"Unique": Nintendo Switch 2 runs out of competition

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, fans will once again be treated to a rather unusual console concept. The Japanese entertainment company It has long been clear: the successor to the hybrid console will once again be “uniquely Nintendo”. One surprise is that

Admittedly, it is no real surprise that Nintendo will actively avoid direct technology duels with the Playstation 5 or the Xbox Series X. Taking a different path with the ideas on offer is typical of the Japanese company, which at the time of its founding was all about analogue entertainment products. The change from a toy company to a games company is unique in the industry. At the beginning of the XNUMXs, Nintendo had recognised the signs of the times and backed the right horse: video games. This bold step has basically been a common thread in console design to this day: Nintendo keeps trying to set new impulses with unique and sometimes idiosyncratic concepts. It often succeeds. And Nintendo often succeeds where others fail.

A popular example: the Wii's motion controllers - despite graphical weaknesses, the console became a success. Over 100 million units were sold (as of 2020), in parallel with almost a billion software copies sold. The console was in direct competition with the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 and thus with significantly more powerful gaming platforms. When Microsoft also showed courage and developed an innovative concept with the Kinect, it backfired. The camera control was not well received, especially by core gamers. Fans of Sony and Microsoft often simply do not expect new approaches - they are all about pure power. The consoles regularly deliver there. At Nintendo, however, fans are celebrating the courage to try new things, even if ideas like the Wii U or an earlier VR concept fell short of expectations.

As always: New Nintendo Switch goes its own way

The Nintendo Switch, however, exceeded all expectations and was a console with which Nintendo retrospectively changed the entire industry. Handhelds had existed before, but a handheld that felt like a full-fledged console was something new. Gaming companies such as Valve, Logitech and Asus ultimately created their own gaming options with devices such as the Steam Deck, Legion and ROG Ally, which took the basic idea of ​​the Nintendo Switch to a new level and thus enabled pure PC fans to enter the handheld gaming segment.

Nintendo was clearly right with the weak but innovative console: with around 150 million units sold, the Nintendo Switch series has become a real hit, despite a lack of performance resources. Instead, the hybrid console was and is primarily portable, practical and easy to use. And Nintendo's software companion program has exclusive brands as drawcards that companies like Sony or Microsoft cannot use on this scale. With Tetris, Pokémon, Super Mario, Mario Kart and The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has been able to place a total of five brands in the list of the 15 most successful game series - and it is represented three times in the top 5.

For Nintendo, there are currently no reasons to doubt its own console strategy. Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the legendary Mario and Zelda series, sees it similarly. The creative head revealed in an interview with the magazine Famitsu that the Japanese are Nintendo Switch 2 will once again take a path that is "uniquely Nintendo". In Miyamoto's opinion, it was exactly the right decision not to give in to the console battle with Sony and Microsoft. It is therefore not just about pure technology in console design.

Software at Nintendo is not just an accessory

Nintendo is currently operating from a position that brings advantages. While Sony has long since let the cat out of the bag with the release of the Playstation 5 Pro and Microsoft has hardly released any notable rumours about the new console generation (apart from the vague possibility that there could be a handheld as an innovation), the signs at Nintendo seem to be increasing that they are looking forward to the release of a Nintendo Switch 2 is closer than has been officially communicated so far. The company may bring out a successor quite unexpectedly – ​​and then use the concept of planned backwards compatibility and the recently released AAA Nintendo games parallel to announcements of the new generation of games as strong drawcards to boost purchases right from the start. Fans have long had expectations: Will there be a next-generation Zelda? What about Super Mario and Mario Kart? Pokémon and Metroid can be considered a given – and it is very likely that a new Animal Crossing will also be announced shortly after the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2. In short: This time, the focus is not just on the console itself, but rather on what you can experience with it. For Nintendo, these are usually eagerly awaited games.

In contrast, Sony and Microsoft usually lure customers with pure hardware power at the start of console generations - the games almost seem like accessories. But that is exactly what is dangerous and has already led to frustration in the past. Too few well-known games at launch were a problem with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Fans had plenty of power, but little really good software to exploit it. The "exclusives" were also often the subject of discussions at Sony and Microsoft: Too few, too bad, too much standard fare. With Nintendo, all it often takes is one attractive title at launch and the wave of sales starts rolling in.

If she Nintendo Switch 2 will actually celebrate its release in spring 2025 It remains to be seen whether this will happen, as rumors suggest. There is no official information on this.

#	Preview	Product	Rating	Price
1		Nintendo Switch Console Neon Red/Neon Blue*	Currently no reviews	279,00 EUR
2		Nintendo Switch (OLED model) White*	Currently no reviews	309,00 EUR

* = Affiliate link/advertisementAs an Amazon Associate, we earn money from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through one of the links, we receive a portion of the purchase price as commission. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support our website. Last updated on September 10.02.2026, XNUMX / Affiliate links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API. Images from Amazon PA API.