Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal felt like a lightning bolt delivered straight from Zeus himself for everyone except, well, most people. In fact, since the console – which fans have spent years clamoring for – looks so much like its predecessor, some analysts predict it’ll have trouble appealing to a general audience.
“I can imagine ‘normies’ being a bit confused,” gaming industry consultant Serkan Toto tells GamesRadar+. “The device is bigger than the original Switch, but not comically large. The form factor, button layout, and overall design are very similar to Switch 1, so I can imagine issues arising when potential mainstream buyers look at the new device.”
The reason the Wii U failed wasn’t because of its name. Sure, it didn’t help the slightest but Nintendo’s console iterations have struggled in the past because they hardly bring anything new. The Wii U brought literally just a gamepad (and stronger hardware, though marketing focused on the gamepad). Why pay so much for an incremental upgrade? The same fate nearly occured to the 3DS:
After all, why pay money just for a 3D effect? Without continued support and selling at a loss, the 3DS would have bombed.
By the way, the Xbox One - despite its similary stupid name - never faced the same issues as the Wii U because people actually wanted it.