In answering a question during an investor Q&A (thanks, VGC), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has stated that any transition from the currently hugely-successful Nintendo Switch to whatever the company's next major piece of technology is, would be "a major concern for [Nintendo]".

"Based on our experiences with the Wii, Nintendo DS and other hardware, it is very clear that one of the major obstacles is how to easily transition from one hardware to the next.

“To help alleviate this risk, we’re focusing on building long-term relationships with our customers. While we will continue launching new software on the Nintendo Switch, we will also provide services that also use Nintendo Accounts and other IP outside of gaming software. We intend for this to help build a lasting impact with our customers,” he said.

There's no hiding behind the numbers when looking at how poor The Big N's transition from Wii to Wii U was, but that particular example also needs to factor in Ninty's very late jump from an SD console to HD. In the current environment, there's no significant hurdle outside of a more cloud-orientated experience where online is a bigger factor. (Another area Nintendo has notoriously been slow at not only adopting, but also really throwing itself behind.)

Currently Nintendo is committed to getting the most out of Nintendo Switch, having recently suggested we're only at its midway point as far as shelf-life is concerned, meaning any new hardware venture is still some way off.

"The hardware and software development teams are in the same building, communicating closely and thinking about how we can propose new forms of entertainment," Furukawa added. "In order to create a single piece of hardware, we have to do a lot of preparation several years in advance, so we are working without stopping. In the end, the deciding factor in whether or not to commercialise a product is whether it can create a new experience."