Nintendo Switch 2 needs to avoid this major PS5 and Xbox Series X mistake

(Credit: Nintendo)

• 🛑 Nintendo will want to avoid falling into the same trap as Sony and Microsoft

• 🤷‍♀️ Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X have relied too heavily on cross-gen releases

• 🤔 Nintendo may be tempted with 145 million Switch consoles sold

• 📈 However, new and exclusive software is what will drive Switch 2 sales

Excitement is building for the Nintendo Switch 2 after its initial tease. And while discussions will rage on about the console’s price, release date, and whether it’s a safe sequel in the run up to a deeper dive on April 2, there’s one aspect that Nintendo has to get right that the PS5 and Xbox Series X got seriously wrong.

With over 145 million Switch consoles sold, Nintendo might be tempted to copy Sony and Microsoft by releasing new games on both its last-gen system and next-gen console. Financially, it makes sense: the larger the install base, the more software sales you might generate.

However, the sheer amount of cross-gen releases on PS5 and Xbox Series X has led to a feeling that this generation hasn’t delivered the usual type of leap gamers expect. If everything on PS5 and Xbox Series X is also playable on PS4 or Xbox One, why upgrade to the new consoles at all?

Sony and Microsoft have also released its first-party titles on PC, leading to a genuine lack of exclusive titles that used to be the primary reason people purchased a console.

Astro Bot is one of the few genuine PS5 exclusives. (Credit: Sony)

As of writing, the list of PS5 exclusives published by Sony is threadbare. There’s Astro Bot, Astro’s Playroom, Demon’s Souls, Destruction AllStars, Stellar Blade, and Rise of the Ronin. Not great for a console entered its fourth year on sale.

Nintendo obviously won’t be bringing any of its games to PC but, in the past, the Japanese company has released major first-party games on a previous console and its new system.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess released on Wii and the Nintendo GameCube, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also released on Wii U and the Nintendo Switch.

Apart from a few outliers, though, Nintendo understands the pull that exclusive games still have. If the next Mario Kart is only available on Nintendo Switch 2, that will be enough to convince millions of consumers to pick up the new console. However, if it’s also available on Nintendo Switch, many will be happy to stick with what they have.

The next Mario Kart needs to be a Switch 2 exclusive. (Credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo will also want to show people why the Nintendo Switch 2 is worth the money, especially as it appears to be more of an iterative upgrade. If it’s simply making some games look a little sharper, or run smoother, that won’t be enough to convince most users to rush out and buy a Switch 2, especially as Nintendo’s audience isn’t graphics-focused.

Nintendo will want to use the Switch 2’s improved capabilities and unique features to offer games you can’t play anywhere else. That may seem like an outdated model for Sony and Microsoft, but it’s proven to be a winning formula for Nintendo. I sincerely hope it continues for Switch 2.

• Up next: Nintendo Switch 2 vs Nintendo Switch: which one should you buy?

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.