Nintendo to use current account system for “smooth transition” to next-gen
NintendoNintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa says the company will use the Switch’s current account system for a “smooth transition” to next-gen consoles.
While Microsoft and Sony have mostly provided a seamless transition of user accounts between console generations, Nintendo has historically fallen behind in this regard. But there is some sense of consistency in the Nintendo ecosystem, historically speaking.
For one, 3DS and Wii U owners could link Network accounts tied to each respective system. And those with a lingering balance on one or the other still have until March 2024 to transfer unused funds from the older accounts to Switch’s Nintendo Account.
Fortunately, the company plans on making things much simpler with the advent of its eventual next-gen hardware.
Switch’s Nintendo Accounts should work on next-gen hardware
During a shareholder Q&A (translated by Genki), Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said the company will do what it can to smoothly transition Switch players to the next generation using the existing Nintendo Account system.
Furukawa additionally noted the system presently hosts 290 million accounts across console and mobile platforms. Presumably, Nintendo will keep this data in mind when building out its network infrastructure for the still-unannounced next-gen machine.
While Nintendo’s plans for its account system on next-gen are interesting, the hardware itself remains shrouded in mystery.
Some pieces of speculation have made the rounds over the last several months, however. For example, spec-related rumors indicate the new machine could potentially support 4K visuals
Whatever the case, it’s clear Nintendo won’t have anything concrete to share for quite some time. Furukawa stated earlier this year that a Switch successor is not planned to release before April 2024.
