Video game consoles used to be as fun as the games that could run them, but th Switch 2 signals that the era of hardware experimentation is ending.

Nintendo is now the most valuable it has ever been as a company in its entire history.

The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal has shattered records with 20M views in 3 days, outpacing the PS5 and PS4 reveals combined, signaling a new gaming era.

Despite approaching eight years since it launched, analysis of Nintendo’s financial data and weekly Famitsu sales shows that Switch sold just over 3 million units in Japan last year. That compares to over 4 million in 2023, and nearly 5 million in 2022.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will definitely be backwards compatible, but that confirmation did come with a bit of an asterisk.

Hosting and presenting the award was former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé who paid tribute to Team Asobi's charming little title. "So I have to admit it, Astro Bot almost outdid Nintendo at its own game," Fils-Aimé said, which drew some laughs to the people in attendance.

The Switch 2 is unlikely to be priced any lower than $349, the current cost of an OLED Switch model. $399 seems like a safe bet — the same price as the base Steam Deck. Any more than this and Nintendo will face uncomfortable comparisons to the new wave of PC handhelds.

Nintendo has an opportunity to avoid the pitfalls Sony and Microsoft wen through launching their current consoles.

To celebrate the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo is hosting hands-on experience days around the globe. They’ll take place in April, May and June, which makes us think the console could be released after the experience days. With the final experience day set for 1 June in Seoul, we’re leaning towards a release in the first week of June.

As reported by NintendoLife, Switch 2 may have affected one of its competitors already. Steam data showed that sales of the Steam Deck briefly dipped after the Switch 2 announcement. From being a consistent part of the Steam ranking’s top sellers, it hit the lowest ranking it ever had since 2022.

There were a lot of leaks and rumors before the Switch 2 was actually unveiled by Nintendo, but we all expected it to be able to play Switch games. Nintendo has always been fairly good at ensuring its consoles, even handhelds, can play games from the previous generation, and this time around is no different.