With Nintendo having recently shot down rumors of an upgraded Nintendo Switch model, the company appears to be as committed as ever to its current console. Speaking to Japanese publication Nikkei (as translated by Nintendo Everything), Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa echoes this sentiment once again, discussing the longevity of the Nintendo Switch and the company’s plans going forward.
“As the Switch enters its fifth year on the market, one of our focal points is ensuring it has a long life cycle,” Furukawa says. “It’s very important for us that customers continue to enjoy playing their Switch. This includes Switch owners who bought the console at launch all the way through to those who bought in with recent releases like Animal Crossing. It’s about providing new gameplay experiences for all Switch owners. We need to keep in mind that the console base will continue to expand, as well as the types of games that have already been released for the system.”
So, where is the Switch at right now in the grand scheme of things? Furukawa explains, “I always say that the Switch is around the middle [stage] of its life cycle. We’re able to offer a wide variety of different games because the Switch is both a home and portable console, but there’s much more that can still be done in the coming years.”
Finally, Furukawa explains how Nintendo is constantly active in researching what players want and in conceptualising new ideas to keep its systems and games fresh. “We never consider when to release consoles, but we’re always doing technical and market research,” he continues. “Our hardware and software teams work in the same building, constantly communicating and thinking of new ways to have fun. Even when developing one specific piece of hardware, there are so many hurdles to jump through over several years that the reality of it is we never really stop. In the end, the thing that makes an idea a reality is whether we can offer a new experience or not.”
Though it still feels early to be having these conversations, it’s easy to forget that the Nintendo Switch will turn four years old next month. Time really does fly.
Written by Reece Heather
A lifelong Nintendo fan and a longtime editor at Zelda Universe, Reece will forever be grateful that he somehow dodged the Naughty List of Christmas 1998, when Santa delivered the life-changing gift of a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario Kart 64. When he's not playing games, Reece is usually reading Punisher comics, delving helplessly into the weirdest depths of anime and manga, or spending time with his cocker spaniel Gracie -- the goodest girl ever!
