Nintendo Switch 2: What I wanted vs what we're getting

The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 is just on the horizon. After the official reveal and follow-up Nintendo Directs, we have a clear idea of what the next Nintendo console is going to be like. But while I'm excited to see the Nintendo Switch 2 release, I can't help but feel that it won't live up to my expectations. The Switch 2 might not live up to the hype that it's been receiving because of a few shortcomings.

The original Nintendo Switch was a massive success, and I hope its successor becomes just as popular. I wanted Nintendo to take notice of the competition and adopt a few helpful aspects into their own system. The hardware of the console is a big improvement, but it seems like Nintendo is overlooking some things for the Switch 2. Unfortunately, what I wanted for the next Nintendo console may have been more than what Nintendo is actually going to end up releasing.

No Nintendo Achievement System

What should've been done already

If there's one major complaint I have about the original Nintendo Switch, it's how the system and its library of games never had their own achievement system. For some players, this might not be a big deal, but for others, it's a reason why they buy or play a variety of games. Trophies on PlayStation Network and achievements on Xbox Live have become integral parts of their experiences, adding a sense of reward for playing games on those platforms. To this date, Nintendo has never created or adopted its own version of this, and it's been a heavily requested feature for years.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is an opportunity to explore and create a version of this that would resonate with the Nintendo audience. And yet, Nintendo doesn't seem interested in this whatsoever. The tragedy of that is how games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have their own separate achievement system viewable from a mobile app, letting players track accomplishments in-game. Why can't something like this be a general feature for the entire library of Switch 2 games, or tied to a Nintendo Switch Online account? It's baffling how this hasn't been offered to Nintendo players yet, when so many of them are already engaged on other platforms that do so.

Something like this could be a major part of the Switch Online classic games. Earning the Nintendo equivalent of achievements for replaying the classics on NES, or the recently announced Nintendo GameCube titles, seems like a great idea. Unfortunately, not doing this with the Nintendo Switch 2 is just missing a great opportunity to have more engagement with the Switch 2 ecosystem. Many players will revisit older games if they feel like they can earn something from doing so, and not offering that allows them to do so elsewhere.

H2: The Same UI As Before

H3: It doesn't look new

Every new console that releases also ends up having a new kind of presentation with its user interface. It gives a sense of a fresh new beginning, or an entirely new vibe from the previous console. Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn't appear to have a new UI compared to the original Nintendo Switch. We still have the white background with the square slots for games. This is disappointing because it doesn't make me feel like I'm using a new console that's different from before.

When the PlayStation 4 released, it had an entirely different look on its home screen than the PlayStation 3. And the same was done later with the PlayStation 5. All the consoles looked and felt different to use from what you booted up. That doesn't appear to be the case with Switch 2, which has a home screen that looks almost exactly like the previous console. While there might be some improvements to how things work on the home screen, there's no way to tell without having the console in hand. Furthermore, there's no official word whether something like Themes will be a new feature for the new console, allowing players to customize their home screen.

It's also safe to guess that the Nintendo eShop may look the same as before. One of the biggest complaints from Switch users was how slow and terrible it was to explore the eShop menus. If things look the same with the home screen now, then I have a bad feeling we might have the same issue with the eShop on Nintendo Switch 2.

Hoping for the best

With only a short time to go before the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, we pretty much know exactly what this console is going to be like. Many of the launch window games appear to be very interesting and have generated a lot of excitement among Nintendo fans. While I hope some of the features I've wanted to see are added in future updates, I still believe the Switch 2 is going to do very well on release. I can only hope for the best and see if this new Nintendo console will indeed live up to the hype.