It seems that we are now about a year away from the successor to the Switch. People are high on the Switch 2's prospects because the Switch is doing so well. It feels like people are expecting Nintendo to do something new by... not doing anything new. The DS, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, and Switch all had some kind of gimmick to them, but since the Switch has been working so well, it a lot of people are thinking Nintendo will just stay the course and deliver a similar console with a more powerful chipset and some QOL improvements.
Personally, I think Nintendo has to add something special to the Switch 2 to separate it from the Switch. I think it will be hard to convince people to upgrade based on improved graphics alone. Everyone likes shinier graphics, but people who are playing on the Switch are clearly ok with somewhat dated tech, and few of the Switch's best titles are graphical powerhouses. I don't feel like Animal Crossing fans are going to be all that blown away by graphical fidelity. A more modern chipset can help with third party support, but Nintendo's success has always been driven by first party.
Don't get me wrong, I think the Switch 2 will do just fine if it is simply an visually upgraded Switch, especially if Switch 2 software is Switch 2 only. But, I don't think it would do quite as well as Switch, and not better. I think Nintendo will need some novel selling point to grab some headlines.
If there is some novel feature, what will it be?
The only thing I can think of is VR. I think VR is a technology that interests a lot of people. It hasn't instantly fizzled out like the 3D bandwagon that Nintendo jumped on with the 3DS. But, VR is having trouble in the gaming world because it is a niche market similar to Kinect of PSMove. Something like PS VR 2 is an add-on, and will only have a fraction of the audience that the PS5 itself will. Because of the low install base, developers will be reluctant to make software that really takes advantage of VR. Without that software, people aren't going to spend a few hundred bucks for the headset.
The Switch however solves a lot of the problems with VR. As we saw with Labo, the Switch can do VR with a dollar or so worth of carboard. With an improved chipset the Switch 2 should be at least as capable as the original PSVR. The Switch already has detachable motion enabled controllers. If it has the same form as the Switch, the Switch 2 would have all you need for VR, you would just need to include a mount, which would probably add about 10 dollars to the production cost.
VR capabilities kind of go well with the Switch. The selling point of the system was that you can Switch between different modes of play, handheld, tabletop, and tv. So, now there would be a fourth. VR hasn't lit the world on fire yet, but I think if it's coming along with something people already like, people would be more willing to give it a shot. Since every Switch 2 owner would have VR capabilities, Nintendo could develop some games that really take advantage of VR, even if not every title uses it. It could offer something new without really changing what people liked about the Switch.
That's my prediction. What do you think?
