The Nintendo Switch is one of the greatest video game consoles ever made, with a hybrid design that offers unparalleled convenience. Even better, its epic library contains almost every genre imaginable. Over the past six years, I’ve sunk an incalculable amount of time into my Switch, and despite owning a Steam Deck and an Xbox Series S, the Switch is still much my primary gaming device. But like all game consoles, the Switch’s life will come to an end. And with the most recent Nintendo Direct lacking truly exciting 2024 releases, that end seems to be swiftly approaching.
A Fantastic Final Year
Premature speculation about a Nintendo Switch successor has bubbled for years. After all, the console is no spring chicken, having launched in March 2017. Maybe the OLED Switch really was supposed to be a Switch Pro before the pandemic? We’ll never know for sure. Regardless, with strong sales and consistent releases of great games, there wasn’t much need for a new machine. Hard-core gamers may not get this, but millions of players don’t care much about a console's "weak hardware" when its games are excellent.
Some of the best Nintendo Switch games dropped in 2023, including Advance Wars, Bayonetta Origins, Fire Emblem Engage, Metroid Prime Remastered, and Pikmin 4. That's not surprising—historically, many great games have appeared late in a console's lifespan, due to developers learning ways to push the system to new limits. The delightful Super Mario Wonder is slated for next month, and a Super Mario RPG remake is coming soon after. And with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo is a front-runner for game of the year.
But this Nintendo Direct suggested that there really isn’t much more for the Switch after those releases. 2024 (the Switch's seventh year on the market) has promising remakes in Another Code, Luigi’s Mansion 2, Mario vs. Donkey, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Princess Peach: Showtime! also looks like a nifty spin-off. Unicorn Overlord has a wonderful visual style. But when one of Nintendo's big reveals is an F-Zero battle royale game that makes long-suffering franchise fans cry out in anguish, something is afoot.
Goodnight, Switch Prince
Following the Switch's success, gaming handhelds are becoming more advanced. Just look at the Asus ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, and of course, the Valve Steam Deck. It’s clear that Nintendo, too, has moved on to its next system, a Nintendo Switch 2, which is speculated to come out later in 2024—there are already reports that developers are seeing it behind closed doors. The company’s next true tentpoles, including Metroid Prime 4, will likely launch on that console. Let’s just hope that the new machine will be a fully backward-compatible console.
I love the Nintendo Switch—it belongs in the new Nintendo Museum opening in Kyoto next Mach. But the console now represents Nintendo's past. I'll miss it, but I'm also ready for the future.