Nintendo Switch: a “home gaming system first and foremost”, future of the 3DS

Yesterday, Nintendo finally revealed its new gaming system (previously known as NX): the Nintendo Switch. But what is it exactly? A home console you can take with you on the go? Or a handheld you can play on your TV? For Nintendo, the answer is clear: the Nintendo Switch is a “home gaming system first and foremost”.

More interesting, Nintendo explains that “no announcement regarding the future of Nintendo 3DS” has been made.

Does that all mean the Nintendo 3DS is getting a proper successor down the line? It’s certainly possible, as the Nintendo Switch is not really an appealing device for someone only interested in handheld gaming (too expensive, especially for kids). Not to mention that, were the Nintendo Switch fail, Nintendo would be left without a viable home console and handheld, which would be a massive blow for the company.

Nintendo is convinced people are still hungry for new Nintendo 3DS games, such as Pokémon Sun and moon. There are also quite a lot of games coming out next year, such as Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, Mario Sports Superstars, the new Pikmin game, and of course Ever Oasis.

As for the Wii U, while Nintendo has quite clearly given up on the platform, the company isn’t ready to announce anything regarding the production status of its current home console. The Nintendo rep reminded us that in April, it was announced that only 800 000 units would be shipped this fiscal year, so the Wii U will become hard to find in stores. It’s clear that Nintendo wants as few unsold Wii U units left when the Nintendo Switch comes out.

The Nintendo Switch will be released in March 2017 worldwide.

Source: Polygon