The Switch 2 Direct is happening later today, and we're all eagerly anticipating what will be revealed. Former Nintendo marketing managers Krysta Yang and Kit Ellis explain why they think the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to benefit a lot from Microsoft's new direction.
"Another thing that's happening that's gonna be positive for Nintendo is this shift from Microsoft and Xbox to being equal parts a platform holder and a third-party publisher," says Ellis, former director of social media marketing and original content at Nintendo of America. "I think due to the timing they have not yet really been able to get the benefits of this. Where we've started to see Forza's on the PS5, Indiana Jones is on the PS5."
Recently, Xbox has shifted away from an exclusivity model and is more keen to get its games in front of as many of us as possible, no matter what console we play on. It's a lot like PlayStation's push to get more of its games on PC.
"I think the Switch 2 is going to be at least as much a benefactor if not more as PlayStation for Xbox really cozying up to them and saying, 'hey we really like this platform,' because they're not as much of a direct competitor as PlayStation is," Ellis explains.
While Xbox and PlayStation have traditionally been seen as rivals, Nintendo has always operated in its own league. It never seemed to care what the other major consoles were doing and its audience doesn't overlap as much as Microsoft and Sony's.
"I think [Microsoft] will be very happy to do the work to bring a lot of these games over," Ellis adds. "When [Xbox] first started this they were a little slow, 'well it's gonna be a couple games.' But more and more we hear about this and the more and more we see games making the jump. So that's just a big benefit that Nintendo didn't really have in the last generation that they probably will here."
Although the Switch was never sold as a competitor to the PS4 or Xbox One, it was less powerful, and that power gap has only increased since the PS5 and Xbox Series have come out. I can't imagine Helldivers 2 or Horizon Forbidden West running on a Switch, but the Switch 2 will likely have a lot more juice in it and be able to run more of the other consoles' games.
"Microsoft has also said that they're committed to bringing Call of Duty to the Nintendo Switch," says Ellis. "That's something that Nintendo hasn't had for a while. I played those Wii versions of Call of Duty, they were kind of good. But Call of Duty on the Switch 2? That's a whole other big franchise that it's gonna be getting that it just didn't have on the original Switch."
Bringing Call of Duty to more players was a big sticking point in Microsoft's bid to buy out Activision Blizzard King, the owner of the CoD IP. With the Switch 2 being more powerful and internet access being generally better than it was ten years ago, it should be able to make good on that promise.
What are your Nintendo Switch 2 Direct predictions for today? I just hope it'll be under $500. I also hope we see more of the upcoming Switch 2 games.
