While the name of the Nintendo Switch 2's initial reveal back in January confirmed the official name of the new console, but there was a lot of previous speculation on what Nintendo's follow-up console would be called, and while the official name is straightforward, some proposed names were interesting and some fan-inspired.

According to Nintendo's "Ask the Developer" interview series, the Nintendo Switch 2 was almost called the Super Nintendo Switch, correlating with the upgrade from the original NES to the SNES. The decision to name the console the Nintendo Switch 2 was in part due to the Switch 2 being backwards compatible with the Switch 1, with Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto saying, "Since Switch 2 can play Switch games, it didn't feel right to use the same naming convention as Super NES."

Kawamoto also noted that Nintendo wanted the console to feel like a natural evolution from the Switch, adding: "We'd like players who get their hands on it not to focus on the specs, but rather to think of it as the latest system developed by Nintendo." Kawamoto continued, emphasizing a desire for the Switch 2 to become the main console from Nintendo, adding, "So, in the hope that it becomes the new standard for Nintendo Switch, we named it Nintendo Switch 2."

The Nintendo Switch 2 Is The Natural Evolution Of the Switch 1

An Improved Switch

The confirmed specs and details of the Switch 2 prime it to be the natural evolution of the original Switch, so the name "Nintendo Switch 2" makes perfect sense. The Switch 2 will feature Joy-Cons, a larger screen, and it will be backwards compatible with most Switch games, so, beyond just the name of the console, the specs and features make the Switch 2 out to be a seemingly improved Nintendo Switch, with it maintaining the well-received features and improving in other areas.

Previously, Nintendo struggled to replicate the success of the Wii after calling its follow-up to that console the Wii U - a console that was mostly forgotten. The safe name of the Nintendo Switch 2 could have been a response to that as well.

Our Take: The Nintendo Switch 2 Name Is Perfect

If It's Not Broke, Don't Fix It

The original Nintendo Switch set a new standard for what is possible for Nintendo and was a massively successful console, selling close to 150 million units. Labeling the follow-up to that console the Nintendo Switch 2 instead of the Super Nintendo Switch was probably for the best. Without the "2" in the name, the "Super Nintendo Switch" could've easily been mistaken as a mid-generation upgrade instead of a whole new console, like the PS5 Pro, for example.

While "Super Nintendo Switch" might have been a neat throwback and idea, the Nintendo Switch 2 is safe and more accurate to establish the Switch 2 as Nintendo's new flagship console.

Source: Nintendo