Thought Currents: Power Beyond the Outlet

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The Switch Tablet as a Second Screen
An Upgradeable Dock
Full Support for Current Eshop Purchases
Improved Screenshot and Video Features
More Than One Game Card Slot

A faster CPU, sure. Better graphics, naturally. But what quirky, groundbreaking features could Nintendo’s out-of-the-box thinking bring to the Switch successor?

1 The Switch Tablet as a Second Screen

Barone Firenze/Shutterstock

While Nintendo had great success with consoles such as the Switch, DS, and Wii, it has also delivered the occasional failure. The Wii U was a clear example of a product that’s great on paper, but less so when presented to the market. A confusing name and lackluster first-party launch titles resulted in poor sales.

But the core concept of the Wii U was original and exciting: a second screen for your home console; the Wii, with a little bit of DS. The Switch came with a touchscreen of its own, but this hybrid always offered handheld play or docked, never the best of both.

A bold approach would see a new run of two-screen games, but also a development of the Switch’s flexible selling point, giving us one more way to play.

2 An Upgradeable Dock

Nintendo

One of the promises of a hybrid system was that it offers portability when you need it, and power when you can afford to stay still. The Switch has never quite borne this out, with a pretty ineffective dock lacking in some obvious areas . It does little more than serve as a hub for power and video output. By improving its dock, and introducing a broader range, Nintendo could do us all a huge favor.

Of course, the technology needs to support it, but a dock with an upgradable CPU or GPU would be top of my list. I’d also love to see more video options: 1440p, 4K, and 8K if possible. The dock could even support fancier audio options, or other peripherals and accessories altogether.

3 Full Support for Current Eshop Purchases

As digital purchases grow ever more popular , more of us are amassing large gaming libraries and discovering new ways to rent and share games. Backward compatibility is now easier than ever and is a strong selling point, one which current Switch owners hope will see the light of day.

Nintendo likes to test our patience, releasing remaster after remaster, and each console revision tends to introduce its own unique way of playing Super Mario Bros (1985). But I’d like the company to really push the boat out and embrace permanent ownership of digital titles, starting from this generation.

4 Improved Screenshot and Video Features

Jerome Thomas / MakeUseOf

When I’m reviewing a game, I take many, many screenshots. And screenshots can be useful in a host of scenarios: sharing on social media, keeping a journal, and using as a gaming aid, to name just a few.

Really, though, we need something more radical, more Nintendo-y. How about native streaming, with everything you need to share a gaming session on Twitch, for example? Or a central, global image database to share progress, with an automatic history available to subscribers?

It might also be fun to see a return of a proper camera, as lovable as the JoyCon IR is.

5 More Than One Game Card Slot

Back in the heyday of compact discs, one of the most sought-after features was a disc changer or multi-disc tray that gave access to several albums at once. I’ve never wanted a console equivalent quite as much as I do with the Nintendo Switch.

The vast majority of my games may be digital, but I have a decent physical library too. Switching game cards can be fiddly and carrying them about makes them that much easier to lose. To solve both problems, why not simply add a second card slot? Or a third, a fourth…

This probably won’t be at the top of everyone’s wishlist, but there’s got to be enough room in that case for more than one card slot.

Games Able

Thought Currents: Power Beyond the Outlet