All good things must come to an end. While I wouldn't necessarily consider the Nintendo Switch good hardware, and I wouldn't consider the vast majority of its software to be good software, but it was truly an innovative console that didn't focus on gameplay based gimmicks and just gave us the games. It was excellent for indie titles and had a lot of uses for local and adhoc multiplayer.

However, looking at the release calendar for Nintendo in 2023, we only really have one title for release the entire year, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. If not for the delayed work due to the pandemic, this would typically spell the end of a consoles lifecycle, but as we're holding onto hope that Nintendo has new games just waiting to be announced, we also have to understand the fact that this is the sixth year of the Switch's lifecycle, and the hardware it's on was pretty outdated when the system came out, and its full capabilities were maxed out and causing framerate problems since day one. We've heard reports this week that Nintendo scapped all plans for a Switch Pro, which would have bridged the gap in the same way the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X extended their lifecycles. We've known for nearly 2 years that they're hard at work on the next Nintendo console, so how much longer do you think its going to be?

Personally, I think we're going to get a handful of games announced with a direct somewhere between March and July, with a bit of a scarce fall release window, similar to last year. But I think this may be the last one before we're able to get a formal announcement of the next console, with some cross platform games to be announced the year after.

How about you? How much more do you think they can keep pushing out mediocre games on a fragile console that can hardly run them? Do you think we'll see one or two more years of the Switch, or three to five?

alexanyways : Considering how long the Wii and 3DS lasted, I feel like Nintendo's more then likely going to give the system about 4 years before either going the direction of Making a New console entirely, or they'll give it new support by releasing a Switch Pro which I think would be a year or so from now.

I know Nintendo's probably hesitant to release a new console in general because of how successful the Switch is now and the already big Library of games that's come out for it. While I think they're going to be making a Switch Pro more then likely, I don't think it'll be as big a upgrade as the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X and more like the New Nintendo 3DS where it will have better hardware and all but it's not a drastic improvement from the Original.

I feel like that's more then likely at this point even though they keep trying to say it won't happen since they tend to fall back on those types of arguments anyways and happen to do it even though they say they won't. As for the other console though, I think it'll be in the same vein as the Switch given how popular it is. Allowing for Portability and still being able to play at home probably is going to be their game plan for their consoles from now on since they won't bring back a portable only console. It'll probably be way superior to the Switch hardware wise, probably on par with the current PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but going to be behind in specs to the latest generations whenever those may come out in the next year or two after the new console releases.

We'll have to see really, the Switch is still extremely popular and I doubt it'll be going away any time soon.

The Switch still has a long way to go. Another thing is if Nintendo is actually willing to keep it alive for as long as it can, which we hope yes.

The Switch was very innovative, something that Nintendo is familiar with as the've been the creators of most of the revolutions we've seen in the last 35 years. The competition hasn't yet produced anything that can counter its popularity, not even Steam Deck is capable of dethroning it. This should be enough proof that the Switch was and still is a success that should live on.

Does the Switch have flaws? Yes, just like any other console out there. But overall its flaws aren't as bad as they seem compared to the competition. They've attempted to solve many of these issues, and I think the OLED was a step in the right direction and the proof that the Switch can still have updates to stay in the market.

Due to how Nintendo has always surprised us with its consoles, people is eager to see what can they produce next. However, the good health of the Switch and the fact that new generation consoles haven't overshadowed their predecessors can extend its lifespan a bit more. But it won't stay there forever like the Game Boy did, the world now evolves much faster and they need to keep up with that progress.

I think that we won't see a successor of the Switch until at least 2025, and unless Nintendo has something big up their sleeves, I honestly see that successor being just like what the Wii U was to the original Wii or maybe both consoles can coexist this time much like the competition is doing. But then again, as long as the Switch produces healthy numbers I don't see Nintendo really moving on given how ambitious they've been in some aspects with this console and its games.

now now, those release schedules are subject to change there could be another title, heck I know kids are still playing them, students at my workplace usually play them in the library during their lunch hour

Well, when I was younger new gaming systems used to come out every 6-8 years. I would say ever since 2008 new gaming systems come out every 3-4 years. Unlike Sony and Microsoft Nintendo seems to let their gaming systems stay around longer. The Switch came out I want to think around 2017. If that is the case it has been around for 6 years. I would say its probably got about 2 more years left. Nintendo usually comes out with something new every 7/8 years. The switch remains popular so yeah I think 2 perhaps 3 more years left.

I don't see the switch getting phased out until at least 2026/27, especially since there have been absolutely no rumors about a new console coming out.

They're still making A list games for the switch, with Breath of The Wild 2 still set to release soon. I'm sure they'll at least get another round of pokemon/A-Tier Mario games in before they move on. This has been an extremely popular systems and some of Nintendo's best games have been released on it.

I think it’s got at least 3 more years left in the tank, even if the Switch’s successor gets released next year. I just hope that it can overtake the PS2 to become the best selling video game system of all time before then.

Honestly with the Switch I feel like another two years or so. They haven’t announced anything except for the upgraded switch and they’re still putting out some good games, Tears of Kingdom I’ve heard is pretty good

I wanna say it's got a good 5 years at minimum because it still took quite a bit of time before the 3DS finally went into retirement.(The 2DS with NSMB 2 and 2DS XL with Mario Kart 7 being the last bundles I saw in store shelves.)

What's also curious to me is if they'll opt for the Switch's current library to be backwards compatible much like how Xbox and PlayStation have done with the Series X/PS5


It's really difficult to say because the Switch its self already contains games that will be hard to follow up on:
Tears of The Kingdom.
Smash Brothers Ultimate.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
They also got Super Mario Bros Wonder coming out in October.


So at least in my mind, they'd probably have to give their next system a 3D Mario to start things on the right foot.

If they announce the successor this year and release it at the end of the year, I would think that new games would keep being developed for the Switch until around fall 2026, but obviously at a much shorter pace.

I'll give it another 10-20 years, they spent a ton of time into the Switch, I don't think they are gonna pull the plug on for another decade or so. Or they come out with a new handheld and pull the plug on the Switch really fast then like 5-8 years.