The Nintendo Switch has now officially surpassed the Nintendo Entertainment System as the longest-lasting Nintendo home console. A new console is on the horizon!
The “Old” Nintendo Switch
Since its global launch on March 3, 2017, the Switch has been in the market for over 2,686 days without a successor. If the Switch’s successor doesn’t launch until March 1, 2025, it might reach over 2,920 days without new hardware. From Nintendo’s first console, the gap between console launches has steadily decreased until the release of the Wii in 2006. The Wii lasted almost six years before the Wii U was released. The Wii U failed to achieve success and was replaced by the Nintendo Switch following only 1,566 days, as Nintendo rushed to bring the Switch to market.
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console that can be used both as a hand-held device and a home console. In terms of Nintendo’s longest-lasting handhelds, the Switch falls short of the original Game Boy, which enjoyed an impressive 4,352 days before the release of its successor, the Game Boy Advance. However, the Switch surpasses the Nintendo DS, the company’s best-selling hardware to date, which was on the market for 2,288 days before the release of the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo confirmed in May that its next console would be announced “this fiscal year,” indicating the launch of the Switch’s successor will be no later than the end of March 2025. To avoid impacting holiday sales in 2024, the announcement is likely to take place in February or March of 2025. But the Switch 2 is coming!
The Nintendo Switch now officially has the longest lifespan of all Nintendo home consoles. New ones are coming soon!
Die “alte” Nintendo Switch
Since its global launch on March 3, 2017, over 2,686 days have passed without the arrival of a successor console, meaning the Switch’s lifespan has officially surpassed Nintendo’s previous longest-lasting console, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Assuming the Nintendo Switch’s successor doesn’t launch until March 1, 2025, the Switch might reach over 2,920 days without the launch of newer hardware.
Since Nintendo’s first hardware, the gap between hardware launches got shorter and shorter until the previous best-selling console Wii arrived in 2006, lasting almost exactly 6 years before the Wii U was released. It was considered a flop, and then got the fewest days before its successor (1,566) as Nintendo rushed ahead with its plans for Nintendo Switch.
Of course, Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console that can also be played portably, and in terms of Nintendo’s longest-lasting handhelds, Switch still falls far behind the original Game Boy, which enjoyed a massive 4,352 days before the launch of its full successor, the Game Boy Advance. However, the Switch beats the Nintendo DS – the company’s best-selling hardware of all time – which got 2,288 days before the Nintendo 3DS got the spotlight.
Nintendo confirmed in May that it will announce its next console “this fiscal year,” meaning the Switch’s successor no later than the end of March 2025 will be announced. In order not to spoil the 2024 Christmas business, an announcement will probably not actually take place until February or March 2025. But the Switch 2 is coming!
| Console | Release Date | Days until Successor |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Entertainment System | October 18, 1985 | 2,569 |
| Super Nintendo Entertainment System | August 23, 1991 | 1,597 |
| Nintendo 64 | September 29, 1996 | 1,446 |
| GameCube | September 14, 2001 | 1,866 |
| Wii | November 19, 2006 | 2,190 |
| Wii U | November 18, 2012 | 1,566 |
| Nintendo Switch | March 3, 2017 | 2,686+ |
The Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo. It has sold over 122 million units worldwide, making it the third best-selling console of all time.
The Switch has been praised for its versatility, portability, and its strong library of games. Nintendo has also been successful in attracting new players to the platform, with many users who grew up with Nintendo consoles returning to the brand following years of being absent.
The Switch has been a breath of fresh air for Nintendo, and the company has shown that it is still relevant in the gaming industry.
The question now is: What will Nintendo do next?
Nintendo has said that it is working on a new console, but it has not revealed any details regarding it. The company has also said that it will continue to support the Switch with new games and updates.
So what can we expect from the Switch’s successor?
It is likely to be a more powerful console than the Switch, with a better graphics processor and a larger amount of RAM. It is also likely to have a new controller, and possibly even a new screen.
The most important thing for Nintendo is to ensure that the new console has a strong library of games. The Switch has a great library of games, but many of them are ports of older titles. Nintendo needs to create new games that are exclusive to the new console and can’t be played on the Switch.
Nintendo is facing a difficult challenge. It needs to create a console that is powerful enough to compete with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but also affordable enough to appeal to a wide range of players.
It will be interesting to see what Nintendo does with its next console. The company has a great track record of innovation, and I’m sure that the new console will be something special.
With Nintendo’s upcoming console announcement, the clock is ticking for the Nintendo Switch, but its legacy is already sealed as the longest-lasting home console in Nintendo history.