Pocket Gamer speaks: Will more powerful Android and iOS devices kill the Nintendo Switch?
Let's find out
Every week here at Pocket Gamer we like to get the team together for a sit down and a think. This week, after the announcement of the new Huawei Mate 20 X, and the fact that it has a controller that you can attach to it, we got to thinking about what that might mean for the Nintendo Switch.
Is there room in the market for powerful phones with gaming attachments and portable home consoles? Could the newest wave of smartphones signal the death knell for Nintendo's pretty cool but too big for a pocket handheld mash-up?
These are just some of the questions that the team tackle in this really rather excellent article. Let us know what you think in the comments at the bottom of the article - are the Switch's days numbered, or will a phone never replace it as your go-to device of choice?
Ric Cowley - Pocket rocket
The Nintendo fanboy in me is disgusted by this question. Of course not, the inner voice cries, it's a wholly different machine! It has dedicated controllers! Growing third-party support! Creativity! Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, a game no one expected to launch on a Nintendo console in a million years! It could never die!!!
And then I think, well, maybe. Mobile already vastly out-numbers Switch users. Every game on there is third-party - and they're basically guaranteed to make more money for the big studios than a Switch game ever will. Mobile has creativity - if you look for it. And it can probably run Wolfenstein II at some point. Heck, someone's probably working on it right now.
All mobile gaming devices need now is a decent controller, and the Switch could well be screwed. Because that's really the only thing separating them.
Jon Mundy - Handheld hero
What, in the same way that the much more powerful Xbox One and PS4 have been killing the Switch? Those dedicated consoles provide just as much direct competition to the Switch as any mobile phone, and the Switch has been doing rather well regardless of the massive performance disparity.
Given that the Switch was technically outgunned at launch by the flagship phones of early 2017, I'd say the release of even more powerful phone hardware means diddly squat. Especially when the current mobile gaming trend is away from the rich console-like experiences that they once threatened to provide. Only the Switch can give you that on the go right now.
Emily Sowden - Always in control
I know I should say 'YES, absolutely', but I don't think it's going to happen, at least not until mobile controls are made more comfortable for the masses.
Take Stardew Valley for example. In order to save your game you need to play to the end of the day where it'll autosave. On Nintendo Switch I was blown away by how easy it was to pick up and play, and you could put the console to sleep in the middle of a session. With the mobile version, it's easily the best UI I've seen in the same to date and it's much easier to plant crops and navigate menus, but its controls let the team down.
We know mobile devices are getting more powerful and more capable of running demanding games that look and feel great, but the Switch is already there. It's convenient, comfortable, responsive, and gives you the choice to play on a small or big screen. Nah, mobile's got a way to go yet.
Dave Bradley - Business AND pleasure
In business terms, I'd never bet against the games machine everybody has in their pocket. Mobile phones are the devices that turned the world - yes, even your mum - into gamers. A quick glance at what's succeeding in the games industry shows that mobile phones have already won this battle.
Mobile gaming is the largest segment of the games industry, accounting for over $70 billion this year – over half of all games revenues worldwide. I'm sure the Nintendo Switch has some marvellous games on it, but its revenues don't come close.
Sure, not everything is about cash. Let's get personal. I don't have a Switch. Seems neither flesh nor fowl to me. I have a great console for when I want to slump in front of the TV, it's called a PlayStation. I have a PC for when I need deep, powerhouse gaming. And I have a mobile phone in my breast pocket for when I need MOBAs on the bus or brain-teasers on the toilet.
People seem to love the Switch but have yet to explain to me why I need it on top of everything else. The arrival of more powerful iPads and faster, more high-res Android phones just convinces me I'll be fine.
Dave Aubrey - A guide in the dark
If you want a more powerful device, then it's inevitable. Mobile devices will, absolutely, outpace the Nintendo Switch, no doubt about it, and games running Unreal Engine 4 games just might look better than ever on your phone instead of your Switch. It's gonna happen. Get ready for it.
But if power was all that mattered, Nintendo would be out of the business already. The Switch launched into a world where more powerful games consoles were on the market, and still sold like crazy. Hell, the Switch launched into a world where there are arguably much more powerful tablet devices, but that hasn't stopped the console one bit.
And in addition to a strong marketing campaign that hasn't slowed, it's because of the games. Compare Super Mario Odyssey to any platformer on any system and it's one of the strongest out there, let alone on portable devices. In addition to those, a legion of full AAA titles squashed into a portable format are available on the Nintendo Switch, and it's not just a matter of power, it's a matter of playability too.
The Switch has traditional control inputs, in addition to touch screen and motion controls, and this makes porting over full AAA titles simple in terms of controls, and there's no sacrifice having to be made with multiple touch gestures or a clumsy on-screen control UI. Sorry Huawei, your controller hybrid just isn't up to it.
Nintendo hasn't needed to compete with power for a long time, and in the mobile space, this is no different. Mobile devices will likely outpace Nintendo in the graphical department, but without Nintendo's development team, it won't be a threat to the Switch.
