One of the Switch’s greatest strengths is that it knows exactly what it is. You’ve got a small handful of streaming apps, sure, but there’s no denying that Nintendo Switch is a game console, through and through. Could its eventual successor be more, though?

Back in 2013 when Microsoft revealed the Xbox One, the company was widely ridiculed for its focus on delivering an ‘all in one’ device; a console that could not only play the latest games, but could stream movies, broadcast live TV, and let you control everything with gestures or your voice. Microsoft’s desire for an always-online Xbox One to be the only piece of tech you’ll ever need in your living room didn’t sit well with gamers, not least because games seemed to be an afterthought, with the firm more concerned about ensuring you were connected to its entertainment ecosystem at all times. 10 years on, however, the landscape for gaming and other media is somewhat different. While Microsoft undoubtedly botched the messaging a decade ago, was it really such a bad idea?

Ignoring the DRM (digital rights management) practices that Microsoft tried to peddle, which were and still are terrible, there’s no denying that video streaming has come on leaps and bounds since that fateful E3 presentation in 2013. Services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Peacock, Max, Apple TV+, and Paramount+ have all managed to attract tens of millions of subscribers thanks in large part to their dedication to original, exclusive content. But what do all of these services have in common? None of them are on Switch.

It’s not like Nintendo has taken a strict “no streaming apps allowed” approach either, because there are several available that can be downloaded right now. In North America, you’ve got Hulu, Crunchyroll, YouTube, Funimation, Pokémon TV, and Twitch. Why other services haven’t appeared on the hybrid console seven years down the line is up for speculation, but given that former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé once said that “conversations [with other services] are ongoing”, we’d wager that it would take a lot more than just flipping a switch and releasing an app.

Although Nintendo itself would hardly admit it, the Switch is now in its twilight years, with many eyes now looking to whatever’s next in the hardware pipeline. With this in mind, if they haven’t done so already, we can’t imagine the streaming giants rushing to get their respective apps on Switch, despite the 130 million+ install base.

With the eventual successor, however, we reckon it would represent a perfect opportunity to bring more streaming services to Nintendo fans. There’s absolutely no doubt that Nintendo’s ‘games-only’ approach with the Switch has worked wonders for both fans and the firm itself (especially in contrast to Microsoft’s confusing approach with the Xbox One), but the humble hybrid console has more than proven its worth since 2017, and we’re personally ready for a bit more multimedia to be integrated into the ecosystem (that’s assuming Nintendo doesn’t ditch the Switch concept for something completely new, and really, who knows).

Streaming is in a much different place today than it was back in 2013. Was Microsoft simply ahead of its time with its presentation of the Xbox One? Maybe, but there’s no denying that its overall approach was messy at best. If Nintendo keeps the hybrid approach with its Switch successor, however, the ability to stream media would frankly be amazing; we don’t know about you, but we love cracking out a bit of The X-Files on Disney+ while cooking up our evening meals, so to be able to do that on the next Nintendo console instead of our measly phones would be pretty darn cool. But that’s just us.

So, what do you think? Leave a comment down below with your thoughts on whether Nintendo should embrace streaming media with its next console, or whether it should just focus on gaming… and maybe some StreetPass.

And themes. We all want themes.