesn’t benefit anyone. Not that AAA third-party games carry a Nintendo console, as most of us buy their systems for Mario and Kirby, but these cloud versions still don’t benefit us.

Improving the console’s power, forgoing the idea of the seven-year cycle of console generations, and possibly implementing more UI elements such as themes and other fun stuff that’s been missing during the Switch era is what Nintendo should do next. It might not be the most exciting idea, but it’s still practical and seems obvious, so it probably won’t even happen! See what I mean about an exercise in futility? Nintendo likes to march to the beat of their own drum, and predicting their next move is some people’s livelihood. I’m just some guy from GameGrin who writes articles like this and has no experience running a multi-billion dollar corporation from Japan! But I hope you still found this at least a little bit enjoyable, and who knows, maybe some of this will even turn out to be true. I doubt it, but speculating is most of the fun when it comes to videogames, so please let me know what you think of all this stuff down there in the comments section. Or not; it’s up to you. Happy gaming!