The Nintendo Switch hit store shelves on March 3, 2017. We’re just a month away from the hybrid console’s fifth anniversary, and it’s not going away anytime soon. In fact, Nintendo says we’re only halfway through its lifecycle.
The statement comes from a Nintendo earnings call (with quotes transcribed by Bloomberg). “Switch is just in the middle of its lifecycle,” president Shuntaro Furukawa said, “and the momentum going into this year is good. The Switch is ready to break a pattern of our past consoles that saw momentum weakening in their sixth year on the market and grow further.” If we are indeed in the middle of the Switch’s lifespan, then we’re in for a full 10 years of the dockable handheld.
Five to six is the norm for Nintendo, as pointed out in Furukawa’s mention of past consoles “weakening” in the sixth year. There are two outliers, though. There were seven years between the NES and SNES and equally as many between the DS and 3DS. Still, 10 years is generally unheard of when it comes to consoles.
Enhanced versions of the Switch are helping to give it longevity. Last fall’s OLED model gives the device a slightly larger screen with a better display, more internal storage, and a LAN port in the dock. Incessant rumors about a Switch Pro keep coming around as well, though Nintendo has firmly denied that such a device exists.
