The Nintendo Switch 2 Is Playing It Safe. That’s the Smart Choice Leave a comment

We additionally see an additional button on the face of the right-hand Pleasure-Con, beneath the House button. Whereas that is unlabeled within the teaser, it might see some type of “C-button” performance, which Nintendo utilized in numerous kinds on the N64 and GameCube previously. It is also value noting one notably pointed shot targeted on the left Pleasure-Con thumbstick rotating—might this be supposed to spotlight improved thumbsticks for the brand new era, presumably incorporating Corridor impact expertise? Given the drift points that plagued the unique Swap, it would be a sensible transfer on Nintendo’s half.

The largest adjustments to the principle console itself, past the elevated bodily measurement, are the addition of an additional USB-C port on the highest and a brand new U-shaped kickstand. Whereas the previous is a superb addition, opening up the potential to assist extra equipment, the latter appears to be like just a little flimsy—higher than the nub that propped up the unique Swap however much less sturdy than the Swap OLED’s stable back-panel kickstand.

Talking of the OLED Swap, and judging purely from the chunky bezel proven within the Swap 2 reveal, the brand new console could also be reverting to an LCD panel. Once more, this has been rumored for a while, however it will likely be exhausting to not see it as a little bit of a step backward.

The perfect takeaway from the reveal, although, is Nintendo instantly confirming backward compatibility with current Swap video games, each bodily and digitally (albeit with a couple of as-yet -unspecified exclusions). That is implausible information for gamers who’ve spent the higher a part of a decade build up their libraries, and one other instance of Nintendo’s quiet confidence and sense of continuity. Whenever you’ve racked up 1.3 billion software program gross sales to your extremely profitable platform, why danger alienating these prospects?

And that is seemingly Nintendo’s technique for Swap 2, in a nutshell: If it ain’t broke, why repair it? Gamers love the Swap as it’s, the corporate’s primary opponents are all emulating it to better or lesser extents, and all indicators level to “extra however higher” being a compelling promoting level. It’s enjoying it secure—but it surely does not have to do the rest.