A viral tweet sparked a debate among Nintendo fans, who argue that the Switch 2’s retail packaging is too similar to the original. Many players claimed that consumers could get confused when buying the new handheld console. Imagine being the poor kid this Christmas who ends up with an eight-year-old Nintendo Switch instead.
Switch 2 Packaging Looks just like Nintendo Switch
We’re only a week away from the launch of the Switch 2 on June 5, and Nintendo fans are now debating the system’s final retail packaging. The discussion first kicked off when popular gaming YouTuber BeatEmUps posted a side-by-side comparison of the Nintendo Switch OLED and Switch 2 retail boxes. The content creator then wrote “Call me crazy but this packaging is far too similar and a bit confusing for the general public.”
In all fairness, the two retail boxes do look awfully similar. I mean, aside from the Switch OLED being a little taller, the two boxes are almost identical at a glance. They’re both red cardboard, with a Switch that has the left Joy-Con lifted up. BeatEmUps’ post immediately went viral on Twitter, as thousands of Nintendo fans weighed in on his opinion. Many agreed that the Switch 2 retail packaging looked too similar to the original Nintendo Switch and would likely cause confusion for the average consumer.
Responding to the tweet a user wrote “Anyone who thinks otherwise has never worked retail.” Another exclaimed “I can easily see someone’s elderly grandmother grabbing a Switch instead of a Switch 2.” One comment summed up the issue and replied “Fans will have no problem buying one, its when a mum or dad has no clue what is what. “My kid wants a new ds” ” oh so a new 3ds or a new new 3ds” “yeah a new ds” “do you mean ds or 3ds” “what?”
Will Nintendo Switch 2 Be Confusing At Retail?
While the Switch 2 box has a giant two on it, most argued that customers often confuse the wrong product if the box physically looks similar enough. As someone who has worked retail in the past, I can totally vouch for this. Obviously, your average Nintendo fan won’t have a problem with this. But family members looking to get their kid Switch 2 this holiday? It’s not that far-fetched. BeatEmUps made a follow-up video to address those arguing the giant two on the box was enough to differentiate the two consoles.
“General public is not you. I also said a bit confusing, not mass hysteria. Not rioting in the streets. I didn’t think it was going to cause a failure of the console. I just felt it was a bit confusing to general public. And general public is not you. It’s not the person who watched the Nintendo direct. It’s just a little bit confusing to mom’s and dad’s, is all I meant.” Incredibly the tweet now has over 9.6 million views, so I can understand why he was shocked by the massive reaction it got.
Still, I personally think it’s a good question to bring up. Your average consumer is not wired into news like most in the gaming community are. And again, when you put the boxes side-by-side, they do look incredibly similar. Regardless, the Switch 2 is now just nine days away from launch. So let’s just hope most of us don’t get our Switch 2 pre-orders canceled. If that happens, the retail packaging will be the least of our worries.
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