• This article has been translated from the original Japanese content.
• This interview was conducted before the system was released.

In this 16th volume of Ask the Developer, an interview series in which developers convey in their own words Nintendo’s thoughts about creating products and the unusual details they hone in on, we’re talking to the developers behind Nintendo Switch™ 2, which launches on Thursday, June 5.

First, could you briefly introduce yourselves?

Kouichi Kawamoto (referred to as Kawamoto from this point on): Hi, I’m Kouichi Kawamoto from the Entertainment Planning & Development Department. As the producer for Switch 2, my role was to set the direction for what kind of system to develop and to consult with the hardware development department and other teams on the detailed specifications. I was the general director for Nintendo Switch, and for this project, I continue to be involved in the overall development of the hardware.

Takuhiro Dohta (referred to as Dohta from this point on): Hello. I’m Takuhiro Dohta from the Entertainment Planning & Development Department, and I’m the director for Switch 2. I usually work as the technical director for games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (1). Since joining Nintendo, I’ve been involved in the development of every launch title from Nintendo DS (2) to Switch. For this project, I’ve used that experience to share ideas with others on what kind of dedicated game console we should create next from a software developer’s perspective.

(1) The Legend of Zelda™: Tears of the Kingdom, a Nintendo Switch game released in May 2023. It takes place after the story of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and is set in the same world. The title explores a vast environment across the land and skies of Hyrule. It features gameplay in which players pick up, move, and fuse together various objects to create things like vehicles and weapons.

(2) A handheld video game console released in December 2004, featuring two LCD screens and touch screen gameplay using the included stylus.

Tetsuya Sasaki (referred to as Sasaki from this point on): Hi! I’m Tetsuya Sasaki, a member of the Technology Development Division. For Switch, I supported the development of the console’s system software while also creating a more cutting-edge software development environment to further advance how Nintendo would create games. This time, I served as a technical director, overseeing the development of hardware technology, the system software that forms the basis for running games, and the network services that support them.

Thank you very much. Now, let’s jump right into the first question. This will be Nintendo’s first dedicated gaming console in eight years since Switch. When did you begin development on Switch 2? And how does the development of a game console start?

Kawamoto: The three of us started working together on the new hardware project around 2019. But as far as the core development of Switch 2 goes, I recall that research and development had already started even before the project formally kicked off, right?

Sasaki: That’s right. We knew that we would continue to develop new gaming consoles even after the launch of Switch, so we needed to get ahead of ourselves and start sowing the seeds of ideas for what we could do with the next console. Hardware development takes time, and if we didn’t start early, the software development environment, known as the Software Development Kit, that’s needed afterwards wouldn’t be ready in time. We started by actively gathering information each day on different kinds of technology and the results they could achieve. In that sense, you could say that we began the development even before 2019.

Kawamoto: When we start development, rather than attempting to create the entire console from the outset, we focus on the elements that will take the most time and effort. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to provide developers with a Software Development Kit for creating games, and software development wouldn’t be completed in time.

Sasaki: Exactly. Without constant preparation, we wouldn’t be able to develop hardware and software in a timely manner.

I see. What kinds of things specifically do you consider during the seed-sowing stage that precedes the hardware development?

Kawamoto: Well, Switch is a dedicated game console that we created so that people can play different types of games in various places and situations. Fortunately, it has been well-received by many players.

However, that doesn’t mean Switch is perfect. There were times when we wished the Switch system’s processor was faster so that we could provide new and unprecedented gameplay experiences. I think the processor we chose to implement in Switch during its development was the best option at the time. However, as time went on, we began to realize that it didn’t necessarily mean developers could make any kind of game they wanted with it.

Dohta-san, I’d also like to ask you to share your view as a software developer. Like Kawamoto-san, were there moments that made you wish the processing speed was a little faster?

Dohta: Definitely. Hardware performance and software development always have a relationship of pulling ahead of and falling behind each other. What I mean is that when new hardware comes out and processing power improves, software development can also take advantage of that and take on new challenges. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (3) was originally developed for Wii U (4), so it was created with the Wii U system’s capabilities in mind. However, with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, we could create a world in the sky and underground since the performance had improved for Switch. To add to that, the ability to fuse objects together to create new ones was also made possible because of the Switch system’s capabilities.

However, as software developers continue to take on these kinds of challenges, their technical capabilities improve and ideas expand, and then what they hope to do ends up surpassing what the hardware’s processing power can handle. Hardware with an expanded processing capability is a blessing for software developers who want to challenge themselves to create new gameplay experiences that are unimaginable today.

(3) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A game released for Nintendo Switch and Wii U™ in March 2017. Awakening from a 100-year slumber, the protagonist, Link, must explore and survive the vast and dangerous land of Hyrule to regain his memories. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to this title.

(4) A home video game console released in November 2012 in North America. It features games that link the screens displayed on both the TV and the handheld Wii U GamePad controller.

I see, so that’s why you decided to sow the seeds and prioritize improving the processing speed for Switch 2.

Sasaki: Software developers always try to get the most out of the hardware. On the other hand, gaming consoles nowadays need to process so many things in the background. One example would be downloading data for one of your games in the background while you’re playing another game. When Nintendo makes a game console, we don’t use an existing operating system (5) that’s already out there, rather we develop one ourselves. This is because we want to provide a system that software developers will be satisfied with. To help software developers create what they want in the long term, we decided to design the hardware with enhanced processing capability.

(5) Basic system software required to run various software on the hardware.

Kawamoto: The Switch 2 system’s improved processor performance has allowed us to realize new types of gameplay that haven’t been seen before. To give you some examples, in Donkey Kong Bananza (6), you can experience the exhilaration of being able to destroy anything you want in the game without restrictions. In Mario Kart World (7), all courses are now connected seamlessly in a single world, so you can drive from one course to the next. You could say that one of the key features of Switch 2 is its expanded processing capability, which has made these new gameplay experiences possible.

(6) A Nintendo Switch 2 game scheduled for release in July 2025. Donkey Kong advances through a massive underground world, destroying the environment with his extraordinary strength.

(7) A Nintendo Switch 2 game scheduled for release in June 2025. Races take place in a vast, interconnected world. There is also a Free Roam mode where you can freely drive around the world as you like.

So, you increased the processing capability to allow new kinds of gameplay experiences to be created. Looking back at Nintendo’s past consoles, I think many people would expect to see something more unconventional, much like how Wii (8) and Nintendo DS have control schemes unique to Nintendo. During the development of Switch 2, was there any discussion about taking a similar approach?

Kawamoto: From Nintendo DS to Wii U, we offered new ways to play by implementing hardware features that weren’t typical for game consoles at the time, and asked software developers to take advantage of them. However, with Switch, we made that less of a priority. With Switch, we prioritized implementing something that could be used with any kind of software, such as the ability to play in both TV mode and handheld mode, rather than tasking software developers to create gameplay experiences that incorporate the hardware’s unique features. Just like we did with Switch, we’ve made having unique hardware features less of a priority for this console. Of course, we did consider various ideas. However, we felt that even if an idea works well for some games, there’ll be a lot of games where it doesn’t. Also, we thought a lot about whether we should change the design of Switch, a console with a screen and Joy-Con controllers on each side that can be played on a TV when docked. After considering various new ideas, we decided it would be best to keep the Switch system’s design and not make any “changes for changes’ sake.”

(8) A home video game console released in November 2006, offering unique motion-controlled games played using Wii Remote™ controllers with a vertical form.

Dohta: From a software developer’s perspective, we thought of what we’d want in a console if we were creating a game. In the past, Nintendo developed software that took advantage of unique hardware features, such as the Wii Remote and the Nintendo DS system’s dual screens. However, since Switch launched, I think there’s been a shift in how software developers create games. Rather than leveraging hardware features to create something unique, developers can now choose which software technologies they want to incorporate to make their games stand out. My honest opinion as a software developer is that just because a new hardware feature is added, it doesn’t necessarily mean that various problems will be solved or that new kinds of gameplay experiences will be created one after another. So, with Switch 2, we improved its processing speed in the hope that it’ll become a dedicated game platform with a strong and solid foundation that allows software developers to create what they want.

Kawamoto: There have been cases, such as the Ring-Con in Ring Fit Adventure (9), where we’ve offered a unique experience by including an accessory with the game, and it was well-received by players, so we wondered whether Switch 2 would really need a new hardware feature.

(9) A Nintendo Switch game released in October 2019. In this fitness adventure game, you play by attaching Joy-Con™ controllers to the Ring-Con™ and Leg-Strap accessories that come with the software and moving your entire body. Kouichi Kawamoto was the producer for this game.

Sasaki: Just to be clear, we’re not saying that Nintendo will never develop gaming consoles with new and unique hardware features in the future. We made that choice this time because, rather than equipping the new console with new hardware features, we thought we’d have the option to offer new gameplay experiences by packaging additional accessories together with games, just as we bundled the Ring-Con with Ring Fit Adventure.

I see. So, with Switch 2, which serves as the base, you’ve focused on the functions that are necessary for all software, since unique hardware features can be offered later via accessories that come packaged with a game. And you believe software developers will have even more possibilities to create unique games with those functions.

Dohta: That’s right. If I can add to that, Switch is a dedicated gaming console that packs in the best parts from Nintendo’s previous consoles. You can play in both TV mode and handheld mode, the controllers are detachable and have various built-in sensors…and I do think the form factor has lots of potential, still. However, I feel that the way people play games in their daily lives is gradually changing, so one of our challenges this time was to delve deeper into this aspect. With a new, more powerful console, leveraging the original concept of Switch, we believe that wonderful gaming experiences await players.

I see, so the playstyles of Nintendo Switch still have great potential, and it sounds like the Nintendo Switch 2 system’s role is to explore and expand that potential further.

Read more in Part 2: Redesigning everything from scratch