Miyamoto doesn’t want Nintendo in the console wars

Shigeru Miyamoto has made his stance clear about the video game console wars and Nintendo’s part in it, or rather, its absence from the conflict.

Nintendo hasn’t attempted to make a cutting-edge system since the GameCube, which was a low-performing console in terms of sales. Instead, it’s made low-power options with great gimmicks and libraries. This is why the Wii crushed the PS3 and Xbox 360 and the DS obliterated the PSP.

(Okay, it doesn’t always work. RIP the Wii U: you’ll always be in our hearts. Sometimes, you need some power to make sure the third-party devs are on board.)

Hardware specs aren’t everything, as pointed out by Shigeru Miyamoto in a recent interview with Famitsu to promote the upcoming Nintendo Museum. Miyamoto brought up (via machine translation) Nintendo’s philosophy while addressing the console wars that have raged since the ’80s.

Nintendo / Universal Pictures

“I hope that they [Nintendo fans] will understand and not involve Nintendo in the “console wars” that are said to be about high specs and how to improve the performance of game consoles (laughs),” Miyamoto said.

Miyamoto discussed how Nintendo uses technology to make things that are unique to the company, which is now expanding to the realm of films. The incredible success of the Super Mario Bros. movie should explain why the company is moving in that direction.

Miyamoto’s comments also paint a picture of what the Nintendo Switch’s successor could be. While there are tons of leaks regarding the Switch 2, the only official thing we know about the console is that it exists and is expected to launch next year.

Despite being less powerful than the PS4 and Xbox One generation, the Nintendo Switch was a huge success, so there’s no reason to believe that the Switch 2 (or whatever it’s eventually called) will be any different.

While their competitors might be consumed with frame rates, resolution, and ray-tracing, Nintendo doesn’t need that to keep players happy.