With the Switch, technology finally caught up to Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch is on track to become Nintendo’s best-selling hardware ever, with over 150 million units sold in its eight-year lifetime.
The Switch has successfully bridged the gap between home console and handheld gaming, a concept that was first explored by Nintendo with the Wii U.
The Wii U, released in 2012, was a commercial failure, selling only 13.56 million units compared to the Switch’s massive success.
Despite its poor sales, the Wii U introduced several innovative ideas and games that were ahead of their time and have since influenced modern gaming trends.
The Switch has built upon these ideas, offering a seamless transition between home console and handheld modes, much like the Wii U did before it.

The Nintendo Switch is on the cusp of becoming Nintendo’s bestselling hardware ever. In retrospect, it’s easy to see why: it’s a device that seamlessly transitions from a home console to a handheld, erasing the distinction between the two. It’s been so successful that Nintendo isn’t changing all that much with the Switch 2. But both consoles are well-executed versions of ideas Nintendo has been working on since the failed Wii U – and maybe even earlier.

Purely by sales numbers, the Wii U was a flop. The Switch has sold more than 150 million units in its eight-year lifetime. The Wii U, by comparison, sold 13.56 million units – less than a 10th of what the Switch did – making it Nintendo’s worst-selling home console.

As a result, it had a much shorter lifespan, launching in late 2012 before being superseded by the Switch about four and a half years later. But many of its ideas and its games were not only excellent, they were also well ahead of their time, and, in some ways, predicted several modern trends in gaming.

The Wii U, with its tablet controller, also worked as a device that could play games on a TV or in handheld mode. The ability to see a game on a big screen or curl up …

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Q. What is the current status of Nintendo’s Switch console?

A. The Switch is on the cusp of becoming Nintendo’s bestselling hardware ever, with over 150 million units sold in its eight-year lifetime.

Q. How does the Switch compare to Nintendo’s previous home console, the Wii U?

A. The Switch has sold significantly more than the Wii U, which sold less than a 10th of what the Switch did, making it Nintendo’s worst-selling home console.

Q. What was the lifespan of the Wii U console?

A. The Wii U had a much shorter lifespan, launching in late 2012 before being superseded by the Switch about four and a half years later.

Q. Did the Wii U have any innovative features that are now seen as ahead of their time?

A. Yes, the Wii U’s tablet controller was an early example of a device that could play games on both TVs and in handheld mode, predicting modern trends in gaming.

Q. What is one way in which the Switch has built upon Nintendo’s ideas from the Wii U?

A. The Switch seamlessly transitions between home console and handheld modes, erasing the distinction between the two.

Q. How did the Switch’s success compare to the Wii U’s sales numbers?

A. The Switch has sold over 150 million units, while the Wii U sold less than a 10th of that amount (13.56 million).

Q. What was one of the key features of the Wii U that is now seen as well ahead of its time?

A. The Wii U’s tablet controller allowed for games to be played on both TVs and in handheld mode, a feature that has since become common.

Q. How did Nintendo’s failure with the Wii U affect its future consoles?

A. The failure of the Wii U led to a more cautious approach from Nintendo, as seen in the Switch 2, which builds upon ideas from the Wii U rather than introducing new ones.

Q. What is one way in which the Switch has built upon Nintendo’s past successes?

A. The Switch has successfully executed on ideas that Nintendo had been working on since the failed Wii U, and maybe even earlier.