Nintendo Confirms that Switch Won't Kill the DS

There has been speculation (including from yours truly) regarding the newly-announced Nintendo Switch and it's relationship with the Nintendo 3DS. Both are mobile consoles (although the DS moreso than the Switch) and Nintendo historians will note that the release of the Nintendo DS, a functionally different machine from the ever-popular Game Boy advance, caused the death of Nintendo's once blockbuster series of mobile consoles. So there is worry, or at least, speculation, that the Switch will do the same to the DS, shutting down Nintendo's NEW blockbuster mobile machine so Nintendo can focus entirely on the Switch.

Well, according to Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima, in an interview with Bloomberg, that's not going to be an issue.

"Thanks to our software, the 3DS hardware is still growing. So that business still has momentum. And certainly rather than being cannibalized by the Switch, we think the 3DS can continue in its own form."

So, that's a bit encouraging, but I'm not sure I believe it. At least, I won't believe it until a few months into the Switch's release. The 3DS is certainly running strong, but to say that the two won't rub shoulders, both being 'pick up and play' consoles, well... that's a bit optimistic.

While he didn't speak much on the hardware or software of the system (of course), he did say that VR was something they were considering carefully, so, that's something to keep an eye out for.

Still, a good dose of extra info while we crawl for that January 12th date.