I don't think you can pin point the Switch's lifespan. One of the problems coming down is massive inflation. The Federal Reserve is slowly admitting inflation is not as transitory as they hoped. This is going to throw everything for a loop. In a few years, you wont be able to release a new console as budgets get tightened and savings wiped out. Nintendo has a good thing going with the Switch right now and there isn't much reason to make another one. Moreover, there is a large library of titles on the system so they can coast on that. The other issue is development cost will go up, so any project that extends multiple years will have to factor in inflation and rising wages (cost of living adjustments). The Switch is in a good spot where Nintendo doesn't have to make 5 year projects.

I think the Switch will easily be around until 2027 (if not inflation, deflation will likely hurt more, but that's assuming the Fed Raises rates). Nintendo was probably already planning for a longer life cycle. COVID pushed it out a year or two, and this will likely push it out much further.

Well, OP, so far two of your designs have made the cut. No bad at all! Your "XL" rendition also turned out to be impressively close to the announced OLED model.

And, man, so many people that posted in this here thread are eating crow right now.

So COVID loves Switch but hated PS4 and XBOne because they were not pushed farther? I didn't know SARS COV-2 virus was choosy.

You know that PS4 and XBox One launched in 2013 and Switch launched in 2017, right?  Sony and Microsoft already had their next gen systems planned for 2020 launch before COVID.  PS4 and XBox One could have ridden out a COVID sales boost if they were more interested in continued production of the units instead of replacing them with the next get systems.

PS4 and XBOne were very much in production when COVID pandemic began. Your premise that people just waited for the next gen consoles and ignoring the old PS4 and XBOne while COVID virus was wrecking havoc simply contradicts your 'COVID boost' theory.

I have no clue what you just said, but it doesn't line up with my statement at all.  I very specifically said that PS4 and XBox One didn't enjoy a year long boost, because they didn't have the stock to support such a boost.  I also very clearly stated the reason for that was because Sony and Microsoft had their manufacturing focused on the launch of their next gen hardware.  I never said anything about "ignoring PS4 and XBox One".  You can't ignore something that is purposely in limited supply.

Predicting this all the way back in January 2018 was a pretty good, especially when we think of how many predicted it to come so many times in-between this prediction and its actual launch in June 2025

Yeah predicting the 2025 replacement and the Switch Lite back in early 2018 were good calls, especially as the general consensus back then was that Switch 2 would come out in like 2023.

One thing pretty much nobody got right was that the Switch would maintain its price point over 8 years and never get a price cut.

We could possibly still get cheaper versions of Switch 1 consoles after the Switch 2 releases. Similar to when the NES Top Loader was released in 1993 after the SNES

Colour me impressed. I got it WAY wrong like 7 times.

Do you know this man?