Nintendo’s pitfalls: the features Switch 2 shouldn’t have –

We already know Nintendo is working on a new console to replace the Switch, and there are plenty of wishes online about what the console should offer in terms of digital horsepower, unique features, improved Pro Controllers, expanded online support and more.

The truth, however, is that I don’t think Nintendo needs to do much at all to sell much again, and their biggest threat is probably Nintendo itself. The company has a strange penchant for innovating at all costs, leading to strange decisions that aggressively backfire, while in cases where they definitely need to move forward, they instead stubbornly stand still.

So, as a kind soul, I decided to help Nintendo out a bit by wishing not what they should do to maximize Switch 2 – but by wishing what they shouldn’t. An anti-wishing list, if you will. Here we go!

Keeping friend codes

Ever since Xbox Live launched in 2002 and since it really took off with the Xbox 360 in 2005, Xbox gamers have been able to easily add their friends, send messages to whomever they want and invite each other for a round of Halo or two. But not on Switch. To ensure that Switch owners absolutely do not get to know others with the console, there are long codes that no one remembers that are required to become a friend. And even if you do add a friend, there is hardly any way to do anything with them because the online service is stone dead. Here everything just needs to be discarded and done all over again.

Switch headsets are completely redundant

For those who want to chat with people online, several major hurdles await Switch, not least because of the aforementioned Friend Codes, but also other limitations. Being able to easily chat with each other is a given these days, and Nintendo should provide its own official and simple solution that makes it as easy to chat with people as it has been for nearly 20 years for the two competing consoles.

Why not call it Switch U?

You might laugh about it, but as you know, that’s exactly what Nintendo was aiming for with the Wii’s successor, which was called the Wii U. Similar in appearance and name, but completely different systems, which baffled people so much that many didn’t even realize it was a new console. I know I’ve written this before, but we even got a call from a panicked mother on a Monday in December looking for a Wii U screen for her kids. She found it only with the console, but she already had it, so it was the Wii U screen itself that was needed. You can laugh about it (not so easy!) and I had to explain that she was completely wrong, but the fault lies not with her but with Nintendo. Clearer name and profile so you realize it’s something completely new.

Bet on a bold new gimmick

Nintendo wants to offer something new with its consoles at all costs, a feature that no one else has. They actually did this pretty well with the Wii, but even there it was used a lot. We certainly didn’t have to shake like crazy on the Wii to turn in Super Mario Galaxy or do tricks in Mario Kart Wii – it would have been more intuitive to just press a button. And for the Nintendo 3DS, most had the 3D graphics turned off. Even a blockbuster like the Switch doesn’t really have very well-used features (Joy-Cons have an IR camera, for example). Nintendo hardware sells because the games are so incredibly good. Skip the gimmicks, plain and simple.

Make sure you release lots of Switch remasters

Sony was criticized for releasing a lot of remasters when the PlayStation 5 launched, while Microsoft offered improved versions for free via free updates or built-in features in the Xbox Series X. But Nintendo is on a very different level than Sony and likes to sell reissues, their entire Switch Online service consists purely of games that many of us have already bought at the time, then from the Wii Virtual Console service and into the odd collection – and now we’re paying for them again as a subscription. It is possible to be much more generous here, keep that in mind.

Skip backwards compatibility

This has a bit to do with the above about Switch remasters. Traditionally, Nintendo has been pretty good at backwards compatibility via adapters like the Super Game Boy to Super Nintendo or true support like the Gamecube working with the Wii and Wii U. The Switch has sold an awful lot of games and while it can certainly take some work to make a good emulator of such strange hardware, it should be done. If the device does not have a cartridge reader, an adapter is also needed so that the transition between generations is smooth and user-friendly.

Go for limp analog levers that break easily

I work with video games and managed to wear out a controller this generation. It was an Xbox Series S/X dito, where I used it for both PC and Xbox. PlayStation 5 has survived – while I have replaced four Joy-Cons, even though I don’t even play with them very often (preferring Pro Controllers). The problems with stick drift really need to be reviewed and eliminated for good. Quality costs money, but this is really something to prioritize.

Replace SD card technology with something of your own

Upgrading storage to both PS Vita and Xbox Series X/S is very easy. This is because they have so-called proprietary formats, i.e. unique solutions that only work for these two – which in turn has led to high prices. Switch and PlayStation 5, on the other hand, have standard solutions, meaning you can just surf to Price Hunt and buy a suitable SD card or SSD to get gigabytes at low prices. Nintendo often likes its own solutions, but here they are absolutely right and should definitely not dribble this out.

Analog trigger buttons are really overrated

Nintendo charges really good money for its Pro Controller, but the fact is that it is several levels worse than both the standard controller for Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. For example, the crossbar is useless, it also has stick drift problems and also lacks analog triggers. The ones that look like triggers are instead digital buttons, which means it is not possible to adjust the speed in them in, say, racing games. Pro Controller needs a thorough overhaul and real triggers should be added (not least for F-Zero which will return sooner or later).