The Nintendo Wii is celebrating its 18-year anniversary. Nintendo’s highly acclaimed video game console, the Wii, set a precedent for future gaming consoles. Since then, Nintendo hasn’t looked back. First released in North America on November 19, 2006, the Wii revolutionized the gaming world with its innovative motion-sensing controls. Its unique approach to interactive gaming and a library of iconic games like Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword made it one of the best-selling consoles ever.

After the success of the Nintendo Wii – and in spite of the Wii U's failure – came a true successor to its legacy, the Nintendo Switch. The Switch has gone above and beyond what even the Wii was capable of, and it has continued shaking up the gaming industry since its release in 2017. However, despite its success, the Nintendo Switch owes a huge thanks to the Wii.

The Nintendo Wii Redefined Game Console Development

The Wii Made Gaming More Accessible

With the Wii, Nintendo decided to forfeit the race for the best graphics. Instead, the console focused on affordability and catering to all types of players: casual, hardcore, and even those who weren't previously into gaming. Unlike its competition, the Wii was marketed to everyone – from children and families to middle-aged and older adults. Nintendo made a conscious effort to create games that appealed to all, using innovative and accessible controls that would feel natural to players of all skill levels.

Prior to its release, the Nintendo Wii was called Project Revolution.

While more hardcore enthusiasts could immerse themselves in games from franchises like Zelda, Super Mario, and Metroid, casual players enjoyed other titles like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Just Dance. By focusing on simple, intuitive controls, Nintendo made gaming more inclusive and accessible, breaking down barriers and creating a system that a wider audience could enjoy. It reshaped how people thought about video games, transforming them from a hobby enjoyed more by the hardcore to a universal form of entertainment.

The Nintendo Switch Is The Perfect Wii Successor

The Nintendo Switch And Cozy Gaming

After the immense success of the Wii, which sold over 100 million consoles, Nintendo could not replicate it with the massive failure that was the Wii U. Partly an issue of branding, the Wii U was intended to be a direct successor to the Wii, but for consumers, the fact that it was a separate console entirely wasn't clear. Nintendo would more than make up for this misstep with the Nintendo Switch, however, which has become the true successor to the Wii's ethos.

First released on March 3, 2017, the Nintendo Switch has seen huge success, selling more than 146 million units worldwide. The Nintendo Switch has become even more popular than the original Wii, with its hybrid design, allowing it to be played both on the TV and in handheld mode. It is, however, significantly underpowered (like the Wii) compared to its current competition, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Despite its dated hardware, though, the Switch hasn't completely sidelined production value, as seen in the vast, beautiful open worlds of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, the excellent Tears of the Kingdom.

Though it was released a few years before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nintendo Switch arguably hadn't hit its stride until that point. When COVID-19 forced everyone into lockdown, more people began turning to hobbies like video games to help the time. The release of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons came at a perfect time, giving those in lockdown a chance to escape to a new world where they could visit their friends virtually and design their dream islands.

With more people investing in Nintendo's system, the Switch has become a destination for cozy games. Cozy gaming offers a way to relax and enjoy stress-free experiences. The Switch's hybrid design and simple controls make it especially accessible for even non-hobbyists to enjoy. The fact that it can transition from a TV console to a handheld gaming system makes it easy for anyone to pick up and play.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe were designed to be welcoming to all. With simple controls and mechanics and non-violent, easy-to-understand gameplay, people of all ages and skill levels are able to find some enjoyment in the gaming world. Plus, with the detachable Joy-Con controllers, families and friends could enjoy multiplayer experiences without difficult setups.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

The Nintendo Switch also allows players to customize how their buttons work through the settings and comes with touch-screen interactions and motion controls. This makes it easier for people to personalize their gaming experiences. Nintendo’s focus on usability has created an inclusive place for both hardcore players and newcomers alike, even one-upping the Wii.

How The Wii’s Ideology Has Inspired Other Companies

Nintendo's Influence On The Future Of Gaming

Nintendo isn’t the only one capitalizing on the popularity of handheld gaming. Several companies have since released their own Switch-like handhelds. Valve released the Steam Deck, ASUS released the ROG Ally, and Lenovo released the Legion Go. Of course, that’s only naming a few of the more popular handheld gaming devices – which act more as handheld PCs than anything.

Even Microsoft is looking to capitalize on the success of the Nintendo Switch. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft plans to focus on the Xbox app and make it better than ever to work better on portable devices. Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, also implied plans for a future Xbox handheld: “I feel pretty good about where this industry is going,’’ he said. “To reach new players, we need to be creative and adaptive of new business models, new devices, new ways of access. We’re not going to grow the market with $1,000 consoles.”

The last of the big three is Sony, which isn’t new to handheld gaming. The company's first approach to a portable console was back in 2004 and 2005 in Japan and North America, respectively. Though a success then, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) faced its share of challenges, including competition from Nintendo's very popular DS, and it's successor, the PlayStation Vita, never saw incredible success. Even so, there are rumors that Sony is reviving the PSP with a new handheld.

The portable gaming space is only growing more crowded, with Xbox's confirmed handheld, the expected Steam Deck 2, and more from companies like Ayaneo. Portable gaming seems to be more popular than ever, even more so than the halcyon days of the Game Boy. Modern handhelds are portable consoles, though, and the Switch's success arguably wouldn't have been possible without the design philosophy of the Nintendo Wii, eschewing cutting-edge graphics for accessibility.

Source: Bloomberg