The announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2 is probably the highlight of my year so far.
I know it’s only February and there will probably be bigger things to come like graduating college, but this announcement is still extremely exciting.
Back on Jan. 16, Nintendo released the first-look trailer for a brand-new gaming console: the Nintendo Switch 2. Like all gaming reveal trailers, the internet went wild. From people claiming this is the future of gaming to saying this will kill Nintendo off once and for all, there have been some mixed feelings.
I feel confident that the Switch 2 will be another great advancement for Nintendo both in sales and popularity. Not so much from the advancement of technology though.
I see some improvements that this console will have over its predecessor, but it’s still behind it’s competitors like PlayStation and Xbox.
In classic Nintendo fashion, it probably won’t matter. This is based on the simple concept that Nintendo has this magic aura to them, an aura that says, “We are the gaming industry’s gem that will never stop shining.”
As a consumer, I buy into this concept. It gives the company a mysticism to itself.
Looking into the release trailer there were a bunch of things that stuck out. I think that the best place to start is with the Joy-Cons.
The Joy-Con controllers look to have had a great update. Instead of sliding on and off the physical console, the new and improved Joy-Cons now insert themselves to lock into the console’s sides. Which means that the Joy-Cons are more bumped out, with larger side buttons for when you switch from pair to single Joy-Con mode.
As someone with big fingers, I like that Nintendo has realized that the small left and right trigger buttons were not as comfortable as they could be. I know that they did have bump out accessories for the buttons to get bigger. But I feel that the base version should just come with the most comfortable buttons possible.
Additionally, on the right Joy-Con specifically, a new button has appeared. Located underneath the home button on the controller, the mysterious new button has me intrigued.
I really am excited to see what it does.
There is also a new and improved kickstand on the back of the console. This is the best improvement from the original switch, because the stand on the original switch is the worst part of the entire console.
The stand on the original switch was– putting it lightly– the worst, most useless piece of hardware ever made. It was a single flimsy piece of plastic that easily broke off when any weight was put on it.
Plus, it’s only on one side of the console; it is always holding a weird amount of weight. Oh, and it was the only cover to the microSD card slot on the console.
It is the single worst design flaw I can point out on the original console.
But, I guess, what do I know about technology design? I am just a writer. Oh wait, But I’m not just a writer. I’m a consumer, and I still do not get how they thought that the original Switch’s kickstand would be useful when playing undocked.
Nintendo has been around since 1889, which is older than the airplane, Eastern Illinois University and Alaska– it’s statehood at least. With the company lasting this long, I have some faith that they know what they’re doing.
Now, of course, like many people I have questions about the Nintendo Switch 2. How much storage will it have? How much will it cost? What games will it have on day one?
Hopefully we will get more answers during Nintendo’s next presentation on April 2.
The way I see it, there is this big nostalgia issue with Nintendo fans. What we have in our hands right now is a brand-new shiny toy that is bad and not worth the time. Then a decade goes by, and people are in tears over the very notion of a single fond memory they had playing games.
Lastly, one of the things I am most excited for is the fact that there will be backwards compatibility with some games from the already existing Nintendo Switch library.
Now Nintendo still has not set a release date for the console. Hopefully, it will be before May, as I might be able to capture the ultimate nostalgia factor of me getting a Switch for my 8th grade graduation and possibly getting a Switch 2 for my college graduation.
Gunnar Olson can be reached at 581-2812 or at deneic@gmail.com.