That transparency can only go so far, though, and the challenge for Nintendo Direct's format right now is the same as the challenge for Nintendo more broadly – how do you communicate with players about the software pipeline when, behind the scenes, more and more of that pipeline is being diverted towards a console you haven't started talking about yet?

To be clear, Nintendo finds itself with a very high-quality problem here. It's just launched Tears of the Kingdom to commercial success and rave reviews – the game is selling gangbusters and will be one of the most-played and most-discussed games of 2023. The company couldn't have hoped for a bigger exclusive title to keep the Switch afloat through what is likely its last major year on the market.

But at the same time, the launch of TotK raises the next question, which is the far thornier matter of how the transition to the company's next hardware platform is to be managed.

If there's any company that could plug its ears to the resulting developer outcry and push ahead with such a demand, it's Nintendo, but it still seems much more likely that whatever hardware is announced next will be a full generational leap rather than anything like a "Switch Pro" upgrade.

Beyond that, the shape of what's to come is largely unknown. A significant upgrade that maintained the Switch form factor and basic concept is certainly possible, and with any other company, that's exactly what you'd expect. This being Nintendo, though, a fairly significant departure that introduces major innovations over the existing Switch concept is also very much on the cards.