With the Nintendo Switch approaching its sixth anniversary, Nintendo has been very coy about the possibility of a true successor to the console (no, the Switch OLED doesn’t count). But this week, a vague redaction of government documents about the proposed Microsoft/Activision merger has led some industry watchers to speculate that a Switch successor announcement could be in the near future.
All that speculation centers on one line buried in a 43-page appendix to a report from the UK Competition and Markets Authority. He recently opposed Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision. In discussing services that may compete with the cloud gaming features of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, the appendix states that Nintendo Switch Online is “only available on Nintendo Switch devices and [redacted].”
Of course, Nintendo Switch Online is currently that’s all Available for Nintendo Switch (as the name suggests). The CMA’s edit following the “and” could simply describe upcoming consoles that Nintendo does not want to be officially announced through regulatory submissions (e.g., “…Nintendo Switch device available in the [another console Nintendo is currently developing]”).
Nintendo has hinted at the continuity of this sort of positive online account in the past. At an investor presentation in late 2020, Nintendo shared slides, stating that current Nintendo accounts and their “value-added services” (such as Nintendo Switch Online) will remain available, and that the company’s “integrated hardware- Software next game system” will be released in amorphous “20XX”.
have been waiting…
Some see this as a firm confirmation that a “Nintendo Switch Pro” is on the way, but that’s not the only possible explanation. may be protected (e.g. “…is available on the Nintendo Switch device and [not directly competitive with Microsoft’s Game Pass]”).
Alternatively, the edit may be hiding Nintendo’s plans to expand Nintendo Switch Online’s library of classic games to mobile phones and PCs (e.g., “…available on Nintendo Switch devices, [mobile/PC platforms in the near future]”).
Offering an “official” emulator on mobile and PC platforms is a first for Nintendo, and may offer a limited and legitimate alternative to Nintendo’s scorched-earth policy on ROM download sites. It also fits somewhat in the competition of Nintendo’s consoles, with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass for PC expanding the company’s Windows gaming efforts, and Sony porting many of its PlayStation console exclusives to the PC.
Regardless, continued speculation shows just how upset many are about the new, more powerful consoles from Nintendo. Less than five years passed between the ill-fated Wii U and Switch itself.
The original Switch was still relatively underpowered in 2017. AAA games from years ago often required major graphics downgrades and cumbersome streaming solutions to run on consoles. Switch hardware also set Nintendo sales records, but those sales are starting to slow slightly as the market for the system becomes more and more saturated.
However, until we get official word that a new Nintendo console is coming, hopeful gamers will continue to read the tea leaves for anything that might hint at the company’s plans.
