It's easy to let your imagination run wild when you think about the possibilities Nintendo Switch 2. Little has been revealed about Nintendo's upcoming Switch successor, other than that it will reportedly be a more powerful version of the previous, hugely successful hybrid console.
The renewed performance will undeniably be a boon for the Nintendo Switch 2 as it aims to compete with the likes of PlayStation and Xbox, but it's not the be-all and end-all. The ninth generation of consoles has spawned a number of strong projects, largely using newer hardware use, although the last few years have also been marked by a sense of disappointment, with many believing that some of the best games after 2020 could run smoothly on a last-gen system – and indeed many of them do. All of this means that Nintendo doesn't necessarily need to match its competitors' hardware capabilities to stay relevant, but specific console features are a different story.
The Nintendo Switch 2 could benefit from an Achievements equivalent
Nintendo's flagship console still lacks an achievement/trophy system
The value of achievements and trophies in modern games is subjective, as many players might accept or pass up these digital awards, while others tackle games with the express goal of snagging that ever-elusive Platinum. There are even obscure games that only make a profit because they are easy to get platinum. But wherever you fall on the spectrum, it's hard to deny that checking such boxes can be extremely satisfying, however insignificant they may be to success in the actual games themselves.
Given the importance of trophies and achievements after the seventh generation of consoles, it's a little puzzling that Nintendo's own consoles haven't responded with their own internal milestone system. This is particularly questionable since cross-platform games that are popular on the Switch e.g Stardew Valleyhave achievements on other platforms, forcing some players to choose between the portability of the Switch and the satisfying completion tools that are achievements and trophies. As more and more high-fidelity games for the Switch are significantly downgraded, the inability to earn these virtual rewards may serve as an additional blow against the console. In other words, if achievements and trophies are features that players care about, then the Switch is missing an important feature, making it an inferior way to enjoy many third-party games.
Adding trophies/achievements could make the Switch 2 a more complete platform
Aside from the noticeable lack of performance compared to the competition, the lack of modern features is one of the biggest criticisms of the Switch. Typically, this criticism is aimed at things like the Switch's online ecosystem, which lacks useful tools like voice chat, or the console's quality of life deficiencies, such as the ability to run smaller apps like streaming services alongside games. Maybe no successes aren't as big a deal as the problems above, but they are part of the same, broader problem.
Nintendo views its consoles as gaming devices rather than gaming and other entertainment centers like the PlayStation or Xbox. There's nothing wrong with that. But when a sizable portion of the gaming population prioritizes something like trophies/achievements, which is directly related to the overall gaming experience, it begs the question of why Nintendo doesn't pull the trigger on its own, possibly branded, equivalent. And unlike things like voice chat or running concurrent programs, the Switch's lower performance doesn't preclude something like achievements. More power on the Switch 2 could lead to expanded features, but Nintendo should come first and immerse Xbox, PlayStation and PC in the silly, unnecessary but enjoyable world of digital laurels.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console released in 2017 that can be played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh in 2021.
