By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
nemo37 on 30 September 2018
Edit Thread
zorg1000 said:
Intrinsic said:

I'm more interested to see how it does over a 3 year period. Especially wht happens to it when the PS5 and XB2 is released. If by then it has gained enough mrket presence and relevance to be immune to all the fanfare and hype around the two new consoles. Espeically being that then the technical divide will be even greater than it is now. I'm curious to see if then nintendo will still maintain its hybrid stance or switch tunes to the switch being a portable first console. no pun intended.

I dont really think PS5/XB4 will have much of an affect on Switch. Assuming they release in 2020/2021, by then Switch will probably have a price cut or two, a couple revisions and a large selection of exclusive titles (possibly a line of $20 Nintendo Selects).

Let's say by then Switch has separate handheld and micro console skus for $149-199, I really doubt the $399-499 powerful consoles will be direct competitors.

I recall NPD group's Mat Piscatella saying on ResetERA that the Switch does not appear to be competing directly with the PS4 and Xbox One in the United States. Whereas, most people are likely to pick one stationary system (so either a PS4 and Xbox One; hence those two are competing directly with each other), it seems like people are willing to purchase a stationary system plus the portable Switch. In fact, this is pretty much confirmed by the fact that 70% of Switch owners in the US also have a stationary system. Beyond that, Piscatella mentions that Switch is also picking up lapsed gamers as well. Since Switch is not competing directly with PS4 and Xbox One, I very much doubt that it will compete with their successors directly either.

For Nintendo, Switch is mainly a home console where its distinguishing feature is its portability. This view of the product works for Nintendo because they tend to take different approach to their hardware, particularly their home consoles (which have not for a while emphasized things like graphics, while placing more emphasis on novel ideas). However, I feel the market itself, particularly in the West, views the Switch as a portable console (much like 3DS, Vita, DS, PSP, etc), hence why they are purchasing the system alongside the stationary systems. Going with this perspective, Switch sales should not be impacted by the launch next-gen hardware. After all, portables like GB,GBA, DS, PSP, Vita, 3DS all launched shortly before or during a stationary console generation change (with the stationary consoles obviously being far more powerful than they were) and none were really impacted by the change. The only real challenge I can see new consoles (or any new high profile consumer product for that matter) will present will be for mind share, which Nintendo can maintain so long as they and their partners deliver with a steady flow of high profile games, price the system correctly as it goes through its life cycle, and continue correctly and continuously advertising the system.