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[RetroGamingUK]

When Microsoft entered the home console market back in 2001, this no doubt came to severe detriment to Nintendo’s home console business.

While the NES, SNES and N64 were seen as successes, the GameCube and Wii U ended up being failures (Wii setting the trans).

With Microsoft seemingly to have now grown in the towel by becoming a third party publisher and their home console business looking precarious with no new competitors entering the fray, could it be time for Nintendo to exploit the market.

I see 2 options

1. A powerful console that goes toe to toe with PS5/PS6, it runs discs and has its own excsluives. It’s worth bearing in mind that when announcing the NX project Iwata’s aim was for Nintendo to combine their efforts to focus on a single platform.

2. A slightly more powerful Switch 2 that removes the screen. It can run Switch and Switch 2 games at 2160p/60fps and would have no exclusives.

What do you guys think considering neither Amazon, Apple, Tencent or Valve seem well suited to enter this market?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

 

[aerts1js]

Nintendo should just stick with what works for them.

 

[ManaByte]

 

[cormack12]

Do you ever see a time when Nintendo release a Zelda game that's as rich with detail and vegetation as Witcher 3 or Skyrim? Or more modern games like RDR2 or Valhalla?

They don't need to at the moment. I would love for them to really push and see what a game like XB or Zelda could look like but I don't think they have that strategy.

 

[thefool]

If by Nintendo you actually mean Sega, then YES.

 

[Rawbutt Jellybean]

Why would they split up their hardware when consolidating gave them the best generation for any console ever?

 

[Horseganador]

No, but if they released some sort of Switch 2 with a pro controller similar to PSTV, I would buy it. I always watch it on TV and the whole hybrid thing doesn't matter to me, Nintendo already left the first division with GameCube because it couldn't compete with Sony and Xbox.

 

[Synastry]

I'm not sure Nintendo can even make a Home Console on par power wise as PlayStation which is why they went there own route.

 

[T4keD0wN]

Notice home console makers Sony and Xbox are trying to copy Nintendo not the other way around.

Mobile is more lucrative than consoles and handheld consoles are more lucrative than home consoles. It would be a regression for Nintendo, if anything they should focus on taking away market from Android and Apple.

As it currently stands Nintendo can make a Mario Kart game for peanuts (compared to Xbox and Sony games) and itll sell 3 times as much as Xbox sells consoles this gen, they risk far less and have much bigger returns, abandoning that advantage would be akin to self-sabotage.

 

[ReBurn]

Was N64 really seen as a success? PlayStation hammered it more than 3-1.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Apple, Steam or Meta make the most sense.

 

[HRK69]

Is this really what people think about in their free time?

 

[adamsapple]

RetroGamingUK out here giving my best friend LectureMaster a run for his money in thread making.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

If by Nintendo you actually mean Sega, then YES.

Hmm, I’m not sure Sega are big enough, and the only home console success they had was the MegaDrive.

 

[ultrazilla]

 

[ungalo]

A powerful console that goes toe to toe with PS5/PS6

it screams disaster

they don't need a powerful console, they sell their games the way it is, and they sell them in every market japan included

 

[DryvBy]

They have been. I rarely ever use my Switch as a handheld because I don't like handhelds and the battery life is awful.

 

[Hudo]

Nah, I think the hybrid concept is a really good one. They do need to find a "second pillar", tho. Maybe that second pillar is the expansion into theme parks and movies, I guess.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Should they abandon the model that is about to give them the highest selling console of all time and go back to Wii U and Gamecube model? Probably not.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

They have been. I rarely ever use my Switch as a handheld because I don't like handhelds and the battery life is awful.

95% of my time with Switch is when connected to my TV, hopefully I’ll be impressed with Switch 2 in that mode

 

[Woopah]

They already compete in the home console market with Switch and Switch 2.

A SKU that ditches portability is possible, but it doesn't do much to advance Nintendo's interests.

Anything that requires exclusive games is a no-go.

I'm not sure Nintendo can even make a Home Console on par power wise as PlayStation which is why they went there own route.

It has nothing to do with capability. Nvidia would be the ones actually making and designing the SoC.

 

[LordOcidax]

The whole point of an business is make money, Nintendo found the holy grail with the Hybrid concept… The question here is if others are going to follow the Nintendo path.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

You're on a roll with these threads OP. Take a break.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Hybrid is the way to go. If they abandon it for a dedicated home console Im out.

 

[Topher]

I voted yes because I gave up trying to play Nintendo games on a big screen that are made for a handheld. Games scale down a hell of a lot easier than they scale up.

 

[LordOcidax]

I'm not sure Nintendo can even make a Home Console on par power wise as PlayStation which is why they went there own route.

Do you really believe this? Or just joking?

 

[Killer8]

Nintendo hybridizing their console to be a portable AND home console has been one of the best things they've ever done, not just for the functionality of the machine but because all of their developers are now on the same page making games for one device. No more split down the middle with half the company making games for handhelds.

 

[bender]

Splitting their development efforts would be silly as would giving away the benefit of modest hardware that helps keep the production costs of those development efforts relatively low.

 

[Schmendrick]

They have a consolidated system layout that covers both the handheld and home console space and keeps development efforts in check by not engaging in the hardware power race. An absolute winning formula... And you suggest they should change back to what they already failed at.......

 

[Hudo]

Nintendo hybridizing their console to be a portable AND home console has been one of the best things they've ever done, not just for the functionality of the machine but because all of their developers are now on the same page making games for one device. No more split down the middle with half the company making games for handhelds.

Iwata really made a good decision with this.

 

[LordOcidax]

Nintendo hybridizing their console to be a portable AND home console has been one of the best things they've ever done, not just for the functionality of the machine but because all of their developers are now on the same page making games for one device. No more split down the middle with half the company making games for handhelds.

Some people doesn’t understand why this is so important, look at PSVR, Sony is failing with the software development because of this.

 

[SHAKEZ]

They should stick to their guns, the S2 will sell like hotcakes, no need to change anything.

 

[Synastry]

Do you really believe this? Or just joking?

Actions speak louder then words when Nintendo makes a console that matches the PS5 pro and later the PS6 power wise then my post is wrong but the the moment the Switch 2 isn't it.

 

[Evolved1]

Think that would be a disaster. They already cannibalized their handheld market to save themselves from an epic console failure... and now they've created consumer expectations.

 

[LordOcidax]

Actions speak louder then words when Nintendo makes a console that matches the PS5 pro and later the PS6 power wise then my post is wrong but the the moment the Switch 2 isn't it.

Is a business decision… It’s not that Nintendo doesn’t have the resources to develop a powerful hardware along side with Nvidia… Actually, they have the winning formula in the video game industry.

 

[Kacho]

No

 

[Woopah]

Think that would be a disaster. They already cannibalized their handheld market to save themselves from an epic console failure... and now they've created consumer expectations.

How have they cannibalised it?

 

[ADiTAR]

It never left...

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Nintendo should stay with the Switch-formula, a hybrid that leans on the handheld demographic.

 

[Ogbert]

They're the most successful video game publisher and manufacturer.

So, no.

 

[Caio]

Nintendo should just stick with what works for them.

This.

 

[Evolved1]

How have they cannibalised it?

Not trying to be rude but... isn't it self evident? Are you misremembering the circumstances around Switch? The gimmick this time was to combine their two audiences. One on fucking life support, the other strongest in the industry. It was a hail mary, and turned out pretty successful for them.

 

[Saber]

Why though?
They are already part of market even though they decide to make a new one for them.
Nintendo will aways be Nintendo, regardless of what both Sony and Xbox do and regardless of people not thinking they are not competitors.

 

[Kacho]

and regardless of people not thinking they are not competitors

ding ding ding

 

[wvnative]

I wouldn't mind a pro tv only Switch 2 that can play Switch/Switch 2 games in higher fidelity, I have zero interest in handhelds and my Switch has never left the dock, so I'd love this. But I'm probably in a very small minority that would buy this, likely not worth the investment for Nintendo.

 

[Shadowstar39]

No no and no!

Nintendo is it's best by being affordable to all. No other console is in this segment and they own it. Them doing the power route will mean less sales and less people gaming.

Right now we have record inflation and bad power to the dollar. Families cant afford to get their kids $500 to 600 console. The switch is a great price as it is and being cheaper means if you drop it (since it's handheld) it isn't as big of a wallet buster. Also the joycons come off which also adds to the longevity, but that is a different subject.

I don't want to see a photo realistic link, unless it's like the Ai 1950s panovision stuff on YouTube. It really doesn't need it. They need to keep handheld/home hybrid. Make it affordable and keep battery power good. This means it will be way less powerful than the ps5 and that is OK.

We are also at the point of graphic diminishing returns. If you want better visuals they should of stuck to 1080p or 1440p instead of 4k as the hardware for 4k is too expensive. Instead focus on making better graphics at 1080p with 60fps (more than 60 is only good for multiplayer and even then I don't notice a difference on my 144hz monitor and unlocked fps settings). Improve upscaling and aa for people on 4k sets. Maybe the switch doc could have a power boost for that?

Xbox isn't going away, I guarantee they will try again or we just have Sony competing with pc in the high end spec and that is fine.

 

[Guardian Monkey]

Dumb

 

[chakadave]

Do you ever see a time when Nintendo release a Zelda game that's as rich with detail and vegetation as Witcher 3 or Skyrim? Or more modern games like RDR2 or Valhalla?

They don't need to at the moment. I would love for them to really push and see what a game like XB or Zelda could look like but I don't think they have that strategy.

I don't think that would change much. The biggest things those games need are frames and IQ. I wouldn't expect them to have more detail. They are already more "detailed" in some ways than the games you listed. None of them have the physics of Zelda.

Most are sterile words that don't do anything but look pretty.

Xenoblade is more of a visual spectical but I wouldn't expect a game that size to benefit much from more detail either. It is just an artistic expression and I Doni't think it's worth the increase in dev time to reach for better visuals. I'd rather they just keep iterating and get the frames and resolution up to standard.

 

[PauloRoberto]

Im quite sure i finished Mario Odyssey on my living room... looking only into my TV... so what the heck is this even about ?!