The “Boring” Switch 2 Is Actually On-brand for Nintendo Home Consoles

Based on what we’ve seen so far, the Nintendo Switch 2 is simply a bigger, better, and modern take on the existing Nintendo Switch. Does this mean Nintendo is playing it safe? No, it means Nintendo is sticking to its established strategy.

People Are Disappointed That Switch 2 Has No Apparent “Gimmick”

An article by Eurogamer titled If Switch 2 is the end of innovative Nintendo, there’s much to be sad about caught my eye shortly after the reveal video posted by Nintendo a few days before writing this. Decrying the company for seemingly leaving its innovative risk-taking attitude behind for a “safe” successor to the mega-successful Nintendo Switch.

On social media, too, people in gaming circles have referred to the Switch 2 in a similar way, calling it a “nothing burger device” or otherwise expressing the sentiment that this is basically a Switch “Pro” and not something revolutionary and new.

Most Nintendo Home Consoles Were Straightforward Upgrades

The thing is, if you look at Nintendo’s home console history as a whole, that innovative risk-taking streak is really just a blip in an otherwise sane gaming hardware lineage. Tellingly, the Eurogamer article starts with the Wii, which is special specifically because it was such a departure for Nintendo. The SNES was just a souped-up NES.

The Nintendo 64 was certainly a generational hardware leap, but it was not fundamentally different from a PlayStation other than Nintendo’s rather conservative decision to stick with cartridges instead of moving to optical media. The most innovate thing about the Gamecube is that it’s a cube with a handle.

Nintendo tended to keep their consoles sensible, and experimented with wacky peripherals. The robot sold with the NES in the USA, the Zapper, the Power Glove, and the NES Power Pad are all innovative and left-of field, but the console they plugged into wasn’t and these accessories were all optional.

The Wii and Wii U Were the Exception, Not the Rule

The Wii was born of necessity. It’s easy to forget that consoles like the SNES, N64, and Gamecube were competitive in terms of raw hardware performance with their peers. With the Wii, Nintendo realized it wasn’t going to match the graphical and performance prowess of its competitors, so they took a left turn and decided not to compete directly with them at all.

The Wii was lightning in a bottle, but not the sort of foundation you can effectively build a future console line on. The Wii U tried to extend the wacky races for Nintendo, but we all know how that ended.

Their Handhelds Were More Experimental (But!)

I think that Nintendo took more chances with their handheld systems. Without being tethered to a TV, and with portability in mind, Nintendo could experiment with many form factors and features. Multiple screens, styluses, slabs, folding consoles, they basically threw it all at the wall to see what would stick.

However, if you actually look at their handheld line, the mainline series of consoles weren’t making huge changes all at once. The Game Boy Advance was pretty much just a souped up Game Boy. The same sort of change we saw from NES to SNES. Ditto for the DS and the 3DS. Same form factor. Same basic features. The only real difference was updated hardware and the (still awesome) 3D screen.

So honestly, Switch to Switch 2 is pretty much in accordance with the precedents set by both the home and handheld console lines, which have now been combined into a single device.

Nintendo’s Making the Right Decision With the Switch 2

First, we actually don’t know if Nintendo has done something significant to the Switch 2 that will set it apart from the first Switch in some way. it might be that the rumored mouse function of the new Joy Cons might be the gimmick people are hoping for. Then there’s the mystery button that does, well, something. My point is you can’t judge a console by its shell.

However, even if the Switch 2 is just the original Switch perfected with more horsepower and more modern games, that’s the right move for Nintendo. The Switch has a massive install base, and all but a few Switch games are coming along for the ride to the new system.

So there’s no reason to truly rock the boat. The Switch 2 is almost certainly going to be great, and while Nintendo knows how to be creative and surprising, it doesn’t need cheap tricks to be a success.