How long do you think Nintendo will support Switch?

[javi741]

When it comes to Nintendo making games for Switch, I could see Nintendo releasing games for it til 2027. They definitely won't want to stop supporting Switch 1 with games even after Switch 2 releases since they'd want to keep the Switch 1 around as a safety net in case Switch 2 flops, just like how the 3DS was a safety net for the Switch in case the Switch flopped. Plus I'm sure Nintendo would still want to take advantage of the 140M+ install base the Switch 1 has for software sales since the Switch 2 will have a limited install base to profit off of initially, once the Switch 2 install base becomes big enough then they'd focus all their resources on Switch 2.

Despite how successful the Switch was when launched, Nintendo still kept supporting the 3DS with games for another 2 years after it launched until 2019. I expect something similiar with the Switch 1, maybe for a year longer cause of longer development cycles and just cause of how huge and much more profitable the Switch 1 is compared to the 3DS which will incentivize more releases on Switch.

When it comes to the actual discontinuation of the Switch, I expect the OG Switch to actually be phased out relatively more quickly in 2025. I think Nintendo will do this because it's always been feeling like Nintendo will want to phase out the standard model since it likely wouldn't offer anything that the Switch 2 or Switch Oled wouldn't offer and Nintendo would rather force people to just buy a Switch 2 by only offering the more expensive Oled model which will likely be close enough to Switch 2 in price to just force people to get a Switch 2, but they'd still offer the Oled maybe in limited quantities if the consumer just really wants a Switch 1, especially if the Switch 2 goes back to an LCD display instead of Oled so they could offer some type of Oled Switch.

I expect the Switch Lite to be offered until the very end mainly cause I don't think Nintendo will offer the Switch 2 Lite at launch of the Switch 2, so Nintendo would want to keep the Switch Lite around as a cheaper handheld only alternative for several years until the Switch 2 Lite launches, kinda like how the New 2DS XL was the final more affordable 3DS Model that was the last to be discontinued, so I expect the Switch 1 brand in general to discontinue by 2028.