The State of Switch 2024

After seven years what do folks think about Nintendo's hybrid machine? Let's find out.

Table of Contents:

• 🙅 Waiting for what's next
• 🤩 Switch owners
• 🎮 Games on the Switch
• 🙌 How you play your Switch
• 📡 Switching Online
• 💸 Buying habits
• 🧰 Hardware Durability & Software Issues
• 🔮 Looking ahead

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🙅 Waiting for what's next

The survey opens by asking all respondents if they currently own a Nintendo Switch, and if not, why that may be.

Of all those responding, less than two percent said that they currently did not own a Nintendo Switch. Such a low figure is of course, expected here, as this is an established survey that consistently attracts responses from an enthusiast crowd.

Of those without a Nintendo Switch, some 87% said that they are now planning on waiting to see what future hardware Nintendo will announce.

This desire to see what’s coming next was paired with several comments around performance. Others noted price as an issue (Nintendo have never dropped the Switch price), and a few comments detailed how it was now too late to ‘invest’ in a platform when a new one is expected somewhat soon.

“It's too close to the end of the Switch lifecycle to buy it. Also, things like Joy-Con drift and graphical quality concern me.”

“Knowing my luck, if I buy one now the Switch 2 will be announced”

“Performance in current model is lacking. I want higher, stable frame rates.”

🤩 Switch owners

Next, the survey turns to those who currently own a Nintendo Switch — this makes up the majority of those responding (98.8%).

Most of those with the console (49.8%) got their first Nintendo Switch during the launch year, back in 2017. This helps contextualise a lot of the data points seen in this survey, and should help in our understanding of the type of individual filling it out. These are, for the most part, long-time Nintendo Switch owners with an established history with the platform.

The data shows nearly half got the console either at launch or during that first calendar year. Just under 5% of those responding got their first Nintendo Switch in 2023/2024.

This year I asked those with a Switch just how many Nintendo Switch consoles they actually have in their household. Here’s what the results showed:

• A small majority of households (around 55%) have just one Switch console.
• This means a notable 45% of those surveyed have more than one Nintendo Switch console in their home.
• Of those households with multiple Switch machines, the most common response was two consoles (28%), followed by three consoles (11%), and four consoles (4%). Five consoles and above accounted for the remainder of responses (2%).

Nintendo did express an early desire to see multiple Switch units in households — and as this data shows, it’s something which seems to have panned out.

As for which Nintendo Switch consoles folks have, this is split as follows:

• The original 2017 main model is owned by some 80% of all respondents.
• Around 19% of all respondents own a Switch Lite, released in 2019.
• A solid 41% of those with a Switch have the latest OLED model.
• The figures above are from all responses, including those with multiple machines.
• Of those with an OLED, a sizeable 86% specified that the updated model was not their first Switch and was in fact an upgrade purchase.

• Splitting this down further (as shown in the chart below) — for specific variants, both the Gray and Neon original Switch models remain the most commonly owned among respondents. The White OLED is now the third most popular overall Switch variant.

On desktop? You can toggle models off/on and hover over the above chart to see precise values.

🎮 Games on the Switch

The next section of the survey asked questions specifically about Nintendo Switch software.

The first question here asked just how many Nintendo Switch games folks own — and Nintendo Switch owners have around 50 games (be that physical titles or digital downloads). This median response is up on last year’s reported number (35).

As I’ve said before, this survey attracts an engaged crowd, and as nearly half of those responding this year have had a Nintendo Switch since 2017, they’ve had plenty of time (seven years) to accumulate a large software library — the Switch is home to over 10,000 games after all. Due to this enthusiast crowd responding, some shared that they owned hundreds of Switch games (with a handful claiming to even own over 1,000 titles for the platform) — as such the average number of games owned came in at 81 games. The median value of 50 is the key number to take away here.

The below violin plot chart highlights how the typical Switch library has grown, and how the attach rate has evolved over the past seven years. The chart shows the distribution of all responses, with a wider shape representing how common a library-size response is in a given year.

The past few years have been rather similar, but there is a small, growing trend towards those with libraries now exceeding 50-100 games. On the whole however, due to the continued output of software, it’s an expected trend to see Switch game libraries growing and becoming increasingly diverse as time goes on.

As for the breakdown between physical versus digital game ownership, the split remains a fairly consistent one. The stats show that, on average, a Nintendo Switch owner's library is 52% digital games. In 2023 this figure stood at 55%, in 2022 it was 53%, and in 2021 it was 51%. It’s a stat that hasn’t seen much variance throughout the lifespan of the Switch — with digital ownership always ever so slightly ahead of physical software.

As I’ve stated in the past, this stat is not one that’s too surprising when you consider the sheer number of Nintendo Switch software titles that are only available digitally via the eShop. As such, there’s a clear, healthy range of digital adoption rates among Switch owners, however, it’s notable that boxed software still holds plenty of appeal, for a multitude of reasons (preservation, availability, cost, etc).

Next is a question about which recent Nintendo-published titles those filling out the survey had picked up for their Switch.

Of course, Nintendo does periodically share sales data of certain software titles, but I still deem it worthwhile to ask about recent software releases in the survey, as it allows us to get a sense of what titles have appealed to the core audience in a more immediate sense.

Here’s what recent Switch releases (those published by Nintendo from 2023 and 2024) folks picked up:

• It’s no surprise to see The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as the most selected game — it was the most anticipated release in last year’s survey. Nearly 75% of respondents said they now own the game.
• After Zelda, the most popular releases were Super Mario Bros. Wonder (59%), the Metroid Prime remaster (45%), and Super Mario RPG (33%).
• Around 35% of respondents shared that they downloaded the F-Zero 99 NSO title.
• Both Mario vs. Donkey Kong and Another Code: Recollection were recent 2024 releases at time of the survey, and as such saw a lower number of responses.

The survey asks respondents about what games they’ve actually spent the most time playing over the past year. This offers up a timely look at what titles people are actively engaged with, and what games are proving ‘sticky’ with the core Switch audience. Here’s a rundown of the Nintendo Switch games with the most playtime in 2023:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. Splatoon 3
3. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
4. Pokemon Violet & Pokemon Scarlet
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
6. Fire Emblem Engage
7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
9. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
10. Pikmin 4

It’s of zero surprise to see Tears of the Kingdom take the top spot here — it was a mammoth, tent-pole release, and highly anticipated. The game built upon the success of launch title Breath of the Wild (which itself has shown incredible staying power) adding vast new areas of Hyrule to explore, and giving players lots of new tools to play with. It’s a huge game with lots to see and do, so it’s one that’s obviously going to rack up the hours.

A lot of the titles in the top ten have either vast single-player campaigns or compelling multiplayer components.

As a point of interest, Super Mario Bros. Wonder (which is said to take around ten hours to complete) came in just outside the top ten. Other popular responses to this 2023 playtime question include Persona 5 Royale, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Metroid Prime Remastered, Fortnite, Monster Hunter Rise, Stardew Valley and others.

Those were the titles that folks played in 2023 — but what about all-time playtime? Here’s how the top ten most played games on the Nintendo Switch shakes out:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
4. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
6. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
7. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
8. Splatoon 3
9. Splatoon 2
10. Monster Hunter: Rise

Again, this list doesn’t really spring up many surprises — although Tears of the Kingdom is a notable new entry on the all-time list. It’s also noteworthy to see Monster Hunter: Rise in the top ten — it's the only title in the list not published by Nintendo. It's a ringing endorsement for Capcom's 2021 hit, but also a huge validation of Nintendo's own consistent output if nothing else.

Which game genres are well represented on the Nintendo Switch? Well, respondents overwhelmingly think that the Switch has plenty of choices when it comes to role-playing games (such as as JRPGs, turn-based titles, tactical RPGs etc) — as RPGs made for the most common response. This was followed by Platformers, Metroidvania experiences, and Action/Adventure titles. This year also saw a sizeable number of folks highlight an abundance of Farming-related titles (simulations) as being available on the Nintendo Switch platform.

As for which genres folks feel are underrepresented on the Nintendo Switch, the top responses were FPS games, racing titles, sports, fighting games, and horror experiences.

Cloud games on Switch remain an unpopular way to play. 96% of respondents said they have not bought a Cloud version of a game on the Nintendo Switch. Of those who had bought one (titles such as Control, Resident Evil Village, etc are available), around half said they were left dissatisfied with the purchase. It's a model that has not found success on the platform.

Several respondents pointed out a desire to play a non-cloud version of the Kingdom Hearts titles on the Switch, not wishing to try the currently available Cloud versions.

Data for 2024 shows that a majority of Nintendo Switch owners have played at least one free-to-play game on the platform — as around 66% of respondents indicated that they have downloaded and played such a title (think games like Fortnite, Rocket League, etc). This is up on the 62% who answered yes in 2023.

If Switch owners had to pick a focus for what sorts of games Nintendo prioritised going forward, what would they choose? A return to older legacy series, such as F-Zero, or new titles and fresh IP such as Ring Fit Adventure?

The survey asks this question, and typically the results have been fairly evenly split (as the chart below shows), but in 2024 this appears to have shifted somewhat towards a preference for Nintendo to revisit older franchises. This time, just over 60% of respondents indicated that they would prefer the company to focus on established series, rather than new titles.

So, if folks want to see Nintendo looking back for potential new game releases — what franchises do Switch owners feel are ripe for revisiting?

The survey asked respondents to name the one Nintendo franchise they would most like to see come to the Switch. Here’s what folks said:

The most requested ‘missing’ Nintendo franchise that Switch owners want to see come to the hybrid is Star Fox. This was followed by Kid Icarus, F-Zero, Earthbound (Mother), and Golden Sun.

Other common responses here include Rhythm Heaven, Donkey Kong (be that a new Country title, or 3D adventure), Punch-Out!!, Tomodachi Life, Chibi-Robo, and Wario Land.

As for third-party franchises that folks would like to see come to the Switch, the leading request was for the Yakuza (Like A Dragon) series to be available on Nintendo’s machine. The second most common response for third-party franchises missing on Switch was for Fallout. This was followed by Halo in third, Elden Ring in fourth, and more Persona in fifth. More games from the Grand Theft Auto, and Final Fantasy series were also popular responses here, along with Baldur’s Gate, Hi-Fi Rush, Call of Duty, Tekken, and Chrono Trigger.

Finally, I close this software section by asking which year respondents felt was the best for Nintendo Switch software releases.

Respondents selected 2023 as the top choice (Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Pikmin 4, Super Mario RPG, etc), followed closely by the launch year 2017 (Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe). Here's how all of the years were ranked:

1. 2023
2. 2017
3. 2022
4. 2019
5. 2020
6. 2018
7. 2021

🙌 How you play your Switch

The next set of responses explores just how Nintendo Switch owners are using their console, looking at things such as playtime, controller preference, where they play, and more.

• On average, a Switch owner will play their console for around 5 hours per week.
• When asking respondents to think about whether they had played on their Switch more or less during the last 12 months when compared to the year prior — most (54%) said they felt that they had played more.
• 26% indicated that they play on their Switch for ten or more hours each week.
• 9% of respondents shared that they play their Switch for one hour or less per week.

• Playing the Nintendo Switch docked in TV Mode remains the most popular way to play (52.57%), but as ever, only by a small margin.
• This nearly 50/50 split is a solid reconfirmation that the hybrid nature of the Switch is one that consumers clearly like. The option to play either portably or on the big screen is used in pretty much equal measure, and therefore earns its place as a valuable feature.
• This small preference for TV Mode play is once again reconfirmed via the findings from the 'What percentage of time do you play docked?' question — it had a very similar 52.65% response for docked play.

In addition to asking about play style, the survey also asks just how often Switch owners actually use their console outside of their home. As you can see, despite a sizeable number of folks playing in Handheld mode, most Switch players said they never, or rarely (nearly 61% combined) play the Switch outside:

• The Pro Controller is by far the most popular control method when playing the Nintendo Switch — around 72% said this was their preferred control method.
• The average Switch owner has three controllers.
• Around ~57% of respondents indicated that they do not own any third-party controllers for their Switch.
• From the 43% with a third-party controller, popular options included those from 8bitdo, Hori and PowerA.
• PDP, Nyxi, and Gulikit also saw a few mentions.
• Newcomer CRKD, the maker of the Nitro Deck, saw a handful of mentions.

• Most Switch owners have a 128GB microSD card in their Switch.
• 256GB is the second most popular card capacity, followed by 512GB.
• Nearly 10% of respondents now have a 1TB microSD card installed, up from last year's 4.4%.
• A small number of Switch owners (less than 1%) indicated they have 1.5TB or 2TB cards.

📡 Switching Online

The following section looks at findings regarding the Switch's online subscription service — Nintendo Switch Online (NSO). The survey asked various questions around membership type, service satisfaction, and what other retro platforms they would like to see come to the NSO.

• Some 77% of respondents shared that they were a current member of the Nintendo Switch Online service. This is slightly down on the 80% figure reported in 2023.
• Of the 23% without a membership, the cost, and value for money were common reasons as to why they didn't have an active subscription. A good number also highlighted that they just don't play online titles so don't see a need for the service.
• Most folks (~55%) are on the Annual plan, although a good number (~40%) are on the shared Family plan. The remainder either pay monthly, or quarterly for access to the NSO service.
• 59.60% of Switch Online members now have access to the pricier Expansion Pack tier. This is up from 48.35% last year.
• Of all of the available retro platforms to play on NSO, the SNES library remains the most popular — some ~85% of NSO members have tried the SNES selection.
• More NSO members (74%) have played the available NES titles, over the selection of Game Boy games (63%).
• Some 54% of Expansion Pack members have played the available N64 titles, closely followed by the GBA (51%).
• The SEGA Genesis titles available as part of the Expansion Pack have only been played by around ~30% of players.
• 79% of NSO members feel that the current basic Nintendo Switch Online membership represents good value for money.
• However, only 49% feel that the Expansion Pack tier is good value for money.

Here are a few comments from survey respondents who shared their thoughts on the Nintendo Switch Online service:

"As a catalog of retro games, I like it a lot - I find the Netflix style collection way better value for money compared to previous Virtual Console efforts. On the other hand, the actual online components for Switch games are severely lacking compared to other platforms. Very poor play activity stats, absence of system wide achievements or leaderboard systems, and very slow interfaces on the NSO and eShop apps."

"Expansion Pack isn't worth it alone, but on a Family plan it's pretty reasonable."

"As a parent I absolutely 100% appreciate Nintendo’s approach to online gaming as I always feel safe letting my kids play online on the Switch. [..] Having a system my children can use online without being subjected to the worst of the world is invaluable."

"I don't like the irregular releases. I'd prefer something more scheduled."

"For a paid online service, the online experience is pretty terrible. Many online matches of Splatoon or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have disconnects. I have a wired internet connection, and it's still bad."

"For what it is, it's very nice. They could have some more games on there, but overall pretty enjoyable."

...and here are a few additional comments from those respondents who do not have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription:

"I don't play online games enough on the Switch anymore to justify paying for Switch Online."

"Seems like too much money for the games offered, and I am not interested in online play."

"I don’t play online on my Switch very often. For retro games, I play them authentically or digitally elsewhere."

To wrap up this section the survey asked what Nintendo Switch Online members rate the current online service on a scale of one to five. The average response came in at 3.4, down from 3.7 in 2023..

💸 Buying habits

• In a typical month, a Switch owner will spend an average of $52 on gaming — this is down from the $60 value reported last year.
• The median spend on gaming comes in at roughly ~$35.
• 71% of Switch owners indicated that they make use of the Wish List feature on the eShop.
• A huge 90% of Switch owners said that they have downloaded at least one demo from the eShop.

This year I asked respondents about how they felt regarding the level of curation (or lack thereof) seen on the Nintendo Switch eShop. This question prompted a lot of responses about the overall quality of certain titles seen on the eShop, with respondents repeatedly using the term 'shovelware' to emphasize their concerns about the eShop and the 'clutter' brought about by an increase in many games that are perceived as either 'low-effort' or 'low-quality', or both. These comments were alongside concerns and criticism about the eShop's overall interface, usability, and general sluggish performance. Users clearly find it a challenge to easily navigate the eShop, and note that the design doesn't really facilitate an easy user experience.

Here are just a few comments from respondents, sharing their thoughts on the eShop:

"A lot of bad games makes scrolling through very slow and tedious."

"It could be more curated as the search function is slow and filtering is limited."

"I probably miss deals on good quality games because I quit scrolling when it slows down and the majority of games I see are garbage."

"I have no problem with the eShop. I use external websites and Nintendo Direct presentations to determine my purchase."

"There is so much shovelware on the eShop, it's infuriating to scroll slowly through the thousands of games on sale."

"I use Deku Deals instead of the eShop as browsing is so hard."

"I'm opposed to censoring and over-monitoring of storefronts, so I'm mostly fine with these (shovelware) games being allowed on Switch, as it also adds an interesting element to individual libraries when some games are so bad they're good"

As for how folks would like to see the eShop improved, several common suggestions popped up. These included:

• Better navigation and speed — the performance of the eShop was the most common issue folks want to see fixed.
• More detailed filtering options and search improvements
• The ability to review games (this was very briefly a thing)
• User interface changes — lots of comments picked up on the current interface and how it could be improved to make the store more appealing and easier to use.
• The addition of music to the store was also a common request.

"Optimize the heck out of it. It is unbelievably laggy and slow these days."

"A better filter system, and an option to see friends' Wishlist, as well as buying games to send as gifts."

"Add calm background music - something similar to the 3DS eShop or Wii would be nice"

🧰 Hardware Durability & Software Issues

The next section of the survey focuses in on hardware and software issues. It's a broad way to get a high-level feel for how the Switch is holding up (especially as some will have had the console for over 7 years now), and to see if there are any obvious problems across the Switch platform.

The first question asked respondents which hardware-related problems they have faced with their Nintendo Switch.

• Just over 87% of survey respondents said that they had experienced Joy-Con drift at some point. After seven years, it's a widespread issue that has touched a large number of Switch owners.
• However, when it comes to those with a Switch OLED, only 11% said they had faced the issue on this model.
• The second most common hardware issue outside of Joy-Con drift is issues with Bluetooth (~15%)

The chart below shows how common other issues (cracks in plastic, buttons jamming, battery issues, etc) are:

After establishing what issues folks have, I then ask Switch owners what one single thing they would most like to see improved about the Switch hardware. It's of little surprise to fixing Joy-Con drift as the primary request. This has been the most requested hardware change for seven years now, and the fact it's still a leading issue is a blight on the Switch platform.

Beyond drift, other common responses for improvements folks would like to see in Switch hardware include improved battery life, enhanced performance, screen resolution, changes to ergonomics, and the addition of hall-effect joysticks.

Survey respondents were invited to share any further thoughts they had in regards to Switch hardware and its general durability:

"Switch durability has been awesome. It's held up better than any previous console I have owned in the last 20 years."

"The Joy-Con rails on my Switch have gotten pretty weak from repeated removal and attachment. The hardware feels durable overall, but the Joy-Con rails, design of the dock, and drift are all major issues."

"Outside of Joy-Con drift, everything else is nice — especially the OLED version. For me, the OLED screen is a must."

I also ask respondents if they have faced any software issues with their Nintendo Switch. Thankfully however there doesn't appear to be any widespread software issue of notable significance. A small number detailed that sometimes game software would freeze or crash, but this was described as a rare occourance. A handful also complained about frame-rate drops in game, and the unreliable nature of the eShop application.

A few other software related tidbits:

• 57% of Nintendo Switch owners have used the Bluetooth headphone feature that was added to the Switch back in 2021.
• Around half of Switch owners (49.2%) have made use of the organisation 'Folders' feature added in 2022.

I asked what the one thing folks would like to see improved or added to the Switch, from a strictly software perspective. The top request was to see more Themes added to the Switch — currently Switch owners can choose from just a Black or White interface, and a desire to have more options here has always been a common desire.

A close second common software request was to see a native ahcievements system added to the Nintendo Switch.

Beyond these, improvements to eShop discovery, cloud saves (without the need for an active NSO subscription), and more media apps (such as Netflix) were also common requests. A good number of respondents also highlighted a desire for improved social features (such as Miiverse or StreetPass), and a few also noted a desire for an Activity Log akin to the one found in the 3DS.

To wrap this section up I ask if Switch owners have made any changes/modifications to their Switch, or Joy-Con controllers.

• 678 respondents shared that they had carried out their own repairs on Nintendo Switch.
• 261 folks said that they had changed their Joy-Con shells — this is a way to alter the look of the controllers by replacing the plastic housing with novel aftermarket options.
• Just over 100 folks (117) took things to the next level, changed the housing/shell of the entire Switch console.
• 159 of those responding indicated that they had Jailbroken their Switch.
• Along similar lines, 135 said that they had modded their Switch in some way.
• Around ~10% of all survey respondents said that they have used a Nintendo Switch emulator tool (such as the now defunct Yuzu) at some point.

🔮 Looking ahead

To wrap up the survey I ask some final quick questions around what games folks are looking forward to on Switch, what they hope to see in Nintendo's next machine, and more.

Curious as to which upcoming games Nintendo Switch owners are most looking forward to? Well, survey respondents were asked to share just one announced game that they are looking forward to playing the most. As such, here are the current five most anticipated Nintendo Switch games:

1. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
2. Metroid Prime 4
3. Pokemon Legends Z-A
4. Luigi's Mansion 2 HD
5. Hollow Knight Silksong

Both Princess Peach Showtime! and Unicorn Overlord were also popular responses, but as they are both now available, I’ve omitted them from the top five above.

Other popular responses here included Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Professor Layton and the New World Order Steam, Endless Ocean: Luminous, and Epic Mickey Rebrushed. Titles such as Hades 2 and The Plucky Squire also saw a handful of responses. Shout out to the two people who singled out World of Goo 2 — same.

Curiously a notable number of respondents (over 200) shared that they couldn’t think of any upcoming games that they were excited for.

I also asked members of Nintendo Switch Online which single retro game that they would most like to see come to the service at some point in the future.

Just like last year, Pokemon games are the top answer — a smattering of various Pokemon titles were mentioned — with GBA game Pokemon Emerald the most requested.

Outside of Pokemon titles, a Western release of Mother 3 was a very popular request, followed by N64 game Donkey Kong 64, SNES classic Chrono Trigger, and another Rare title in Diddy Kong Racing.

A good number of folks also want to see games such as Metroid Zero Mission, Banjo-Tooie, the original Super Smash Bros., Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and other Rare games such as Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day land on the Nintendo Switch Online service at some point.

Another Switch Online related question asked folks to pick just one library of games that they would like to see added to the Switch Online service at some point in the future. This would be a growing library of titles from a past, retro console.

For the past few years the GameCube was the most requested retro console that Switch owners would like to see added to the Switch Online service, and that remains true for 2024 — by quite the margin. This desire to see GameCube games on NSO, is followed by the Nintendo DS (tricky to get that working of course), the Sega Dreamcast, the Wii, and then the PS1. Shout out to the 30 folks who want to see Virtual Boy on NSO.

At this point, I asked Switch owners what other systems they currently own. This question helps us get a broader overview of the gaming habits of Switch owners.

• Around 33% of respondents also have a PS5. The PS4 is owned by 30%.
• Just over 20% said they own an Xbox (Series S or X).
• 13.7% said they own some form of VR headset (such as PSVR, Meta Quest, etc)
• The Analog Pocket, PlayDate, and PlayStation Portal all sit at around 3% ownership amongst Switch owners.
• Just 8 folks said they own the recently released Apple Vision Pro (0.24%)
• 15% said they own the Steam Deck.
• Of those who picked up a Steam Deck, a sizeable 88% said that their buying habits have changed — and they are now purchasing more games on Steam compared to the eShop.

Just how many more years should Nintendo continue supporting the Switch as their primary hardware? I asked Switch owners just that.

Well, the most common response is now just one year — making 2025 the last year of Switch support. This aligns with the answer given last year.

However, if you take the average answer across all responses, we get a desire for just under three more years of support.

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Putting the Switch aside, I asked just when respondents expect Nintendo to launch their next system. Most feel their next machine will arrive in early 2025.

As for what price people are expecting Nintendo's next console to launch at — by far, most seem to think it will cost around $400 USD at launch.

I asked what sort of key features people want to see in Nintendo's next hardware. Backwards compatibility was the number one feature noted (more on that below). Other key changes folks want to see are the obvious mix of more powerful hardware, performance and graphics.

76% of Switch owners deem backwards compatibility on Nintendo's next machine as an 'Extremely Important' feature:

Around 80% of Switch owners feel that Nintendo will stick with the 'Switch' brand for their next system. The other 20% feel they will move to a new name.

Just for fun, I asked respondents to make a guess for what Nintendo might call their upcoming new hardware. Here are the most common names shared:

• Super Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch 2
• New Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch Pro

As you might expect, this question got a huge variety of responses, including the likes of the Switch U, Switch Up, Switch Advance, Switch Plus, Switch Ultra, NX, and more. I enjoyed some of the more humourous responses too, such as the 'Switcheroo', the 'Switch 2 Electric Boogaloo', and of course 'Switchy McSwitchFace'.

I also asked what would be the one 'dream launch title' folks would like to see at the launch of Nintendo's next system? A 3D Mario game was the top response (with many specifically saying 'Super Mario Odyssey 2'). Metroid Prime 4 was the second most common response, followed by a new Mario Kart entry. Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Xenoblade Chronicles were also popular responses here.

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I end things by asking on a five-point scale generally, how satisfied are folks with the Nintendo Switch platform?

The response? Well, it was 4.3 out of 5. This is the exact same as last year, and very similar to the year before that —  suggesting a sustained, high level of satisfaction with the Switch platform overall.

In closing, here are just some of the comments about the Switch platform as a whole:

Despite being a gamer all my life, one with strong memories of gaming as a child, the Nintendo Switch revitalised my interest in the hobby, has given me the best gaming experiences of my life. It's my favourite console that I've owned, and one that expanded my gaming knowledge and friendship circles. It's a real all timer.

2023 was an all time year for Nintendo, truly cemented the Switch as an all time great console. I have many qualms with Nintendo’s business practices but their game output is undeniable. I think I’m ready for what comes next though.

7 years on, the Switch has become the best Nintendo consile since the SNES. Endless lineup of great games, regular Nintendo directs, great first party titles... what more can you really want?

A fantastic hybrid console. It has a huge library of games and different ways to play. The Joy Con drift is a sore thumb and really needs to be adressed in the future to prevent it on the next console.

A fun, pure gaming console

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🎉 Alright, that's it!

Ok, so that about wraps up this year's findings — I really do hope it's proven interesting. You can always check out reports from year's prior too if you want to dive deeper.

If you have any feedback, comments, or just kind words please do reach out, either on Bluesky or via email: chris@switchweekly.com — I'd love to hear from you.

Finally, if you've found this interesting, and enjoy the work I'm doing here then it would mean a ton to me if you'd consider either 'buying me a coffee', or supporting my ongoing work via Patreon. I'd also encourage you to subscribe to my free weekly Nintendo newsletter.

Become a Patron!

Thanks,
Chris ✌️

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