The Nintendo Switch Isn’t the 3DS Successor, Confirms Reggie Fils-Aime

If you’re not ready to give your 3DS up just yet, don’t worry. You’re not going to have to shelve that bad boy for quite some time in favor of the Nintendo Switch. In a recent interview with IGN, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime spoke on the handheld’s future and Nintendo’s plans to support it going forward.

According to Reggie, Nintendo will continue to support the 3DS “well into 2018 and beyond” as the company is also planning to keep bringing new content to the system as well. Interestingly, Fils-Aime also stated that Nintendo isn’t interested in promoting the Nintendo Switch as any sort of replacement or upgrade from the 3DS.

“The way we continue to make Nintendo 3DS vibrant as a platform is first we continue to innovate from form factor standpoint,” Reggie explained in the interview. “So the New 2DS XL is just the latest for us in having form factor innovation.” This has been a point of contention for some Nintendo fans who have insisted the Switch is the death knell for Nintendo’s thriving handheld. Obviously Reggie’s comments speak otherwise, loud and clear at that.

So the Nintendo 3DS is here to stay for quite some time, though it’ll exist side by side with the Switch, with Fils-Aime has stated that it’s meant to “deliver that great home console performance” that you “just happen to be able to undock [and] take with you.” That’s about as succinct as you can get, and a great description of the Switch, which consumers are truly digging. But there’s no reason to compare and contrast the two wholly different systems anymore with two very dissimilar lines of games coming out for both consoles going forward.

“In the end, what we want is we want the consumer to call it their device, right? Their preferred gaming device that they can play fantastic Zelda, Mario, third-party content, all of their favorite franchises brought to life on the platform,” said Fils-Aime. “That’s what we want. And we’re greedy and we want Nintendo 3DS right alongside it.”

Both the Switch and 3DS have a smattering of very interesting titles coming out, so if you’re on board with both devices, you’ve got a whole lot to look forward to.