The launch of the Nintendo Switch will not mean the end of Nintendo 3DS, with both set to “live side-by-side,” Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has said.
Given the Switch is a play anywhere device, it’s natural to question what its launch means for the 3DS, but Fils-Aime says Nintendo has no plans to close the curtain on the portable.
“3DS has a long life in front of it,” Fils-Aime told Wired. “We’ve already announced games that will be launching in the first couple quarters of this year. There are a number of big games coming.
“And in our view, the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Switch are going to live side-by-side. You’re going to be meeting different price points, you’re going to be meeting different types of consumers, you’re going to have the newest, freshest content available on Nintendo Switch, you’ve got a thousand-game library available on Nintendo 3DS, plus some key new ones coming.
“They’re going to coexist just fine. We’ve done this before, managing two different systems.”
Fils-Aime concluded: “I think there’s a sense that Nintendo Switch is a portable device. It is portable. But at its heart, it’s a home console that you can take with you on the go.”
Certainly the higher than expected launch price of the Switch – at £279.99 – means there’s a gulf in price between the systems, by as much as £200 when you consider the budget 2DS.
Switch will launch worldwide on March 3.
For more on Nintendo Switch check out our comprehensive guide to its launch plans.
Source: Wired
