Nintendo Switch 2 Was Almost Named The Super Nintendo Switch

There was a lot of hype built around today. We knew that we would be getting the latest Nintendo Direct presentation. Earlier this year, when Nintendo dropped the Nintendo Switch 2 console trailer announcement, it came with confirmation that today, a special presentation would be held fully focused on the new console. Now that the presentation is over, Nintendo has released a small Q&A with a few individuals about how they went about naming the console.

On the official Nintendo website, there is a Q&A with a few of the developers behind the console. This highlights some of the tidbits that fans might find of interest, like the design of the console and some of the changes and processes developers went through to get this console to the finish line.

The three developers featured are Kouichi Kawamoto, a producer in the entertainment planning and development department; Takuhiro Dohta, a senior director in the entertainment planning and development department; and Tetsuya Sasaki, the general manager in the technology development division.

During the conversation, the three touched on the name of the console. There were rumors in the past that the console would be called the Super Nintendo Switch, similar to the name Nintendo gave the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It turns out that rumor almost proved to be true, as this name was in consideration.

There were a lot of ideas for the name, and we really struggled to find the right one.

We even considered ideas like “Super Nintendo Switch.” However, Super NES, which came out after the NES, couldn’t play NES games. Since Switch 2 can play Switch games, it didn’t feel right to use the same naming convention as Super NES. Switch 2 is a new system with improved performance, but 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.

So, in the hope that it becomes the new standard for Nintendo Switch, we named it Nintendo Switch 2. – Kawamoto

Instead, the focus on the name related to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System gave developers the feeling that the past games wouldn’t work on the system. As you might know, there is a push to bring Nintendo Switch games to the Switch 2 console. The SNES didn’t offer that with the predecessor NES game catalog, which might have been why Nintendo didn’t go through with this name.

That’s right. From the beginning of development, we wanted Switch 2 to be a system that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of players. This hasn’t changed from Switch to Switch 2. I also wanted to create an experience that as many players as possible could enjoy, rather than an experience made specially for those who prefer high-performance hardware. So, we wanted a name that would communicate simply to potential customers that, if you’re considering buying a Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 is the newest system. – Dohta

Instead, they opted to name it the Nintendo Switch 2. As Dohta noted, this name would further highlight that this would be the newest system if consumers head into stores to purchase a unit.

If you missed the Nintendo Direct presentation, we have a breakdown of everything we learned about the new hardware right here. Likewise, if you’re interested in purchasing a unit, there are a few requirements you might want to note before the console becomes readily available in stores.