Switch 2 turns one: it was the third-party studios that sustained the console
A year after the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch has passed without a single “generational moment” – no sensational exclusive, no revolutionary release that turned the industry upside down. And yet, the console holds firm. The paradox is that precisely this quiet steadiness may end up being its greatest strength.
Mario Kart World: plenty of ambition, less fun
The big launch event was Mario Kart World – the first full installment in the series in 11 years, not counting the vast DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo tried to rethink the genre: instead of a set of isolated tracks, a single open world in which all the circuits connect through the so-called “Connections.” It sounds bold. In practice, those transition stretches are monotonous, the tracks themselves do not stand out, and the kart parkour system demands so much effort to master that the newcomer simply never reaches the fun.
In the end, the role of main racing showcase fell short of expectations. But it is precisely here that the real story of the Switch 2’s first year hides.
An unexpected home for third-party games
The console unexpectedly became a full-fledged platform for third-party games – and that, perhaps, for the first time in decades. On it released Pragmata, Resident Evil Requiem, Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, Hades II, Silksong, Yooka-Replaylee, the new Rune Factory, Octopath Traveler 0 and a whole wave of Dragon Quest remakes. The list could go on for quite a while.
Something like this had not happened since the days of the Super Nintendo – a console now over thirty years old. Historically, Nintendo’s platforms were seen as a place for Nintendo games. Everything else went to PlayStation or PC. The Switch 2 breaks that stereotype. And not with loud declarations, but with a quiet stream of ports and exclusive releases from third-party studios.
Why buy a second console when there is the Switch 2
The Steam Deck does not keep up with current releases. The PS5 remains an expensive pleasure. Against that backdrop, the Switch 2 looks unexpectedly versatile: portability, acceptable image, a consistent library. It is not ideal in hardware – but enough that you do not need to look for a second console.
Nintendo, for its part, did not fail on its own front. Donkey Kong Bananza was well received. Star Fox is on the way. Some first-party releases – Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Pokopia – went unnoticed by the wider public, and that is normal: not every project needs to be an event. The important thing is that the Switch 2 stopped being a niche alternative. It became the main console – and, for many, the only one. A year later, that sounds like a compliment.
