Rumors of a Nintendo Change 2 (or Change Professional) have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first began when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was first teased in 2019, gained steam when the Change OLED launched in 2021, and are rising now that the usual Change has been out for six years.
There’s little question that the Nintendo Change is a implausible console — it has a singular and spectacular sport library (with extra upcoming video games slated for this 12 months), the variety of options included with Nintendo Change On-line is continually bettering, and it’s nonetheless our favourite moveable console — however it isn’t with out its flaws. There’s sufficient room for enchancment that might warrant a completely new console within the close to future. Nintendo lately introduced that we received’t see a Change improve within the subsequent fiscal 12 months, which means absolutely the earliest we get a take a look at a brand new Nintendo console could be in late 2024.
Wanting on the Change’s life span and the present gaming panorama, right here’s what we expect the Nintendo Change 2 must convey to the desk to be a worthwhile improve and compete with different platforms.
4K decision and sooner processing
Whereas the Change absolutely wasn’t constructed to compete with the Xbox Sequence X or PS5 when it comes to uncooked horsepower, it will probably really feel woefully underpowered working even Change exclusives, not to mention multi-platform titles. Trailers for upcoming Nintendo titles are sometimes met with “that appears nice … for the Change” and new launches don’t at all times run as easily as followers hoped. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet had been unusually buggy at launch, Sonic Frontiers couldn’t hit excessive body charges on Change, and video games like Hogwarts Legacy and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum are coming to the Change effectively after preliminary launch dates as these ports require further work to suit them on the system. Whereas the upcoming Legend of Zelda installment seems to be nice, we are able to’t assist however dream about how effectively it’d run on one other console or PC.
Nintendo has definitely carved out its personal piece of the gaming marketplace for gamers who don’t want improved graphics or processing energy (do we actually want high-res Kirby or Pikachu?), however the Change’s limitations definitely maintain it again and that subject is simply going to worsen transferring ahead.
The present Change can hit 720p to 1080p decision and has a 60fps body charge restrict. We’d like to expertise full 4K gaming on the Change 2 and bump up that body charge potential (so it will probably on the very least persistently hit 60fps). We aren’t going to get into the ins and outs of processing energy and most well-liked chipsets right here, however we positively want extra energy from Nintendo going ahead.
Make the OLED display the brand new normal
The Nintendo Change has at all times been stuffed with brilliant, colourful gaming experiences in comparison with different consoles that target mature titles that are likely to pattern darker (visually and content-wise) and its successor will want a display to mirror that content material. When the Change OLED mannequin launched in 2021, the usual Change’s LCD display instantly seemed washed out by comparability. OLED screens are steps forward of their counterparts, boasting improved black ranges, brightness ranges, and shade accuracy whereas utilizing much less energy general.
We’d be actually dissatisfied if Nintendo walked again on such an awesome replace and didn’t standardize the OLED display on its subsequent console on the very least.
Extra built-in storage
Any longtime Change homeowners have run into storage points and have been pressured to archive sport information to make room for brand new video games frequently. The usual Change and Change Lite include 32 GB of inside storage, whereas the Change OLED mannequin bumps up storage to 64 GB. With new video games turning into extra demanding and needing more room with every passing 12 months, the thought of becoming greater than a handful of premium titles inside 64 GB is laughable. And even a few of that restricted storage is reserved to be used by the system!
Change customers can simply broaden the storage on any of those consoles by buying a big microSDHC or microSDXC card as much as 2TB, however these are offered individually and might value as a lot as a brand new sport in the event you go along with a big one. This a bizarre value to cross off to gamers when it’s going to be 100% mandatory to keep up a good digital library of video games.
Nintendo ought to make the swap over to an inside solid-state drive when the Change 2 comes out. An SSD would enable for higher inside storage and drastically improved load instances in comparison with the Change’s normal flash reminiscence or exterior SD card information switch instances. Present video games would carry out higher and sooner, whereas builders would have much more to work with when growing new video games. It’s a win for everybody.
Improved Pleasure-Cons
Everybody loves the flexibility to maneuver the Change backwards and forwards between docked and handheld modes. What’s higher than doling out Pleasure-Cons to all your pals for a sport of Mario Get together Superstars or Mario Kart 8? The simplicity of the Change’s controller design works — we’re not asking for something complicated — however the high quality of them simply isn’t as much as trade normal. Pleasure-Cons really feel low cost for a way a lot they value, aren’t essentially the most ergonomic form for comfy lengthy gaming periods, and can inevitably undergo from drift points. That is when a Pleasure-Con thumbstick will transfer with no participant touching it, inflicting apparent gameplay issues.
Pleasure-Con drift is the large subject right here as a result of it has existed for the reason that console’s launch and Nintendo actually hasn’t executed something about it with newer fashions. The corporate has been repairing out-of-warranty Pleasure-Cons since 2019 however the course of isn’t precisely easy and Change homeowners shouldn’t must ship their very primary controllers off for issues with the design.
Coloration customization choices
Nintendo has launched some spectacular particular version Change fashions for video games like Splatoon 3, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, however there aren’t a complete lot of customization choices outdoors of shopping for a completely new console or a separate set of Pleasure-Cons that you just won’t want. There are a number of shade schemes obtainable for the Change Lite and some totally different shade first-party Pleasure-Con colours however outdoors of that its loads of third-party equipment which may not meet Nintendo requirements.
Clearly, there must be a shade scheme for the bottom mannequin, however wouldn’t or not it’s cool in the event you may order a Change 2 on-line and choose your personal types for the console, dock, and Pleasure-Cons? That stage of personalization may make a Change successor really feel a bit extra particular, giving gamers cause to improve. It’d be nice to see that vitality prolonged to its UI as effectively, bringing again the Nintendo 3DS’ themes and including new methods to customise the present Change’s barebones menu display.
And please, Nintendo, convey again translucent controllers.
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