With Xbox Series X and PS5, Nintendo Switch feels more on its own planet than ever

Everyone’s only talking about Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 this week, and yet it’s important to remember that we’re still in a tri-fold console ecosystem, even if the going gets tough… on that front.

While Nintendo used to push the limits of the graphics and technical capabilities of video games, those years have long passed, and when new systems like the Wii, Wii U, and Switch made their debut, they were all behind. the technical prowess of their Sony rivals. and Microsoft.

To some extent, it doesn’t really matter at all. The Wii has been a huge hit, with its motion control gadget. The Wii U was a disaster, but Nintendo bounced back with the Switch, a colossal achievement combining console and handheld gaming in a way that it’s been an essential buy for all levels of gamers (and many non-gamers). Over its entire lifespan, it is possible that it will outperform all of its competitors in the long run.

But now we’re entering a weird era of limbo for the Switch, and I’m curious what route Nintendo is taking here.

When the Switch debuted after the PS4 and Xbox One, it was already lagging behind on power, and it’s rarely able to run big third-party games outside of very late, heavily scaled-down ports (see Doom Eternal Coming more than 8 months late, most recently). Instead, the system relies heavily on Nintendo’s own much-needed IP addresses, with the occasional dive into something smaller and good and perfect for that like Hades.

But now the PS5 and Xbox Series X (and S) have stuck on the throttle and pulled away from the Switch even further in terms of power, and a new next-gen Nintendo console is still not in sight. . Again, the power gap doesn’t matter, up to a point, but we’re approaching a place where the Switch actually feels like it’s not just last gen. , But of them people behind.

You can say, “Well, the games!” That’s right, the Switch continued to produce amazing games throughout its life, and yet a lot of its “big” generational titles have come and gone. A main Mario game, a Zelda main game, a Smash Bros main game, an Animal Crossing main game and now that it’s a handheld, a main Pokemon game. From what we can tell, the next big entries for many series will be straight sequels, Odyssey 2, Breath of the Wild 2, while others like Metroid are still years and years away, it seems. he. Probably the biggest holiday release for the Switch this fall is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

We’ve heard rumors, nothing official, that Nintendo is planning an “improved” version of the Switch to some extent at some point, probably the 2021 holiday. What that implies, more power, higher resolution, etc., is unclear, but to me this idea doesn’t really feel like a new generation to me, but rather what PS4 and Xbox One did with the mid-generation PS4 Pro and Xbox One X upgrades. wonder how many current Switch owners want to to go down to $ 300 or whatever, whereas while the main draw is “more power,” it’s not really something Nintendo fans have cared about much for a while now. Although a new system like this is mandatory for some future games, or restrict functionality if you don’t have it? Who knows.

This is by no means a “Nintendo is doomed” article. I’m just wondering how they’re going to position themselves in a market where their competition is essentially two generations ahead of them now in terms of power output, and they’ve already gone through a lot of their core franchise this generation, with the future being a little more nebulous for the outputs. We will probably know a lot more this year. In the meantime, it’s time to start Hyrule Warriors shortly.

Follow me on Twitter, Youtube and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels Herokiller and Herokiller 2, and read my first series, The Earthborn Trilogy, which is also on audio book.