Could the Switch's success have been done earlier?

[Wman1996]

They picked the best possible time, but some earlier years were possible.
PSP launched in Japan in late 2004 and was closer to a PS2 in specs than most would've expected. Nintendo might've been able to release a Switch around 2006 that was similar specs to Wii in docked mode and around a GameCube or slightly weaker in handheld (to conserve battery).
2012-2013 might've worked out as well. Just don't make the 3DS or Wii U and release a hybrid platform around PS3/360 specs (in docked at least).
I don't think mobile batteries and chipsets were really there before 2004 for a hybrid to be worth it. A hybrid shouldn't just be handheld-like games on a TV, but a home console experience too.
PSP could've been a hybrid, and it IRL it nearly was. It never had a dock and component cables were sold separately. But still, if you bought them, you could hook it up to a TV.
If PSP was a hybrid in real-life with similar specs (maybe boosting up slightly past PS2 in docked mode) it could've decreased Sony's reliance on PS2 while PS3 struggled out of the gate. There's no way I could see the PS3 itself as hybrid. A successor to PS2 with barely better specs would've probably been an even crazier decision than Sony already went with in the many expensive PS3 decisions they made.