StarTopic Future Nintendo Hardware & Technology Speculation & Discussion |ST| (New Staff Post, Please read)

[Bonejack]

we were warned! we didn’t listen!

 

[stodesign12]

If Switch 2 has BC, I might be happy.
If Switch 2 doesn't have BC, I will be happy.

I just want a real next generation system.

 

[thesillyfellaelde]

I wonder if Nintendo will make another Wii Sports/1-2-Switch type game that showcases whatever gimicks the NX2 will have, screw it bring back Wii Sports Resorts and dont even explain why the game wants you to have a wii mote :> Wonder how many will be cut from the switch and how many new ones will be thrown into the mix. HD Rumble was one of the most useless ones imo, barely any games used it so unless they got some new ideas for it I'd be happy if they spent money fixing the drifting issue instead. If it did have a bunch of new ones then it's safe to say we'd get another game that showcases them a bunch at launch. Scrollwheel Warriors will be the most surprising hit of the new generation

 

[NintendoMariah]

I just want to see the new gimmick then I’ll worry about the rest. Lol

 

[Νεφέλωμα]

In a desperate attempt to discuss anything other than BC what multiplats do people expect might release in 2024 for Switch NG (assuming the hardware itself releases in 2024).

(Apologies if this isn't valid discussion for this thread, I know this is supposed to be focused on hardware and technology, but we have no new info and are going around in circles on that front, so hopefully it's OK to discuss this briefly until we get any new hardware/technology rumours/info?
Plus, this discussion will probably invite technology discussion with regard to the feesibility and ease of developing certain ports, especially compared to Switch 1, but also compared to PS4 and Xbone, so i actually think it counts. Let me know if not!)

I think the dream is Star Wars Outlaws. It would set a great precedent moving forward and is such a big IP I'm sure it would sell very well.
I could imagine a late AC mirage port if the console releases in H1. We've had many AC games on Switch.

Hogwarts legacy could get an enhanced port too since it sold so well on existing platforms.

No doubt fortnite will be there day 1 at 60fps this time.

I think the new Atlus game might make it, Metaphor something I can't remember exactly. Although their decision to ignore Switch 1 with persona 3 is truly baffling.

I bet Cyberpunk would be possible but given how badly it ran on PS4 and Xbone they might not think its worth the struggle? Do we know where the bottlenecks were for Cyberpunk on last gen? And if so, do we know if Drake will likely address them?

Genshin Impact

 

[ReyVGM]

Come on Nintendo, give us that Mario-peeking-behind-the-curtains tweet again already!

Me ready to upgrade.

 

[EdFiftyNine]

Regarding BC I’ve got no idea on the technical side of things, but looking at how Nintendo has operated in the last few years it feels like they’re planting a flag in the ground and there won’t be another “reset” like there was when moving on from Virtual Console.

• NES -> N64 library lives on Nintendo Online
• Gameboy lives on Nintendo Online
• GameCube / Wii / Wii U ports will be purchasable through eShop and physical copies.
• Remakes and Deluxe editions of any generation will be purchasable through eShop and physical copies.

We’ve went from one Pikmin game on Switch to the entire mainline series being available. Metroid Prime could be similar after another direct or two. It really feels like they’re building up a library rather than solely cashing in on ports.

The only missing systems are DS and 3DS, which are difficult for obvious reasons. Maybe there’d be a way to attach the joycons to the top and bottom of the switch 2 screen through an attachment? Seems like a lot of work and hassle when they could just decide to work on Switch 2 specific versions of these games though.

 

[Fuffelpups]

Yes, this is why software hax will likely not happen on this device since the security is going to be even better. But I wonder about hardware...

I hope there is a zero day exploit if they keep building on HOS.

I want a new Switch but i also don't want to loose my Homebrew...

 

[kvetcha]

In a desperate attempt to discuss anything other than BC what multiplats do people expect might release in 2024 for Switch NG (assuming the hardware itself releases in 2024).

(Apologies if this isn't valid discussion for this thread, I know this is supposed to be focused on hardware and technology, but we have no new info and are going around in circles on that front, so hopefully it's OK to discuss this briefly until we get any new hardware/technology rumours/info?
Plus, this discussion will probably invite technology discussion with regard to the feesibility and ease of developing certain ports, especially compared to Switch 1, but also compared to PS4 and Xbone, so i actually think it counts. Let me know if not!)

I think the dream is Star Wars Outlaws. It would set a great precedent moving forward and is such a big IP I'm sure it would sell very well.
I could imagine a late AC mirage port if the console releases in H1. We've had many AC games on Switch.

Hogwarts legacy could get an enhanced port too since it sold so well on existing platforms.

No doubt fortnite will be there day 1 at 60fps this time.

I think the new Atlus game might make it, Metaphor something I can't remember exactly. Although their decision to ignore Switch 1 with persona 3 is truly baffling.

I bet Cyberpunk would be possible but given how badly it ran on PS4 and Xbone they might not think its worth the struggle? Do we know where the bottlenecks were for Cyberpunk on last gen? And if so, do we know if Drake will likely address them?

you’ll want to remove mention of HwL as even tangential discussion of the game is not tolerated here.

 

[NintendoMariah]

Googl

Come on Nintendo, give us that Mario-peeking-behind-the-curtains tweet again already!

Me ready to upgrade.

When the greatest moment of an Amazing era began. Helped Through covid and all!!!

 

[Ojoloco]

In a desperate attempt to discuss anything other than BC what multiplats do people expect might release in 2024 for Switch NG (assuming the hardware itself releases in 2024).

(Apologies if this isn't valid discussion for this thread, I know this is supposed to be focused on hardware and technology, but we have no new info and are going around in circles on that front, so hopefully it's OK to discuss this briefly until we get any new hardware/technology rumours/info?
Plus, this discussion will probably invite technology discussion with regard to the feesibility and ease of developing certain ports, especially compared to Switch 1, but also compared to PS4 and Xbone, so i actually think it counts. Let me know if not!)

I think the dream is Star Wars Outlaws. It would set a great precedent moving forward and is such a big IP I'm sure it would sell very well.
I could imagine a late AC mirage port if the console releases in H1. We've had many AC games on Switch.

Hogwarts legacy could get an enhanced port too since it sold so well on existing platforms.

No doubt fortnite will be there day 1 at 60fps this time.

I think the new Atlus game might make it, Metaphor something I can't remember exactly. Although their decision to ignore Switch 1 with persona 3 is truly baffling.

I bet Cyberpunk would be possible but given how badly it ran on PS4 and Xbone they might not think its worth the struggle? Do we know where the bottlenecks were for Cyberpunk on last gen? And if so, do we know if Drake will likely address them?

Avatar, Suicide Squad, the new CoD, Forspoken

 

[Mirev]

If the next Switch OS will be just half of this I will be really happy

 

[ILikeFeet]

After it no doubt has gotten a ton of patches, does anyone know what the state of the game on last gen is now?

Playable but not the greatest. Last gen isn't getting anymore patches either

 

[ziggyrivers]

If the next Switch OS will be just half of this I will be really happy

If Switch has design based with mobile in mind, Nintendo should definitely try to have an OS that’s almost like a Smartphone’s. Sleek, fast and unique

 

[LuigiBlood]

If the next Switch OS will be just half of this I will be really happy

They could do that with HOS if they wanted.
Reminder that Horizon is a rewritten 3DS OS.

The OS is usually way way more than what shows up on your screen, and in fact, on consoles, it's probably a highly replaceable thing like on Switch where they could just replace what's called "qlaunch" which is the Home Menu, System Settings and other basic user interface things.

 

[LoneRanger]

In a desperate attempt to discuss anything other than BC what multiplats do people expect might release in 2024 for Switch NG (assuming the hardware itself releases in 2024).

(Apologies if this isn't valid discussion for this thread, I know this is supposed to be focused on hardware and technology, but we have no new info and are going around in circles on that front, so hopefully it's OK to discuss this briefly until we get any new hardware/technology rumours/info?
Plus, this discussion will probably invite technology discussion with regard to the feesibility and ease of developing certain ports, especially compared to Switch 1, but also compared to PS4 and Xbone, so i actually think it counts. Let me know if not!)

I think the dream is Star Wars Outlaws. It would set a great precedent moving forward and is such a big IP I'm sure it would sell very well.
I could imagine a late AC mirage port if the console releases in H1. We've had many AC games on Switch.

Hogwarts legacy could get an enhanced port too since it sold so well on existing platforms.

No doubt fortnite will be there day 1 at 60fps this time.

I think the new Atlus game might make it, Metaphor something I can't remember exactly. Although their decision to ignore Switch 1 with persona 3 is truly baffling.

I bet Cyberpunk would be possible but given how badly it ran on PS4 and Xbone they might not think its worth the struggle? Do we know where the bottlenecks were for Cyberpunk on last gen? And if so, do we know if Drake will likely address them?

It would be a great achievement if they can get next year COD, Ubisoft AAA titles, full feature Madden and FIFA.

 

[Bonejack]

I need Elden Ring portable.

Elden Ring in the vacation.
Elden Ring in the bathroom.

Elden Ring during boring school events i have to attend because of my kids.

 

[lattjeful]

After it no doubt has gotten a ton of patches, does anyone know what the state of the game on last gen is now?

Playable. It's better than launch, but is by no means good. A hypothetical Switch 2: ReDraketed's Deception port would run much better though, since iirc part of why Cyberpunk runs so bad - outside of RedEngine being kind of a mess - is due to last gen's CPU and HDD; two issues that wouldn't be prevalent on Nintendo's next gen system.

Not only does last gen no longer get patch updates, but the PC version of Cyberpunk now requires an SSD. So if Nintendo's next system does get a 2077 port, then I think it's good news in terms of the system's capabilities on the CPU and storage speed front. Provided the port is good, anyway.

I need Elden Ring portable.

Elden Ring in the vacation.
Elden Ring in the bathroom.

Elden Ring during boring school events i have to attend because of my kids.

This, plus Armored Core 6. A new portable Armored Core would be the dream, especially with some of the QoL features they're adding to it, like being able to go back to your garage mid-mission. Would make dropping in and getting some missions and build tweaks a dream.

 

[Cybergatuno]

If Switch has design based with mobile in mind, Nintendo should definitely try to have an OS that’s almost like a Smartphone’s. Sleek, fast and unique

5G and a back-facing camera are reasonable features for a Switch 2 or 3, even if not probable.
Add a front-facing camera (without a notch) and you have a complete smartphone hardware-wise.

How feasible would it be to safely virtualize the Android Runtime inside HoS?

Besides a few rare mobile games, I only use my phone for calls, emails and a few browsing sessions.
I would gladly replace it with a NX2.

It's a big market to expand to.

 

[Smash Kirby]

If the next Switch OS will be just half of this I will be really happy

If it uses the same amount of RAM as the current OS, then I will take it.

 

[theguy]

i didn’t think about a 5g switch until today, that would be pretty cool actually. could this be a reasonable gimmick?

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

i didn’t think about a 5g switch until today, that would be pretty cool actually. could this be a reasonable gimmick?

I thought about this for a while a few months ago and the issues are

1. Not sure how expensive these chips are but they might be fairly expensive
2. 5G usage seems to burn through the battery pretty quickly

And the most important one by far

3. If people don't have access to WiFi while gaming on their Switch... They probably have their phone with them and their phone should have 5G

I'm just not sure how beneficial the Switch 2 having built in 5G would be relative to people just using their 5G phone as a WiFi hotspot from the Switch 2.

 

[lattjeful]

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but in addition to battery life issues, don't 5G chips get quite hot too? Admittedly I haven't kept up with the phones arm race in a long time; it could be fixed by now, but still.

It may not be as much of an issue with something that has the size and cooling of a Switch, but between the thermals and the battery life (not to mention the cost, too), I'm with @ItWasMeantToBe19 on this one. Not sure I see the benefit of 5G.

 

[Jamoman]

When looking at the gaming landscape currently. I can't help but think that there will be 2 SKUs. One that will act as a cheaper buy-in to the next generation of Nintendo. But a separate one for those who enjoy larger physical libraries. I know part of the reason I bought the PS5 disc console was because at the time. I still had a fairly sizeable physical library. I have sold most of my physical games these days and purchase exclusively digital at this point. I think with a cheaper, digital-only console, Nintendo could make digital libraries backwards compatible. But give users the choice. This would be to transition to a digital-only future as the trends keep continuing that way. With a more expensive SKU, you can have the consumer who is still attached to their physical library pay the premium to continue using their physical cartridges with some means to play the cartridges. I think putting the burden on the consumer for such a thing makes sense. Nintendo would be able to leverage consumers with large physical libraries very easily to pay the premium. Many would feel comfortable trading in their old systems too if they can carry the physical libraries over to make the price easier to swallow.

I also remember how scarce the digital PS5 was when it launched. It was harder to find than the disc version because many people just wanted the cheapest possible route to the newest generation of games (outside of scalping and supply shortages which were the main issue with inventory). There were also less made, with some users getting disc versions in digital boxes due to supply constraints. But I know very few people who buy physical games these days personally. And now we are seeing a lot of steam towards a PS5 revision this year. And this revision is digital only, and will require an accessory for physical games. I could see future hardware follow similarly. Where the initial release has two SKUs, but a future revision brings everything to one SKU and phases out the console supporting physical cartridges. It just makes too much sense.

One thing I've wondered is why publishers haven't leveraged digital games to be cheaper than physical. That would drive the adoption they want to stop making physical copies. Which is something I think many companies want to cut costs. Besides, they can still sell collector's editions with digital codes. Which enthusiasts panned. But enthusiasts on sites like here, Reddit, or other sites doesn't really reflect how things are currently.

If I remember correctly, Sony sold PS Vita games for 5-10% below retail. Obviously that system wasn't a big success for them, but personally I went almost 100% digital for that console.

The conventional wisdom has always been that if the console manufacturers undercut retailers on game prices then the store will stop stocking the hardware/games. There's not a big enough margin on hardware alone to make it worth their time if all of the games are purchased digitally. This might just be one of those old gamer campfire stories that's been said and resaid a million times though.

 

[syrozz]

5G and a back-facing camera are reasonable features for a Switch 2 or 3, even if not probable.
Add a front-facing camera (without a notch) and you have a complete smartphone hardware-wise.

How feasible would it be to safely virtualize the Android Runtime inside HoS?

Besides a few rare mobile games, I only use my phone for calls, emails and a few browsing sessions.
I would gladly replace it with a NX2.

It's a big market to expand to.

But then they will dive into the red ocean. If they compete directly against Apple they'll be crush.

I'd really prefer them to stick to what they are doing extremely well, gaming. They're not big enough to spread too thin.

I wouldn't mind some web browsing tho.

 

[Erathix]

I need Elden Ring portable.

Elden Ring in the vacation.
Elden Ring in the bathroom.

Elden Ring during boring school events i have to attend because of my kids.

Oh you sweet, innocent soul. I already have Elden Ring portable, at Max settings, thanks to the ASUS ROG Ally (seriously, this thing surpassed every expectation I had and then some, even on YouTube tests, either I got a unicorn unit or something gives because I'm running things way better at higher settings, 1080p than what some people were getting.)

I am very impressed by how far we've come in this scene.

 

[ILikeFeet]

Licensing a modem would probably be quite costly. And then there's paying for services. The vita tried this and didn't do well at all

 

[Bonejack]

Playable. It's better than launch, but is by no means good. A hypothetical Switch 2: ReDraketed's Deception port would run much better though, since iirc part of why Cyberpunk runs so bad - outside of RedEngine being kind of a mess - is due to last gen's CPU and HDD; two issues that wouldn't be prevalent on Nintendo's next gen system.

Not only does last gen no longer get patch updates, but the PC version of Cyberpunk now requires an SSD. So if Nintendo's next system does get a 2077 port, then I think it's good news in terms of the system's capabilities on the CPU and storage speed front. Provided the port is good, anyway.

This, plus Armored Core 6. A new portable Armored Core would be the dream, especially with some of the QoL features they're adding to it, like being able to go back to your garage mid-mission. Would make dropping in and getting some missions and build tweaks a dream.

Sure, the more the merrier. Get working on it FROM. 1-2 punch for success on ReDraketed.

Oh you sweet, innocent soul. I already have Elden Ring portable, at Max settings, thanks to the ASUS ROG Ally (seriously, this thing surpassed every expectation I had and then some, even on YouTube tests, either I got a unicorn unit or something gives because I'm running things way better at higher settings, 1080p than what some people were getting.)

I am very impressed by how far we've come in this scene.

Happy to hear that you're happy with your luxury toy.

But i'm afraid i'm financially bound to three other "luxury things" in my life that kinda prevent regular purchases in that price region. ;D
(AKA I have three kids but not unlimited budget. But my wife knows i'm a Nintendo fan, so she's giving me a pass for new Nintendo consoles!)

 

[Erathix]

Sure, the more the merrier. Get working on it FROM. 1-2 punch for success on ReDraketed.



Happy to hear that you're happy with your luxury toy.

But i'm afraid i'm financially bound to three other "luxury things" in my life that kinda prevent regular purchases in that price region. ;D
(AKA I have three kids but not unlimited budget. But my wife knows i'm a Nintendo fan, so she's giving me a pass for new Nintendo consoles!)

The joys of having no other financial responsibilities except for bills and a roof over one's head (and the occasional dates with the boyfie.) It allows for the riskier purchases. I'm a bit obsessed, I own a collection of consoles dating back to before I was even born and even a CRT (it is great and oh so horrible at the same time.)

And limited edition controllers? I hate them because I need to own all of them. Zelda OLED is haunting me and I have been trying hard to avoid such an unnecessary purchase knowing Switch 2 is on the horizon (with BC ) But...it looks so NICE.

 

[kvetcha]

Licensing a modem would probably be quite costly. And then there's paying for services. The vita tried this and didn't do well at all

imo the people who are most likely to want to take advantage of this probably already have a 5G phone with a tethering plan.

 

[kimbo99]

Michael Pachter was right, Nintendo should just go 3rd party.

 

[Bonejack]

The joys of having no other financial responsibilities except for bills and a roof over one's head (and the occasional dates with the boyfie.) It allows for the riskier purchases. I'm a bit obsessed, I own a collection of consoles dating back to before I was even born and even a CRT (it is great and oh so horrible at the same time.)

And limited edition controllers? I hate them because I need to own all of them. Zelda OLED is haunting me and I have been trying hard to avoid such an unnecessary purchase knowing Switch 2 is on the horizon (with BC ) But...it looks so NICE.

"Consoles dating back before I was even born and even a CRT".

Hello old age my old friend.

 

[MilkyChance]

AEW Stars Adam Cole and his girlfriend Britt Baker were at Nintendo of America’s HQ. I don’t think it was for AEW Fight Forever, but probably for their Seattle event if I’m guessing. Why would Nintendo invite him?

 

[Hermii]

AEW Stars Adam Cole and his girlfriend Britt Baker were at Nintendo of America’s HQ. I don’t think it was for AEW Fight Forever, but probably for their Seattle event if I’m guessing. Why would Nintendo invite him?

Not to show off NG, that's for sure.

 

[ziggyrivers]

That Switch 2 marketing campaign is gonna be awesome

 

[Dark Cloud]

AEW Stars Adam Cole and his girlfriend Britt Baker were at Nintendo of America’s HQ. I don’t think it was for AEW Fight Forever, but probably for their Seattle event if I’m guessing. Why would Nintendo invite him?

Because they wanted to make his dreams come true.

 

[Bonejack]

Because Stone Cold said so.

 

[Stephen]

After it no doubt has gotten a ton of patches, does anyone know what the state of the game on last gen is now?

The PS4 version is still an unplayable mess that crashes every half hour or so. And that was while being played on a PS5. If it does come to Drake don't expect it to work very well.

 

[Rogue Agent]

I need Elden Ring portable.

Elden Ring in the vacation.
Elden Ring in the bathroom.

Elden Ring during boring school events i have to attend because of my kids.

If/when it releases on Switch 2, I'm playing Elden Ring before any other Switch game even if it's a first-party game.

 

[ngpdrew]

AEW Stars Adam Cole and his girlfriend Britt Baker were at Nintendo of America’s HQ. I don’t think it was for AEW Fight Forever, but probably for their Seattle event if I’m guessing. Why would Nintendo invite him?

If you had a chance to hang out with Adam Cole and Britt Baker, wouldn’t you take it?

 

[Erathix]

"Consoles dating back before I was even born and even a CRT".

Hello old age my old friend.

Don't worry, they emulate the PS3 and call that console "retro" these days. Makes me feel old that's considered "retro."

Retro would be the SNES and that little machine that could has games that put some present day AAA titles to shame.

 

[stark1llr]

If I buy an OLED tomorrow, Nintendo announces Redrakted for 2023 the day after.

dew it.

 

[lexony]

AEW Stars Adam Cole and his girlfriend Britt Baker were at Nintendo of America’s HQ. I don’t think it was for AEW Fight Forever, but probably for their Seattle event if I’m guessing. Why would Nintendo invite him?

He posted a Gamecube Controller. They played Pikmin.

I know that it is a generic PS Controller, but it looks a bit like it

 

[Hosermess]

Oh you sweet, innocent soul. I already have Elden Ring portable, at Max settings, thanks to the ASUS ROG Ally (seriously, this thing surpassed every expectation I had and then some, even on YouTube tests, either I got a unicorn unit or something gives because I'm running things way better at higher settings, 1080p than what some people were getting.)

I am very impressed by how far we've come in this scene.

 

[D36]

So much Baiten Caitos talk in this thread.

On a serious note, everyone is entitled to have their own opinions right now obviously, but from prior information on future strategy, from the current market standards, and from the recent info we have obtained, to me it seems very unlikely that we don't get backward compatibility.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I personally don't recall any major missteps by Nintendo during this Switch era from the big reveal to present day. I think 'Nintendo gonna Nintendo' is just very unlikely when the company seems to have had exceptional leadership in recent years.

Aside from Joy-Con drift and probably something else I'm forgetting (I just woke up), so you're probably right.

 

[Erathix]

Technically it was $1299.99 in Australian Dollars.

 

[Tentacle-tropes]

Regarding BC I’ve got no idea on the technical side of things, but looking at how Nintendo has operated in the last few years it feels like they’re planting a flag in the ground and there won’t be another “reset” like there was when moving on from Virtual Console.

• NES -> N64 library lives on Nintendo Online
• Gameboy lives on Nintendo Online
• GameCube / Wii / Wii U ports will be purchasable through eShop and physical copies.
• Remakes and Deluxe editions of any generation will be purchasable through eShop and physical copies.

We’ve went from one Pikmin game on Switch to the entire mainline series being available. Metroid Prime could be similar after another direct or two. It really feels like they’re building up a library rather than solely cashing in on ports.

The only missing systems are DS and 3DS, which are difficult for obvious reasons. Maybe there’d be a way to attach the joycons to the top and bottom of the switch 2 screen through an attachment? Seems like a lot of work and hassle when they could just decide to work on Switch 2 specific versions of these games though.

I figure every system pre-Switch is gonna be on NSO eventually. Some games aren’t worth remastering/remaking for one reason or another. Even games that get remastered/remade will probably get their original versions out on the service.

 

[Hosermess]

Let's just skip it please. Can we all agree? Nothing new can be added.

 

[MisterSpo]

Regarding BC I’ve got no idea on the technical side of things, but looking at how Nintendo has operated in the last few years it feels like they’re planting a flag in the ground and there won’t be another “reset” like there was when moving on from Virtual Console.

• NES -> N64 library lives on Nintendo Online
• Gameboy lives on Nintendo Online
• GameCube / Wii / Wii U ports will be purchasable through eShop and physical copies.
• Remakes and Deluxe editions of any generation will be purchasable through eShop and physical copies.

We’ve went from one Pikmin game on Switch to the entire mainline series being available. Metroid Prime could be similar after another direct or two. It really feels like they’re building up a library rather than solely cashing in on ports.

The only missing systems are DS and 3DS, which are difficult for obvious reasons. Maybe there’d be a way to attach the joycons to the top and bottom of the switch 2 screen through an attachment? Seems like a lot of work and hassle when they could just decide to work on Switch 2 specific versions of these games though.

I think it was back in summer 2020, when rumours about Skyward Sword HD broke out because of retailer listings, but Emily Rogers said at the time that Nintendo was expanding efforts to bring more of their software library into HD. We know from Pikmin 1 and 2 that the range of methods is expanding, because they were handled by the Nintendo Porting Technology Team, which hasn't been credited until now.

I think you're spot on to suggest that Nintendo are building up a more comprehensive, future-facing library through NSO and through ports/remasters. One thing you've overlooked is that we're already seeing Nintendo deal with 3DS games - Miitopia is on Switch as an expanded, remastered port and Luigi's Mansion 2 is coming 'with visual enhancements'. 3DS seems to be getting the kind of treatement that GameCube, Wii and Wii U receive, which perhaps shouldn't be surprising; much of the software library from Nintendo on 3DS are modern, 3D games which, with some quality of life improvements, will still be enjoyable to play today. It'll be interesting to see if the action game remaster Bandai-Namco are handling does turn out to be Kid Icarus Uprising as some on this board surmised, because that'd be another 3DS title in the bag. We also shouldn't ignore the handful of cross-gen 3DS/Switch titles (Fire Emblem Warriors, Captain Toad, and Sushi Striker form this little club).

As for DS, we've already seen it emulated on Wii U and, while Wii U's two-screen set up meant it was better suited to emulating the DS, it wouldn't surprise me to see Nintendo turn to emulation for that system on Switch or the successor (or both). I don't think the DS library lends itself as easily to ports and remasters the way the more modern 3DS library does. While it'll be difficult for Nintendo to perfect a solution, I suspect they care less about 'perfect' emulation and more about accessible, functional versions. Their treatment of N64 - especially in terms of how limited controller options are for people - seems an indication that they'll make compromises and cut corners if it means the system can join NSO. DS is really the last Nintendo system I can see being officially emulated in the near/medium term, and it's really the last system that Nintendo can add which gives them several dozen games to gradually upload.

Beyond that, it's difficult to know. If the Porting Technology Team crop up more regularly with more Pikmin-style re-releases, it wouldn't surprise me to see these ports eventually wrapped into a more expensive subscription.

 

[fsshariq]

A lot of notable first-party Nintendo games hitting their lowest price ever across multiple retailers. Not sure if it means anything but interesting nonetheless.