I just realized that this is the first time where Nintendo is the only hardware maker not producing and supporting another platform outside the Nintendo Switch. I grew up in an era where every kid had a Gameboy (whether Color or Advanced) and of course the DS was wildly popular as well with even adults having one. Nintendo console owners were scarce in comparison except for the Wii before the Switch, but Nintendo handhelds were always getting into households even as they were declining with the 3DS.
Fast forward to present day, Nintendo has only the Switch on the market while Sony has the PS4 line of consoles and the PS5 with MS having the Xbox One S (Xbox One X is discontinued) and the Xbox Series S/X line. So both Sony and MS have two platforms with various models going. Of course it is because pure handhelds are dead and Nintendo cuts support of their prior consoles quickly, but it is really weird to see other hardware makers have more platforms on the market than Nintendo who up till recently always had various hardware platforms out on the market.
In 2011, with the release of the 3DS, they had 3 relevant platforms going with the DS line, the Wii, and the 3DS all being produced and supported simultaneously
And in the DS and Wii era, Nintendo sold over 250+ million units of hardware.
The market may be changing, but we can't forget all the hardware Nintendo use to make and how even when their console sales struggled their other platform was getting Nintendo experiences to consumers. They have always had a big pool of consumers thanks to their previous strategy.
I wonder if the next Nintendo platform will release after the Switch sales are tapped out or if it will an "entry price" console that exists for a while after they launch the next gen Nintendo platform?
Fast forward to present day, Nintendo has only the Switch on the market while Sony has the PS4 line of consoles and the PS5 with MS having the Xbox One S (Xbox One X is discontinued) and the Xbox Series S/X line. So both Sony and MS have two platforms with various models going. Of course it is because pure handhelds are dead and Nintendo cuts support of their prior consoles quickly, but it is really weird to see other hardware makers have more platforms on the market than Nintendo who up till recently always had various hardware platforms out on the market.
In 2011, with the release of the 3DS, they had 3 relevant platforms going with the DS line, the Wii, and the 3DS all being produced and supported simultaneously
And in the DS and Wii era, Nintendo sold over 250+ million units of hardware.
The market may be changing, but we can't forget all the hardware Nintendo use to make and how even when their console sales struggled their other platform was getting Nintendo experiences to consumers. They have always had a big pool of consumers thanks to their previous strategy.
I wonder if the next Nintendo platform will release after the Switch sales are tapped out or if it will an "entry price" console that exists for a while after they launch the next gen Nintendo platform?
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