Nintendo Switch, perhaps the hottest console of this generation, might not be getting a sequel anytime soon.
Nintendo confirmed that it's less interested in developing a second-generation variant of its hybrid gaming machine and more keen on releasing peripherals for the current console. The announcement comes just days before the Switch's first-year anniversary.
No Switch Upgrade On The Cards For Now
For now, Nintendo is busy with manufacturing and shipping the current model to satisfy overwhelming demand, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the plans.
To ensure an uproarious second hurrah, gaming companies commonly release a version of its existing console with upgraded internals. Later in the 3DS's lifespan came the New 3DS editions packed with slightly more powerful hardware. Microsoft released the 4K-capable Xbox One S at some point during the Xbox One's lifespan. This won't be the route Nintendo plans on taking, however.
Nintendo Switch Peripherals
To drum up sales hype for the Switch during its second year, the company is looking to develop a bevy of peripherals — accessories that expand or complement a console's capabilities. It also has high hopes for Nintendo Labo when it launches later this April. For the uninitiated, Nintendo Labo is a line of cardboard origami-like structures that are assembled to turn the Switch into a piano, a fishing rod, and other nifty configurations.
In the coming year, the Switch could get network-related features and peripherals that connect via the console's USB Type-C port. Details about this are thin as of the moment, but it indicates that Nintendo isn't thinking about upgrading the Switch's internals just yet.
In fact, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima said in a February investor briefing that he wants to expand the Switch's lifespan beyond the five or six-year shelf life that's typical of gaming consoles. Certainly, holding back on hardware upgrades and rolling out peripherals instead could be one way to extend the overall lifespan of the console.
The Switch has become the fastest-selling console in the United States, surpassing the Wii U's lifetime sales in under a year. It's expected to push 20 million more units in the next fiscal year, too, so things are looking very good for Nintendo. Introducing a hardware upgrade this early might bisect Nintendo's audience and hurt sales, never mind Nintendo's tendency to give confusing names to its consoles.
What do you think? Is Nintendo pulling the right move by holding off on a Switch upgrade? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
