Nintendo hasn’t announced the Switch’s successor, despite rumors. Company president Shuntaro Furukawa has provided details about the transition from the hybrid platform to the “next-generation machine” without making an announcement.
Furukawa stated during Nintendo’s shareholder Q&A that the Nintendo Account system will be used to ease customers’ transition to the next generation. Genki’s Twitter translation of Nintendo’s president:
Shuntaro Furukawa: “As for the transition from Nintendo Switch to the next generation machine, we want to do as much as possible in order to smoothly transition our customers, while utilizing the Nintendo Account.”
Nintendo’s account services have improved, but they haven’t always made generational transitions easy. Its online infrastructure has fluctuated over the years, and it often takes a unique approach to online gaming. Users’ digital game libraries may not carry over or match those of other platforms.
The company’s president’s latest update suggests Nintendo will make it easy for ecosystem users. Nintendo has 290 million console and mobile accounts.
Again, Nintendo’s next hardware is unknown. After announcing Super Mario Bros. Wonder in its most recent Direct, Nintendo doesn’t seem ready to abandon the Switch.