For a Nintendo console, the Switch is very understated in its aesthetic. We’ve had a number of limited edition bundles on Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter, and other flagship franchises, but beyond this the hardware and the way in which it’s designed abandons the experimental days of the Wii and Gamecube. If I’m being brutally honest, it’s a little boring, a sentiment that is especially true when talking about the user interface. The Switch’s collection of square titles, two cosmetic options, and a broad selection of profile icons aren’t enough to shift that impression. I wish it was something more.
Releasing in 2017, I would have expected Nintendo to jazz out the Switch in some ways by now, especially since it’s now clear we won’t be getting a Pro model, but instead an OLED that makes minimal improvements to the overall experience. It’s a big step forward, but one that maintains the user interface and library of the vanilla console to avoid fragmenting an audience. It’s the right move, and the one I was personally hoping for, but I can’t help but feel an opportunity is being missed here. Granted, the 3DS took several years to incorporate themes and wallpapers we could purchase beyond a few generic presets, being too little too late for a platform that was slowly entering irrelevancy.
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Nintendo would make a disgusting amount of money by allowing themes and further customisation of the user interface to become commonplace. Its games are easily some of the most imaginative and well-received in history, so there’s an aura of dissonance to boot up the console that houses them and be greeted with a bland and simplistic selection of options and icons that get the job done and little more. I gave it the benefit of a doubt a few years ago, assuming the console launch came in hot and the company wasn’t able to curate things in the right way. But we’re so far removed now and nothing has changed, which worries me that such an advancement isn’t even on the horizon.
Granted, the PS5 hasn’t introduced themes yet, which became a huge part of the PS4, and it seems the user interface is now so geared towards distinct icons and wallpapers for each game that introducing an evergreen theme to encapsulate all of that might be impossible. Even so, why not allow me to change the colour of the settings menu from something other than a dull, dark grey. It’s not my thing, and it’s a shame the platform has locked me into this bland aesthetic with no changes on the way. The PS5 is also less than a year old, so I can see a firmware update coming along sooner or later to change this perception. The Xbox Series X/S are unchanged from the Xbox One, although a few cool bonuses have been introduced to help the dashboard feel like your own, like it represents your gamer vibes.
Compared to all of the above, Nintendo Switch is just a bit tame. If it wasn’t coming from a company so renowned for spectacular visual design and creative ideas, I’d probably let it slide, but I expect more from Nintendo. If themes are introduced, expect them to be rather expensive and to riff on your favourite characters. Mario, Link, Animal Crossing, and Devil’s Third will all be there. Okay, maybe not the last one, but I can dream. Being functional is fine, but I wish I could give my console a little more life.
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