Switch 2? Say it ain’t so Nintendo!
January 16, 2025Nintendo introduced the Switch Slightly Bigger (SSB) today.
That they didn’t name it that may speak volumes about the future of a company once known for its crazy inventiveness, and surprising willingness to push the envelope on gaming hardware.
Afterall, Nintendo is the company that introduced a motion-controlled game console called the Wii, and pointed to Blue Ocean Strategy as the reason why it was zigging while the rest of the industry continued to zag.
While Microsoft and PlayStation were dug into an expensive, exhaustive war over chip speeds and graphic quality, Nintendo focused on the fun, turning their little white box into the fifth-best-selling home console of all time.
The Switch, which came out after the release of the disastrous Wii U, managed to combine the best qualities of Nintendo hardware into a single hybrid system that could be played on the go or on your TV. It became the third-best-selling gaming system of all time, bookended by the Nintendo DS and the Game Boy.
Today, Nintendo broke its silence following months of anticipation (and leaks) with a video briefly showing off its next console: The Switch 2.
It’s the first time in the company’s long history that they’ve simply added a number to a successor console. That may not seem like a big deal, but I think it could foreshadow a troubling evolution of the company.
To continue reading, check out my column, Game, on Substack where this ran on Jan. 16, 2025.
