For me, I don't think the wait for Switch was exciting, more like meh, just like Switch 2. N64 and Wii U have been the systems that I've been hyped the most. Weren't worth the hype. Wii was the most hyped system after the controller revelation. Whatever the Switch 2 is, I'll take or not, we'll see what we get once it's out.

The build-up to the Switch was certainly more interesting. There were so many rumors about what the "NX" would be. There were various patents that people thought might be the system. There were fake mockups based on those patents. There was the debate about whether moving to a single platform would end up being a bad thing business-wise.

With the Switch 2, it's pretty much going to be a more powerful next-gen Switch. Nothing new or exciting, just iterative. I'm sure there will be a couple of added bells & whistles to set it apart besides just the leap in power, but the whole not-knowing aspect of the buildup just isn't there this time. It's more of a "Can we finally get a new system?" feeling. I'm more interested in seeing what major titles it will have in its launch window. 3D Mario? Mario Kart 9? Some long shot like a new F-Zero or a StarTropics reboot? There's a lot possibilities there.

I'll start out by saying neither are very good.
Switch was announced as Codename NX early because Wii U was about 2 and a half years old but dying already. If 3DS wasn't successful, there's a real chance NX would've been announced earlier and might've released in 2016.
Switch 2 is taking forever. There's way more positivity this time because of how awesome Switch is, but there's little official we know yet. January will likely be the reveal with a May-July release date.
I suppose I'll slightly pick Switch 2 because it will probably be a great system whereas Switch (then Codename NX) was a crapshoot.

For me, the wait for the Switch 1 was much more excruciating, because the WiiU was basically dead and barely getting any games by the end of its life. The situation with the Switch 1 right now is much better, since it has a lot more games to play and is still getting new releases.

I don't see a febuary unveil, january or march. May- July release date is getting more likley every week passing without an anouncement wich definitly won't happen in 2024 anymore after there was nothing at the TGA. March 2025 is on extremly wackey feet now.

Had no problem waiting for the Switch since I was mostly a 3DS player and occasional late WiiU player so I was catching up to the small backlog I was interested in and waiting for Zelda BOTW to play it on.

The speculation of what the console could/would be was definitely the most interesting part of it all. All the fake mock ups, the fact I was listening avidly to all sorts of rumors and getting myself excited over it ...

That has not been the same thing for the Switch 2 speculation threads at all lol.
First, Switch 2 early speculation felt just like an extension of the non-sensical Switch Pro threads we were having since 2019 at earliest until the OLED announcement. Then, we got heavy speculative people into the mix each time the software schedule seem unsure or lighten up a bit because they always thought of it as a sign for the one inevitable Switch successor reveal.

Factor into the mess that most of the "legit" info that we've gotten on it seem to suggest we're getting an iterative device and yeah, this isn't gonna make me flock with ideas like the original Switch did.

Anyway, what excites me hugely more is the software speculation coming with the launch of the new system.
New 3D Mario ? New experimental IP ? Takahashi's next project at Monolith Soft ? Cross-Gen titles ?

So much to say on that topic

For me personally the lead up the the NX/Switch 1 was way more hype. Mainly cause Nintendo fans pretty much during the entire Wii U era suffered all generation with huge game droughts and just games that were underwhelming throw away titles. Also all the negative news surrounding Nintendo at the time uncertain if they'll even able to be a viable platform as a console maker in the future, it made people beg to see a new Nintendo to get out of the hell we were experiencing with the Wii U and hopefully prove that Nintendo could stay in the console business. The failure of the Wii U also made us certain that the NX was gonna be an entirely new concept since Nintendo had to change things up if their current console was a failure, this made us super excited and hyped to see how a new Nintendo will look like.

For the Switch 2 to be honest there isn't anywhere near as much hype for me because I pretty much know what to expect, it's pretty obvious that the Switch 2 will likely just be the same concept just with better performance which I'm completely happy with, but doesn't offer that sane level of surprise and mystery to get me hyped about how the next console will look like since I already know what it's gonna be. Plus the Switch has done so amazing this generation I'm not really desperate for a new console either since the Switch gave me almost everything I wanted from a Nintendo system, unlike the Wii U where we were desperate for a better Nintendo.

There were a lot of people doubting the Switch on this forum:
https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/217447/the-nintendo-nx-will-be-dead-on-arrival/19/

There were several of us who pointed out how they were wrong.
Well... speaking for myself... I was a sore winner 😄

Yeah, my knee jerk reaction to it all, then followed by cautious optism was truly nothing in comparison to the takes I'm reading from back then ...

"don't want Nintendo to fail as a company but Switch isn't what the masses wanted and it isn't what big developers wanted either... Nintendo lightening up on who gets dev units isn't a bad thing but it doesn't mean only good things are coming either. "

Then you had @Veknoid_Outcast litteraly predicting the exact strategy that would make the Switch the actual success it is :

" But I think Nintendo can carve out a corner of the industry for itself. It doesn't need to offer 4K resolution, eight cores, or six teraflops. It just needs an attractive price point and a steady supply of Nintendo games, with a few interesting third-party games filling in the gaps. Nintendo doesn't need to sell 80 million units. It just needs to turn a consistent profit.  "

Fantastic re-read. Actually aside from the few debates that were had with a certain person a few months ago due to supposed specs, DLSS and Red Dead Redemption (lol), we didn't really get much of these kind of speculation threads during the Switch sucessor speculation era.

Don't know if I miss in part but it sure made the forum more lively lol