Nintendo Switch 2 Reveal Hit All the Right Notes, According to Analyst

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally official. After a couple of years of speculation, the Japanese company has unveiled its upcoming console, which will be released at some point in 2025.

The original Nintendo Switch launched nearly eight years ago. Its unique concept of a hybrid handheld/home console won over the gaming world, making it one of the best-selling consoles ever, with over 146 million units sold as of the last update. However, Nintendo is no stranger to missteps like the Wii U, the GameCube, or even the Nintendo 64 to an extent. Early reception for the Nintendo Switch 2 seems positive, but we reached out to MIDiA Research Games Analyst Rhys Elliott to get his perspective on the reveal.

Rhys, didn’t Nintendo play it too safe?

It was smart of Nintendo to just make a bigger, better Switch. It is shrewd of them to leverage the inertia of the original. While the Nintendo Switch 2 plays it safe, the announcement video shows a range of quality-of-life improvements fans have wanted for years, such as a bigger screen (with a seemingly smaller bezel), a sturdier kickstand, and a bigger form factor for the Joy-Con. Nintendo might surprise us with something a little more out of left field, though — like that rumored mouse functionality.

What do you think of the naming specifically?

The straightforward name of ‘’Switch 2’’ is the right choice. Nintendo learned its hard lesson from the Wii U’s confusing naming convention and the abject failure of that console. Many consumers – not just casual but core ones too – thought the Wii U was an add-on for the Wii, similar to the Wii Fit Balance Board or the Wii Motion Plus. This marketing fumble almost destroyed all the gains Nintendo made with the Wii. Things would have been dire if the Switch hadn’t become a cultural phenomenon. And Nintendo’s leadership – more conservative than ever before – understands that.

Now that Nintendo has all its console eggs in the Switch basket, it simply cannot risk confusing fans. After all, Nintendo’s cross-entertainment efforts across film, theme parks, toys, and even alarm clocks all lead back to its core console brand. If the beating heart of the brand fails, everything falls apart.

Will core gamers flock to the Nintendo Switch 2 or not?

Core gamers are harder to please than more casual gamers and the general public. Other portable companion devices like the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally likely have more processing power than the Switch 2, and core gamers will draw these comparisons. We expect that many of these vocal-minority gamers will buy the Switch 2 nonetheless. And they are not even Nintendo’s main target audience here – families and more casual players are.

Nintendo has been awfully quiet about the fan-favorite Metroid Prime 4, which is a niche series relative to Nintendo’s other properties but would attract some core gamers. And Pokémon fandom would find a faster-running version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A enticing, as framerate and performance issues seen in the Switch’s more recent Pokémon games have been a major pain point for that community.

What do you think about the software outlook for the new console, both from first-party and third-party?

Nintendo confirmed that there will be Switch 2 exclusive games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold over 64 million copies, so making Mario Kart 9 a Switch 2 exclusive would be very enticing to attract players to the new machine. Adding more characters and tracks based on Nintendo’s other franchises would appeal to the masses there. Based on the development timelines of their internal studios, it seems Nintendo has been sitting on a goldmine of titles to launch during the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch window. Alongside Mario Kart, I expect to see a new 3D Mario, an upgraded Pokemon, and likely some other surprises in year one. Nintendo will pull out all the stops.

It is worth noting that it’s been almost five years since Animal Crossing. The inevitable announcement of a sequel to 2020’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which has sold over 45 million copies and became a cultural zeitgeist, will mobilize cozy gamers in full force, too. A new Animal Crossing and Mario Kart would reactivate some of the consumers who played during lockdowns.

I think backward compatibility is important, too. It is what gamers – and younger ones in particular – have come to expect from the market. It is also what the competition has done with the Series X and PS5 generation. Nintendo would not want to alienate fans here.

What about third party studios?

Except for Ubisoft, many third-party publishers were late to the party with the original Switch, scared off by the Wii U’s underperformance. Things will be different for the Nintendo Switch 2, and third parties will get in on the ground floor. The Switch 2 offers up a springboard for third-party developers to extend the lifecycles of their game catalogs, promising engagement and revenue boosts for third-party developers big and small.

It will be an opportunity for EA, Ubisoft, and the like to extend the product life cycles of their older PS4- and Xbox One-era games. Speaking of which, Xbox and even PlayStation have been more to launching games on the Switch. I expect this will ramp up on the Switch 2 as these companies continue their off-platform strategies. I can already play Halo on my Steam Deck. I expect I’ll be able to play it on my Switch 2 one day, too.

Thank you for your time.

Did the reveal get you excited about the upcoming console launch? Let us know in the poll and voice your opinion in the comments below.

As a reminder, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be fully revealed through a dedicated Direct showcase scheduled for April 2. Shortly afterward, hands-on Experience events will happen in key locations around the globe, following this schedule:

Ticket registrations for the US events will begin on this web page in the near future.