 The Switch is under attack, or at least it sort of feels that way as we browse the internet here to end 2022. It's hard for me to turn a corner, but I'll see you in a video, a tweet, a TikTok, a Facebook post, a whatever, an article on a website telling me how bad the Nintendo Switch is and that we need something new if we don't get it, Nintendo is failing us all. And well, I understand wanting something new, it's cool, Switch is entering its 7th year as of March 3rd of next year, so I get it, but also, can we chill a little bit? Um, let's not pretend what we have today is that bad, okay? Now before we talk about this, I want to tell you about this video's sponsor. So the other day we talked about a tweet from Spawnwave and how it helped make the Nintendo Switch 2 trend online. This tweet seemed to be somewhat in response to an article by The Verge, an article that was just an opinion piece where they felt Nintendo needed new, more powerful Switch hardware next year. For the most part, the article was fine, it didn't go out of its way to insult the platform or its games while making a few subjective arguments based on their own gaming desires. To be honest, especially for The Verge, that was a relatively good article. There are definitely a slew of reasons to think we need a more powerful Nintendo Switch in 2023. I wouldn't be opposed to it and I'd honestly be an early adapter year one, especially if it can play current Switch games at better frame rates alone, let alone maybe ideals like games with dynamic resolution scaling staying at their top resolution. But it also led to some conversations about how the Switch is fine as is and Nintendo could absolutely float with the current hardware another year or two. This side of the argument has some valid points as well. There is no right or wrong answer, to be honest, it's subjective personal desires. But the weird thing is, the article seemed to have dragged many out of the woodworks to essentially talk down about the Nintendo Switch as it stands today, sometimes using incorrect information to do so, or at least information missing a lot of context. On live stream last night, we went over one such video from Dreamcast guy, he's a good dude and I know what he was trying to get at, but there was a lot of misinformation in the video. To the point it felt like new ways to put down the Switch were just being invented out of thin air, or even new ways to say another platform is better when the very thing being said that's better is actually more true about the Nintendo Switch platform than the one being pushed. Dreamcast guy, however, isn't alone. Obviously, we have the original tweet from Spawnwave, where he makes it pretty clear that he is on the side that we need new hardware. He also followed that up with a video. IGN made an article and subsequent video talking about how we need a Switch Pro and one of the leading parts of the video talks about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Even though when you dig deeper, the hardware isn't really to blame for that particular use case. There are better examples and they give some better examples later, but they kick it off with Pokemon using it to heavily slam the Nintendo Switch hardware. There are numerous others all over the internet as well. The question is, why does it feel like so many are turning on the Nintendo Switch? Some will just say it's because of a sales decline, but even though it lost in the MPD in recent months for the top spot, it still remains the best selling system in 2022 in the United States. It's also still selling 150,000 plus units weekly in Japan, leaving everything in the dust. That's the number one selling system in Europe. Overall, Nintendo is going to end 2022 as the best selling hardware for video games in the entire world. Sure, 19 million projected for the fiscal year is below the 25 million from the year prior, but that was also inflated due to the pandemic just like the 28 million the year before. Reality is, sales are actually still pretty healthy. It also can't really be due to a lack of content, typically when new platforms come Nintendo really cuts the pipeline of content for a year or two to focus on the next system. Nintendo not only had 11 exclusive games drop in 2022, 2023 is starting off fast as well for with exclusives and 3rd party and indie games. Sure, we have Fire Emblem Engaged, the Kirby Remaster, the Band-Aid of Prequel, and Tears of the Kingdom. You know I've been beating all this in your heads for a while, you guys know this now. But that's just to start, Octopath Traveler 2, a Plucky Squire, Pikmin 4, Hollow Knight Silksome, or Persona Games, Heck, Hogwarts Legacy, and Gollum Drop as well. Hogwarts Legacy in July, Gollum, TBA. Obviously this is just the stuff we know, who knows what is revealed during the next indie world or Nintendo Direct. Remember, it's not 2023 yet at least at the time of making this video. So game wise, Switch is actually still pretty healthy, might not be getting the call of duties of the world at least not yet, but it's doing fine. Don't get me wrong, I would love new hardware, I am a bit of a hardware enthusiast if I am honest with myself. But need? Do we NEED that new hardware? Do we NEED to put down the Switch as a negative to argue for that new hardware? That I don't really agree with. It's fine to desire something fresh, something new. We're about to enter year 7, that's clearly the territory to expect what's next. But while we wait for Nintendo to tell us what and when we are getting new hardware, let's not forget to enjoy what Switch already has and what Switch has still to come. Because until further notice, one thing we do know is that at least this generation, every year Nintendo seems to be bringing it, giving us plenty of reasons to turn that system back on again. They don't have 106 million active users in the last 12 months for no reason. Guys, I don't know what's going to happen to Nintendo Switch next year. I actually would prefer new hardware over not getting new hardware if I'm honest. I lean towards that side of the spectrum. So I just don't think we need to put down what Switch is and what it still can be in order to express our desires for that hardware. It is true that some games perform poorly on Switch and we could see some better resolutions and better frame rates. But if that's all we're talking about, then I think we're missing the boat. What I'm actually interested in are what we're missing from a gameplay perspective with the current Switch hardware and what could be added in the future. And so many of these conversations stem around sales, FPS and resolution instead of focusing on how would new hardware enhance gameplay. And that's what I'm excited to see from Nintendo's next system. Although hey, I'll take the resolution and FPS as well. I don't own a PS5 and Xbox and a gaming PC because I hate resolution and high FPS. I mean, come on. But I like to see gameplay innovations as well. Anyways, guys, I am Nathaniel Roblejans from Nintendo Prime. Let me know what you think about this down below. Which way do you want? Do you want a new one? Do you not want a new one? Or hey, are people being a little too harsh? Are they not being harsh enough? Am I just some big shill that needs to shut his trap? Let me know. Catch you guys in that next video.