Why the Switch 2 Was Missing from the Summer Game Fest – An Editorial

So, picture this: It’s 2007, right? Seems like forever ago, but here we are, talking about the Switch 2 breaking records. It’s apparently the fastest-selling console ever, zooming past everyone at 3.5 million units on opening weekend. Makes you wonder why the announcement list last week was so, uh, sparse? Let’s dive in.

Okay, game announcements. What did we get? Hmm, for newbies, Final Fantasy Tactics remaster and Mortal Kombat Kollection came out at Sony’s thing. Oh, they’re for the old Switch too. Sonic Racing: Cross Worlds got held back from the old Switch drop. We’ve got new guys for Marvel Cosmic Invasion and updates for Hitman and Street Fighter VI. SGF kickoff threw these out there. Weirdly diverse lineup, yeah?

Wholesome Games dropped a Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar trailer. Again, old Switch as well. Future Games brought Call of the Elder Gods—an actual no-show on Switch 1—and Constance, which plays on both. And that Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3-4 demo? Might be a preorder teaser? Who even knows anymore.

Oh, and let’s not forget the 007: First Light thing lurking around. You can’t avoid it, it seems.

So that’s, what, five new games for the Switch 2 and some updates? Meanwhile, there are like 45 new things for the old Switch. Does that surprise you? Probably not, and here’s why.

There Are 152 Million Switch 1s Out There

Look, we’ve been through this song and dance before. Remember the PlayStation 2 to 3 switch? PS2 was still getting love, even when PS3 showed up with its hefty price tag in 2006. God of War 2 hit PS2 after PS3 launched, and Persona 4, which was a big deal, landed in 2008. Tons of folks had a PS2, and not everyone wanted to shell out for the new kid on the block.

Nintendo’s doing something similar by keeping Switch 1 versions alive for big games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and the upcoming Pokemon Legends. Rhythm Heaven and Tomodachi Life? No clue if they’re getting the upgrade treatment. But, hey, if it still works on the old hardware, why sweat it?

Switch 2 Devkits: MIA or Just Arrived?

Right, so here’s a twist: The games announced for Switch 2 are mostly from devs who can make those magic Game Key Cards for retail. Makes sense, right? The bigger guys and some mid-size indies got them, like the folks behind Deltarune and Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Then there are smaller devs, the kind who might actually still work out of someone’s garage, unlike that weird, not-so-small team behind Clair Obscur.

I still peek at the Switch 1 eShop weekly. It feels like if a game isn’t working right on Switch 2, it just vanishes off the eShop. Good luck finding it. Hopefully, Nintendo sorts this out and stamps out the technical bugs.

But maybe Nintendo already spilled the devkits around. No insider info here—if you know, clue me in! Realistically, this should’ve unfolded either earlier in the year at its big hardware say-hello or in April. Two to five months? Yeah, good luck creating anything presentable that fast without doing a ‘wait for five years’ act.

Direct-Only Switch 2 Announcements

Remember June 12, 2022, when Xbox was all like, “Hey, here are the Persona games,” and people were speculating they’d hit Switch too, but nope. Until, surprise, the Partner Showcase on June 28 kinda snuck those in! So, maybe the same thing will happen with Persona 4 Revival, but I’m not betting on it.

Nintendo loves to personally announce their system stuff, especially in a Direct. Honestly, it’s like they schedule them directly around my vacations. Always during my time off. Like clockwork. They might not do it now—we haven’t seen mid-April Directs since 2015, except last year. Fingers crossed they drop that teaser soon during my break.

Oh, and did you think about these?

– With the Super Mario movie dropping soon, will Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza tag along? Maybe a new Mario platformer too?
– Doritos Pope (Geoff Keighley) and Nintendo? Used to be Reggie’s thing. Kinda feels like Nintendo’s steering clear these days.
– Oddly enough, Microsoft loves announcing their Switch stuff via Nintendo. Halo, Gears of War on Switch 2? Could see it. Legal stuff with Call of Duty might push them there. Always Nintendo’s voice, though.

Day 1 gave us 24 games and five upgrade kits for the Switch 2. The new owners, all 3.5 million of them, have plenty to chew on. Don’t cry “dead platform” just yet—go explore what’s already on offer. More’s coming; patience, my love.