The Nintendo Switch could soon support peripherals that will attach to the main console, making it a hub for unique control mechanisms.
This was revealed in a new interview with Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development Division General Manager, and Yoshiaki Koizumi, the Switch's producer, or better seen as the quirky man who showcased the Joy-Con during the company's Switch-focused keynote on Jan. 12.
The pair's conversation with Time's Matt Peckham brought out new and important details about the Switch, touching on topics concerning the console's future.
Because the company's forthcoming console is bookended by detachable controllers, it opens it up to a number of possibilities that could be explored later in the console's life.
Nintendo Switch And Future Attachable Peripherals
"I'm sure a lot of people have lots of different ideas about what might potentially get connected to the system," said Koizumi, "and perhaps suddenly one day, we'll just pop up and say, 'Hey, now there's this [peripheral].'"
Although Koizumi teased the functionality as possible in the future, he couldn't, or presumably isn't allowed to disclose examples of how such a concept would work.
The Switch being what it is, certainly a number of interesting ideas could potentially be implemented down the line. For example, some games may come with custom "Joy-Con" controllers that completely reinvents the control mechanism so as to fit the game's needs. Perhaps for a future Pokémon title, there could be peripherals that turn the Switch into a full-fledged Pokédex. It's all entirely up to rabid speculation, but at least Nintendo has acknowledged that such an idea isn't far off its radar.
On Hardware Upgrades
"It is Nintendo Switch, so maybe we'll switch it up!" Takahashi joked when pressed about the possibility of future hardware upgrades, akin to how several versions of the 3DS were released during its time.
Time also asked whether the Switch is poised to resemble Nintendo's home console's life cycle, releasing only a single one every five years or so, with little to no hardware upgrades overtime.
"I think we may see that people who have bought a Nintendo home console in the past traditionally, they may treat Switch like a home console and buy it and use it for a long period of time," said Takahashi.
He, however, offered a pretty interesting take on upgrades.
"Or, for example, because you can take the Joy-Con off the system, then I guess that leaves open the possibility of something else that might get attached," which means the Nintendo Switch could also potentially acquire hardware upgrades via the Joy-Con slot, which is a plausible solution, actually, although at present vague.
All told, Koizumi hopes that the Switch will have a constant presence in a gamer's life, hoping that it could bridge the gap between home and handheld, acting as the only necessary system people will use at all scenarios, be it sitting in front of the TV as one eats breakfast, heading home from school, or even sitting in the bath.
Koizumi believes that if the Switch is able to achieve this, that is, stand as the only console gamers ever need, then it can blur the line that divides "home console" and "handheld" faster.
Nintendo Switch Release Date
The Nintendo Switch comes out less than a month from now, retailing for $299. Although there's still a lot of questions left to be answered about the console, Nintendo has so far pushed the Switch at a high rank of visibility, with a recent Super Bowl spot marking the company's full support for the flagship hybrid device.
