Legendary Nintendo fellow Shigeru Miyamoto has said that the major gaming hardware and software company is planning for a future where people purchase and keep multiple generations of the company's consoles. He hopes that this will make game development easier as studios won't have to worry about the new console generation cannibalizing the older platform's sales.
In an interview with Famitsu, that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Miyamoto speaks about how he wants Nintendo's hardware to make game development easier for creators. "We all want to put minimal effort into making a living; live the easy life… I'm half joking," he says with a chuckle. "I think it's really important to reduce workload and streamline development, and in this regard, I think we created the perfect environment."
The "perfect environment" he's referring to is one where developers can reach a wider base of players by making games for both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 simultaneously. "There are people who have multiple Nintendo consoles at home," Miyamoto explains. "Those who want to play on high performance hardware use the Switch 2, and games can be developed specifically for that console."
Nintendo wants to offer hardware capable of running high-performance games, but for those who don't need the extra power, they can target both generations at once thanks to the shared hardware architecture. "In a few years, there will come a time when this is the norm," Miyamoto says. "Nintendo is planning for a situation where a new market emerges. We can create different games without asking if [game] sales for the new console will compete with the old. I think that would be the best scenario."
Nintendo hopes to offer developers two options; reach a wider playerbase by releasing on both platforms, or take the greater power of the Switch 2. This is contrary to Xbox's plans with the Xbox Series X|S, where developers are forced to create games with the exact same features that work on both the high performance and lower performance consoles simultaneously.
While Miyamoto's talking points focus on making development easier for creators, the company obviously benefits financially from having multiple Nintendo consoles in each home. As the Switch and Switch 2 are also handheld consoles, many families, particularly those with children, have more than one Switch lingering in their abode.
Nintendo also supports homes with multiple consoles by releasing titles that can use features like Game Share and foster co-operative play. There is also the Nintendo Online Family Plan, which offers online benefits for multiple consoles at a discount. Shrewd move, Nintendo.
