Can Nintendo Retain The Video Game Crown With Their Next Console?

Ten years ago, mainstream journalism was telling Nintendo to pack it up and instead shift the overall company into a mobile game development company for the likes of tech giants such as Apple and Android. They had just lost $323 Million due to the disappointment of the WiiU after their widely successful Wii System had helped them dominate the video game industry for seven years over the course of the Seventh Generation of video games from 2006-2012.

Nintendo Switch Splatoon 2. Photo Credit: joatseu, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Now, following one of the greatest rebounds in gaming history, Nintendo owns the market having now sold over 132 millions units of their highly popular and recognizable Switch console, keeping them well ahead of their Xbox and PlayStation competition. Even with a three year head start in their favor, it is still very impressive to the market, their fans, and the eagle eyed media.

Could this be a sign of an even bigger story, that the Switch 2 will be coming much sooner than expected? Make sure your wallets are ready just in case they drop a Nintendo Direct out of nowhere. The original Nintendo Switch was first showcased in March of 2017, will history repeat itself?

MarioKart 8 Deluxe (2017), Nintendo

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Now Nintendo Switch 2 rumors are the biggest buzz of the industry, the console has well outlived the average lifespan of many video game consoles in and out of Nintendo when it comes to continued support from Triple A developers without a follow up even formally announced.

Despite all this success, Nintendo finds themselves in familiar territory. After once again, crushing the sales charts, they need to land a goal that the Japanese company has never landed for their home entertainment systems, a more successful follow up.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), Nintendo

Nintendo’s best selling systems with the ability to play on the home TV, have had a history of disappointing sales charts following their previous outings. 91’s Super Nintendo was around 12 million short of the sensation of the Nintendo Entertainment System and 2012’s WiiU ended with a catastrophic 13.46 million units compared to its predecessor, the Wii, having over 100 million units sold after launching 2006.

This time however, Nintendo should theoretically have a Home/Portable console hybrid on the market again, which the handhelds have had a history of high sales numbers.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020), Nintendo

Nintendo has also been under the new leadership Shuntaro Furukawa since 2018. The Nintendo Switch’s development is widely regarded as the vision of late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, can Nintendo duplicate the level of success in the first system without his oversight since 2002?

Recently, Bloomberg broke a rumor that the Nintendo Switch successor will have an 8-inch LCD screen which comes on top of a prior rumor reported last year that the Nintendo Switch 2 would launch in 2024. The 2024 rumor was reported by VGC; however, an announcement has not been made yet.

However, Nintendo has a history of making big announcements close to release dates. They could drop a Nintendo Direct out of nowhere. The original Nintendo Switch was first showcased in October of 2016, less than five months before release.

MarioKart 8 Deluxe (2017), Nintendo

When it comes to Switch rumors and the success of Nintendo’s next system, the biggest question is, will history repeat itself?

NEXT: Alleged Leaker Claims Switch 2 Will Feature Two High Profile RPGs On Nintendo’s New System