Nintendo is a gaming company with a unique track record of continuously innovating in the medium years before its competition. The company has been known for pushing tech boundaries in unique and unconventional ways, and games like Ring Fit Adventure (which gamifies exercise using the Nintendo Switch's existing technology and a new peripheral) and Nintendo Labo (which turns gaming and DIY into a learning experience aimed at a young audience) prove that that trend isn't stopping any time soon.
Nintendo has been trying new things for a long time. It attempted virtual reality way back in 1995 with the Virtual Boy. While that was a big idea, and a big failure, the company has continues to think outside the box, creating projects that may be smaller in scale but massive in impact. The Nintendo DS featured a mechanic where players could blow into the system's microphone to interact with the game, something that would be seen years later in the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller.
The PS5's controller includes technology and features similar to those that originated with the Switch's Joy-Cons, such as haptic feedback. Clearly Nintendo was onto something considering how well the PlayStation 5 has been selling and continues to sell. However, this isn't the first time that Nintendo walked so Sony could run.
The Wii was a groundbreaking success when it released in 2006, and while some now view the console as a step back in terms of pure hardware power, it was wildly influential on gaming as a whole. The console set the groundwork for motion-controlled gaming, and five years after the Wii's launch, Sony released the PlayStation Move, a camera-based motion gaming accessory that featured wands used to interact with the game. While this was first implemented by Nintendo, it was perfected when Sony tried its hand at the technology.
While its technical specs pale in comparison with its contemporaries -- not to mention next-gen consoles -- the Switch is still a remarkable piece of hardware. Not only are the Joy-Cons loaded with some impressive, though flawed, tech, but the ability to run games in both docked and handheld modes means gamers can take console-quality games wherever they go.
Many of the Switch's exclusive games follow the very Japanese concept that less is more. It may not have the most intricate graphics or gameplay, but what it offers is fun in its base form. Devilishly simple in their design, the attention to detail in games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can be taken to much greater heights in games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Next-gen innovation never stops at Nintendo, even in its games.
Because it's often at the cutting edge of new ideas and creativity, Nintendo sometimes hits a ceiling, one that it takes time and other innovators to overcome. Other gaming companies may perfect these ideas before Nintendo, but that hasn't stopped the company from continuing to innovate. Today it's the Switch, Ring Fit Adventure and Nintendo Labo, but who knows what tomorrow could bring to video games.