Switch 2 Reality
The best ever launch in history was anticipated to be a bust
I picked up a Switch 2 today. It is cool. I am not a big fan of Mario Kart so I just ended up playing my old Switch 1 games on it. The Switch 2 gives those old games some quality of life improvements. It doesn’t feel like I’m describing the best selling console in history. Why is the Switch 2 selling so well, and why was it initially panned?
When the Switch 2 was first announced, forums ignited with angry gamers. They were outraged. Nintendo had priced their console at $450, and games at $80. This was a 50% leap from the Switch 1, which launched at $300 in 2017, and a jump of 33% on games. In the same time, inflation has been about 31%. This did not bother the gamers though, as they demanded that Nintendo apologize for rising wage and development costs.
This explains the pricing of the hardware and software, but not the velocity of the systems flying off the shelves. The answer lies in a few factors.
First, Nintendo have proven that they are the IP champions. The Mario movie is the 17th highest grossing film of all time. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet sold over 10 million copies in their first 3 days, as did Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Compelling, differentiated experiences that are tied to Nintendo IP drive consumption of these platforms.
Second, the Switch 1 is a beloved console. It is by some estimates the second best selling console in history at 152 million units. Nintendo didn’t need to significantly change up their strategy given that it was already proven successful. Instead, they could rest on what made the Switch 1 successful and provide those small quality of life improvements. Additionally, and as is tradition for Nintendo, they have allowed some backwards compatibility extending the blossoming Switch 2 video game library with the mature Switch 1 library. Nintendo has also learned from failures such as the Wii U and forgone any naming subtlety by sticking a 2 at the end.
Finally, Nintendo has sent a clear signal in taking their time. Given there were 8 years between releases of Switch 1 and 2, Nintendo has made the statement that this isn’t fast tech. Many consumers, myself included, are overwhelmed with new iPhone versions each year, new LLMs each month, and new TikToks every day. Nintendo has shown their willingness to maintain their hardware and software with continuous updates and support. This de-risks the purchase for many consumers, who know if they buy a Switch 2 today it won’t be obsolete or unsupported in a year. This means the consumer has more patience and can build that in to their decision to own a console.
And that’s exactly what I’ve done.
