There was gonna be a problem OP's specualtion the moment he tried to perceive the "core/hardcore gamer" as a defined trait of inherent superiority.
Spoiler, it isn't.
To me, the core gaming aspect is just the ability of someone to focus on a certain aspect of the gaming experience.
And as far as I'm aware, Nintendo has been mostly laser focused to bring pretty much everything they could aside from a few exception on the latest console, the Switch.
Meaning the Switch offers a core gaming experience that's simply more focused on the Nintendo catalogue of titles, even it has a plethora of 3rd party content you can engage with.
Switch Friend Code : 3905-6122-2909