While the Nintendo Switch may have just turned 8 years old, there's been little sign of the console slowing down. Even with the Switch 2 set for release this year, Nintendo's current console still has a busy year ahead, with both Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond set to boost the Switch's already spectacular first-party line-up. It was easy to assume that Nintendo was putting everything in place to give a grand farewell to one of its greatest consoles to date.

However, recent announcements suggest that Nintendo has opted for a different direction, causing the Switch era to come to an abrupt end. While the moment was inevitably going to happen, the rather unceremonious conclusion feels both surprising and disappointing. Despite the huge impact that the Switch had on Nintendo and the industry as a whole, the console is seemingly being pushed into the background, and one title could very well be responsible for this.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A Could Release On Switch 2

The Game's Late Launch Hints At A Cross-Gen Release

There's a possibility that one of the year's biggest Nintendo games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, could make its way over to Switch 2. This comes following the most recent Pokémon Presents presentation where the game was given a full gameplay reveal, alongside a vague release window of late 2025. With Legends Z-A being given such a late release, and with the Switch 2 also set to launch sometime in 2025, it has brought forward the possibility that the latest Pokémon title will be a cross-gen game between the new console and its predecessor.

With the Switch 2 yet to be given a specific launch date in 2025, it has also led to theories regarding Pokémon Legends: Z-A being a launch title for the new system in order to boost the sales of both the game and console.

While there's no way of telling what the Switch 2's line-up of titles will look like, it would be unsurprising for Legends Z-A to be a part of it. Pokémon is one of the most successful video game franchises worldwide, making the latest entry a surefire hit. However, with many players' attention likely to be focused on Nintendo's new console and its range of new titles, keeping Legends Z-A as a Switch exclusive puts the game at risk of being overshadowed, preventing it from receiving the same success that's expected of the Pokémon series.

With this in mind, a cross-gen release would not only be beneficial to Legends Z-A, but vital to ensure the game's success. While Legends Z-A will likely be backwards compatible with the Switch 2, outwardly placing it as a game for the new console helps to put it in the same spotlight as the rest of the Switch 2's library. In doing so, it helps to ensure Legends Z-A receives the same attention that new Pokémon releases often garner, ensuring it maintains the same success.

Cross-Gen Releases For The Switch 2 Makes Sense

More Titles Help To Broaden The New Console's Appeal

What makes a cross-gen release for Legends Z-A more plausible is how such a release would benefit the Switch 2 itself, especially if the title takes advantage of the new console's capabilities. For example, a more enhanced version of Legends Z-A would help to convince players to move over to Nintendo's newest hardware, by providing them with a visible comparison between both consoles and the greater capabilities the Switch 2 possesses. In doing so, it will convince players to purchase Nintendo's new console in order to receive a better, uncompromised experience, giving the Switch 2 a greater chance at success.

It's a move that Nintendo has used previously with The Legend of Zelda. For example, Twilight Princess was released for both GameCube and Wii, taking advantage of the latter's motion controls, while Breath of the Wild performed better on the Switch compared to the Wii U and also allowed for portability. This strategy worked extremely well for Nintendo, with both titles breaking sales records for the Zelda series at the time of their release, whilst boosting the sales of their respective new consoles at launch, showing how similar success can be achieved with a cross-gen release on the Switch 2.

The Switch's Final Year Could Be Disappointing

The Switch Won't Be Given The Big Farewell It Deserves

The possible cross-gen release of Legends Z-A will certainly do wonders for the success of the game and the Switch 2, but it comes at a huge cost for the Switch itself. Prior to Legends Z-A's showcase at Pokémon Presents, the Switch had a huge year ahead, with the game set to launch alongside Metroid Prime 4 and Xenoblade Chronicles X. And, with the Switch 2 still sometime away, it gave Nintendo's current console the chance to end its final year with a bang.

Unfortunately, Legends Z-A's possible cross-gen release may have laid that idea to rest. If the latest Pokémon title moves towards Nintendo's newest console, the Switch no longer has that strong line-up of exclusives for 2025, even with the likes of Metroid and Xenoblade. Furthermore, if the Switch 2's release also happens to occur towards the end of the year, it will leave current Switch players with little new content to tide them over, effectively bringing the Switch era to an abrupt end.

It's also worth noting that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has yet to receive a specific date for its release in 2025, making it possible that the title is also set for a cross-gen release on the Switch 2. If true, this would leave the Switch without any previously announced first-party exclusives for 2025, following the release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.

It's hard not to see this end to the Switch era as a little disappointing. The Switch is undoubtedly one of the most successful and important eras in Nintendo's history. The console was not only a revolutionary moment for the industry thanks to its hybrid technology, but it was vital in pulling Nintendo out of the huge rut that the company dug itself into with the Wii U. 2025 wasn't just a farewell for the console, but a chance to give the Switch the recognition it deserved, a chance that may have just been denied thanks to Legends Z-A.

There's no denying the huge benefits that a potential cross-gen release will provide for Legends Z-A and the Switch 2. Not only will it provide the Pokémon title with as big an outreach as possible, but it will serve as a major inclusion to the library of titles working to ensure the Switch 2's success. That being said, the lack of major titles leaves the Switch without the true exclusives to keep players occupied during the year, while simultaneously bringing one of Nintendo's best eras to a sooner end than it deserved.