I would also like to add something in regards to disruptive innovation and the Switch "not being like the Wii" because it is more expensive and more powerful: This is exactly what the theory of disruptive innovation predicts. Disruptive innovation does not state "Nintendo consoles will always be weak". Instead, the theory says: "The disruptive technology will move upmarket and close the gap to established technologies in terms of old-market-value" (in this case power).
Mainframes > Personal computers > Laptops > Smartphones, or in the case of gaming consoles: Arcades > home consoles > handhelds is a perfect example of technologies disrupting prior tech. In 2000 many people didn't want to buy a laptop because it was too slow for many things. In 2007, many people did not want to buy an iPhone because it was too slow for many things. In 2017, many people said the Switch wasn't powerful enough to substitute for a home console. In 2025, fewer people say that about the Switch 2. This is exactly what the theory predicts.
Another example would be HDDs decreasing in physical size: The main purpose of an HDD is to store a lot of data and access that data at a decent speed. Every time smaller HDDs appeared (5 inches, 3.5 inches) they were at first slower than their larger counterparts, but found use in disruptive products (prime example: the iPod, which used a 1.8 inch HDD, I think). SSDs are the same: I remember when the MacBook Air was new and had an SSD option, that option was ridiculously expensive, the SSD was really small and it wasn't that much faster than a regular HDD. SSD is a disruptive technology.
Edit: Also, ARM technology is a prime example of a disruptive technology and an often-used case study to explain the theory.
Last edited by Louie - on 04 January 2026
