Nintendo Boss Says Switch Is Entering "Midpoint" Of Its Lifecycle

Having launched almost four years ago, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser believes the Switch has finally entered the midpoint of its lifecycle.

In an extensive interview with Polygon, Bowser discussed the company's 2021 outlook, how well the Switch performed amidst the ongoing pandemic, and what the midpoint for both the standard Switch and more-affordable Switch Lite means for the platform's ecosystem. According to Bowser, it means the company will "really lean into both platforms" while continuing to call attention to the Switch's unique console-handheld hybrid nature.

"[T]he way we build games onto the platform, and the way partners build games onto the platform, is really what matters and the experience that you have when you play," Bowser said. "So that's what we'll continue to lean into as we go into really what will be the fifth year of Nintendo Switch. And as Mr. [Shuntaro] Furukawa [president of Nintendo] mentioned in his corporate management policy briefing, we believe we're just at the midpoint of this life cycle on this platform."

Bowser referenced Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa's comments during the company's corporate management policy briefing, in which Furukawa also said the Switch is "entering what we consider the middle of its lifecycle." Both Bowser and Furukawa say more titles are in development for 2021 and beyond, which is unsurprising with the Switch approaching the midpoint of its life. Currently, Nintendo has a number of major releases in development, including a new entry in the Metroid Prime series and Bayonetta 3.

In the face of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the Nintendo Switch outsold both next-gen consoles in November. The console-handheld hybrid pushed out 1.35 million units in the US, selling a total of 6.92 million units in the Americas this year alone.

We've rounded up the best Switch games in 2020 by score, which saw titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Hades, If Found, Spiritfarer, and What the Golf make the cut.