The Nintendo Switch has officially become the longest-lasting Nintendo Console, nearing 2,700 days as the company’s primary home console. With very clear signaling from the Big N that a Switch successor is on the way, why not add more speculation to the vast collection already assembled online and talk about the five things I want to see out of a Nintendo Switch 2 (Super Nintendo Switch? Switch U?).

Nintendo [Hardware] Power

Since the ultimate failure of the Gamecube, Nintendo shifted focus away from console power to gaming innovations. That strategy has worked wonders. We know how popular the Wii became with its motion controls (and more specifically Wii Sports). The Switch established the concept of a hybrid home and mobile console. Heck, even the Wii U’s gamepad was a stellar idea that would inspire the final design of the Switch.

Some of those innovations worked wonders, netting massive console sales for Nintendo. Currently, the Switch has grown to be one of the best selling gaming consoles of all time thanks to its hybrid design and line-up of stellar first-party games. Despite this success, Nintendo feels one or even two generations behind with regards to internal specifications.

While Sony and Microsoft surged forward with 4K visuals and multiple teraflops of processing power, Nintendo stuck to 1080P resolutions when docked and 720P when in handheld, and the system’s processing power is three and a half times slower than the Playstation 5.

Having ridden the wave of success on the Switch, and earning bucketfuls of cash, Nintendo has a chance to bring themselves more in line with their competitor’s hardware. Seeing what Valve’s Steamdeck was able to accomplish, Nintendo can increase the power of their handheld option to follow suit. We have also seen hints that the dock can possibly utilize DLSS technology to further power up gaming on our televisions.

It’s time for Nintendo to finally rev up the engines and give us a more powerful machine. Just think of that potential 4K version of Tears of the Kingdom!

Even More Third Party Support

The biggest positive impact to a more powerful console is ensuring more third-party games come to the platform. Following the explosion of Switch sales, many lapsed companies came rushing back to put some big titles on Nintendo’s hybrid.

While this was a step in the right direction from what we saw on the Wii and especially Wii U, the success of third parties were still somewhat limited by what could actually run on the Switch’s hardware. Some companies developed some stellar games specifically for the Switch. Square Enix put forth some gorgeous RPGs like Octopath Traveler and Unicorn Overlord that leveraged the console’s handheld nature to immerse ourselves in grand RPGs on the go. Other companies like Capcom made a whole new entry in one of their biggest series in Monster Hunter Rise that was initially aimed at Switch owners.

Despite these financial wins, a lot of other big third party games were absent from the Switch due to its technical limitations. Moreover, the more ambitious games that did come over looked and played better on Sony or Microsoft hardware. More power will provide the much needed opportunity for these companies to bring over older games as well as current releases.

Given the potential limits that a hybrid successor might still pose, we probably shouldn’t get our hopes up that GTA 6 will somehow come to Nintendo’s platform. However, expect to see a lot of titles that could never run on the Switch make their way onto its successor.

More Modern Features

Yes, the Switch finally got Bluetooth support…four and a half years after launch. And it got folders to organize your games…though not on the actual main screen. And you can pick exciting backgrounds…if you find a light and dark mode to be particularly thrilling. And don’t forget about voice chat…for a few games…if you use a McGuyver-esque cell phone set-up.

What I’m trying to say is that the Switch is not the most novel device when it comes to its features.

First of all, I’d love for the Switch to come with Discord or some other less complicated, built-in voice chat system. While I don’t play a ton of online co-op games on console, I coached enough years of high school esports to know which games worked better for communication and which struggled. The argument against native voice chat is in protecting children from harmful language. Having played enough VR games with open voice chat, I understand where they are coming from, but it can be a feature with parental control limitations to protect Nintendo’s younger playerbase.

Another thing missing from the Switch is the ability to stream right from the device. Most streamers are going to use a capture card and computer to go live on YouTube or Twitch, but having a Playstation-like system where you can post short videos or even stream for a native audience on the device would add that much more value.

While I have a ton more suggestions, let’s leave off on an easy one. Let us quickly join in with others online. We have a friend’s list, but it barely even matters. The only time I think about it is when someone jumps online, and the system tells me what they are playing. That’s fine, but if I have that same game, give me the option to type a quick message to them or click a button to begin a multiplayer session.

We need more features, more apps, and, as I’ll discuss next, more games!

A First Year Like the Switch

There really was nothing like the first year of the Nintendo Switch. Not only did we get arguably one of the greatest games ever made in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but we also saw the release of the fantastic Super Mario Odyssey and a Wii U re-release of what became the Switch’s best selling game of all time, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Oh, and don’t forget about some of these other amazing titles: Splatoon 2, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The initial line-up was further supported by ports of indie darlings like Stardew Valley and the Steam World games as well as the Microsoft’s juggernaut Minecraft. That first year cemented the Switch as the place to play indie games.

Set to release sometime in 2025, the Switch successor could very well follow suit by bringing Nintendo fans another slate of bangers. One indication of this comes as the last year of the console has been primarily filled with ports and remakes.

While we wait for the new system, Nintendo’s internal teams have got to be working on some killer unannounced games. With the exception of the tacked-on Bowser’s Fury, we have not seen a proper 3D mainline Mario game since Odyssey in 2017. It only makes sense that the same team has been putting their heart and soul into a new adventure for the next console.

We already know that Metroid Prime 4 has a nebulous release date of 2025, which would put it in line for a release on Nintendo’s new hardware. These two games alone have the potential to recreate the one-two punch that the Switch had with Zelda and Mario.

We can’t forget about two other massive franchises in Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. It has been over ten years since Mario Kart 8 first debuted on the Wii U, and it has gone on to sell the most copies of any game on the Switch. Mario Kart 9 would be a system seller. The same would be true of the latest in the Smash Bros. series. Ultimate lived up to its name, but a pared down roster focusing on gameplay improvements would still sell tons of software. Plus, the hype of  Super Smash Bros announcements know no equal.

Add in a few 4K ports of the Switch’s big hits alongside games only available on more powerful hardware, and you would have a hell of a first year for its successor.

Fix What’s Broken

The Switch was a hybrid. The Wii had motion controls. The DS had two screens. The SNES added extra buttons on its controller. The Gamecube had a handle. Nintendo has always been about pushing the gaming sphere forward in new and innovative ways.

That said, I don’t want something new this time around. I just want what’s there to work better.

The hybrid nature of the Switch changed the game. It solidified Nintendo’s legacy of home and handheld consoles in one package. It led to a slew of other handheld options like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Give the handheld a power boost, better battery life, and a more powerful dock to really get the most out of the hardware while still keeping its hybrid nature.

I loved the Joycon; I just hated the drift. Make Joycon ver. 2.0 that are bigger and not prone to making our Karts constantly veer to the left.

Most importantly, let us keep our game libraries, including what is on offer for Nintendo’s classic catalogs. Add Gamecube, Wii, and DS games this next go-around. I’d even pay more for the subscription service if push came to shove!

Conclusion

This next console should feel like the Switch, but it should be just different enough to drive people to go out and pick up this new console. For the love of Mario, just don’t mess this up with an awful, confusing name! Make amazing games, push the device further to bring more modern games into the fold, and fix what few things you messed up, and you’ll have another smash success, Nintendo!