Nintendo’s Next-Gen Console To Use Same Nintendo Account For “Smooth Transition”

A transcript of the recent Nintendo Q&A shareholders meeting has gone public, detailing the future of the unannounced next-gen console. President Shuntaro Furukawa regarding the latter states that transitioning from Switch to the next-gen console will be much easier for gamers than everyone originally anticipated. 

Nintendo accounts have been created by many people around the world, including those from mobile apps as well as dedicated game consoles, and the number of accounts has reached over 290 million. We are committed to ensuring a successful transition from Nintendo Switch to the next generation of consoles by leveraging Nintendo Accounts.” [Machine-translated].

Nintendo seeks to continue using the players’ same Nintendo accounts for the next-gen of their unannounced console, planning to make it a staple feature for years to come. The giant conglomerate plans to give players a “smooth transition” into the unannounced console using the Nintendo accounts for easier access. To put things into perspective, there are currently “290 million” player accounts ranging across a variety of devices. 

Nintendo argues that hardware was the only way to connect with the audience in the past, and relationships had to be rebuilt whenever a new console would come out. Now the trouble has been replaced by accounts, which allow it to “connect directly with various customers” around the vast stretches of the globe. Nintendo accounts are a relatively recent phenomenon, as it was far from providing a smooth and modern online presence. 

It is worth noting that Nintendo has not promised whether the old catalog of games will carry over to the new console. The status of backward compatibility is also currently unknown, leaving many gamers confused about what the “smooth transition” could really entail.

All in all, the newly proposed method is akin to PlayStation and Xbox using the old user accounts created with old-gen consoles to transition nicely. To elaborate, the players’ old PlayStation Network and Xbox Live accounts now have successfully moved through three generations of consoles without much trouble.

The Nintendo president also talks about providing “unique game experiences using the integrated hardware and software of a dedicated game console,” inciting many fans to come up with wild theories. Regardless, it could just be a nothing statement by the PR, which is better to take with a grain of salt. 

The talk around the next-gen Nintendo console has slowly started to increase, even among prominent game companies around the globe. For instance, Ubisoft’s CEO recently stated that Nintendo had advised Ubisoft to release Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope on Switch’s successor.

Not a lot of particulars are currently known concerning the unannounced Nintendo console, but we are familiar it is likely targeting a 2024-2025 release date as per many rumors in the past. Moreover, the renowned company is apparently already in discussions with suppliers for the production of the next consoles. 

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