Despite constant rumors and speculation, Nintendo has yet to reveal a successor to the Switch. While there doesn’t seem to be any sign of an announcement, company president Shuntaro Furukawa has now provided some details about the transition from the current hybrid platform to a “next-generation machine.”
According to comments made by Furukawa during a recent Nintendo contributor Q&A, the plan is to use Nintendo’s existing account system to make the transition to the next generation as smooth as possible for customers. Here’s part of what the Nintendo president had to say, courtesy of Twitter user Genki’s translation:
Shuntaro Furukawa: “In terms of transitioning from Nintendo Switch to the next generation of devices, we want to do everything we can to seamlessly transition our customers, while using a Nintendo Account.”
While Nintendo has gotten better with certain account services, in the past they didn’t always make the transition from one generation to the next easier. It’s also seen some ups and downs with its online infrastructure over the years, and can often take a somewhat unique approach when it comes to certain aspects of online gaming. There are also no promises (yet) that users’ existing digital game libraries will necessarily carry over, and may not necessarily reflect what is seen on other platforms.
At the very least, this latest update from the company’s president seems to confirm that Nintendo will make it easy for users who are already inside the ecosystem. It’s also been noted that there are currently 290 million Nintendo accounts, spanning both console and mobile devices.
Again, there is no specific information about the next generation of Nintendo hardware yet. Admittedly, Nintendo doesn’t seem ready to move on from the Switch, especially after the company’s latest live-action release — breathing new life into its aging technology with announcements like Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Are you happy to hear that Nintendo will make the transition to the next generation as smooth as possible? Comment below.
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