UPDATE 10:56PM Eastern Time US: Fixed incorrect grammar; my bad!
It’s 2025, which means we’ve reached the year of the Switch 2! This is an incredibly exciting time for us Nintendo fans. As of writing, details of the next generation Nintendo console will be revealed by the end of March 2025 (this fiscal year). That’s not that long from now! Of course, the rumor mill is already spinning, but the truth is: until we hear it from Nintendo directly, we don’t know what’s happening.
We’ve known about the incumbent system, Nintendo Switch, since a reveal trailer was uploaded by Nintendo in 2016. Due to rights expiration, the trailer was pulled long ago, but a copy survives on GameSpot’s YouTube account.
No pun intended, but in every sense of the word, the Switch changed the game. It rescued the company from a bad spot with the launch of Wii U, and propelled them forward into a new era. It’s likely the next console from Nintendo will follow in the Switch’s footsteps. I’d argue that’s a good thing. Take what has been successful, make some big tweaks, and release the Next Big Thing.
But… I can’t help but worry that Nintendo will repeat the Wii U mistake all over again. The Wii U era was plagued with misunderstanding and poorly received marketing. Many — including my family — thought the Wii U was simply an ‘overpriced add-on’ for the ever-successful Wii, and that with a small library of games available specifically for Wii U, it didn’t make much sense to ‘upgrade.’
Nowadays, the Wii U is looked upon more fondly. Projects like Pretendo Network (of which I have a material connection to, as a heads up) exist to keep the online services alive, nearly a year after Nintendo Network’s closure. But the consequences of Nintendo’s naming choices still remain. My hope is that they don’t make the same mistake again–and call it something new.
