The Switch 2 Needs More Customization, Not Just Swappable Joy-Cons

With the Switch’s lifespan coming to an end, it’s remarkable how much Nintendo got right: an extensive library of quality games, the console’s versatility, and a company-best Pro controller. But software and hardware customization is one area where the Switch’s successor could make big improvements.

Tim Rattray / How-To Geek

Something I liked about the Nintendo Switch at launch was its no-nonsense approach to user interface design. The intentional sparsity puts the focus on the games and gets you playing quickly. Nintendo shouldn’t abandon this philosophy, but after nearly eight years of calculated blandness, the console needs something more to spark excitement.

My eye is immediately drawn to the “Themes” option in the Switch’s settings menu. Ever since its launch, it’s offered only two options: Basic White and Basic Black. The framing of these colors as “basic” alongside an interface that is clearly designed to house more options left many fans hopelessly waiting for the announcement of anything more, even just simple color variants. Yet this never came to pass.

This under-utilized menu is particularly jarring for Switch owners coming from the 3DS ecosystem, where themes reigned supreme. There were hundreds of free and paid options that overhauled the entire user interface down to its icons and sound effects. Finding one that fits your personality helped to make every person’s 3DS feel uniquely theirs.

I still bask in the absurd Slowpoke theme that played the dopey Pokémon's reggae song as it struck a model-esque pose on a beach. I’ll sometimes turn on my 3DS just to look at it.

Meanwhile, my Switch’s interface looks identical to that of every other Switch. The only sense of self-expression present is the games I’ve recently played, something every console interface does. Even new colors would go a long way in making the Switch 2 feel more like a fun zone than a utilitarian portal to fun.

It's worth noting that the Nintendo Switch Online rewards program is perfectly set up to offer themes alongside the current profile avatar customization. Maybe they could even add a storefront for them on the mobile app! I’d happily pay money for premium themes, too.

Nintendo Should Also Consider UI Improvements

There are other novel ways that people could personalize their Switch 2 experience beyond themes, some of which also offer enhanced functionality.

One addition I’d love to see is alternate home screen icons for games. I’m sure we all have that game we play regularly that has an eye-sore of an icon, so providing more options would allow players to create a more visibly pleasing presentation (and perhaps one that fits their chosen theme).

The only trick here would be getting third parties to also offer up these alternatives, but I wager they’d be likely to do so if Nintendo led the charge.

Another feature that would massively improve how we use the Switch is the ability to pin games to the home screen. This would mean the games you regularly return to or don’t want to forget you own (guilty as charged) don’t get pushed into the library section.

Along the same lines, let us take the folders only accessible within the library and pin those to the front page. While Nintendo may be reluctant to create a menu within a menu on the home screen, the minor user experience complication pales in comparison to how useful it would be.

These are just a few ideas of features Nintendo could add to better tailor the Switch 2 interface to individual needs. Given how rudimentary the Switch home menu currently is, there is tons of room to expand.

More Accessible and Affordable Hardware Customization

Tim Rattray / How-To Geek

The main avenue through which the Switch currently offers personalization are themed Pro Controllers, Joy-Cons, and limited edition Switch units and docks.

Some of these designs are beautiful; I’m partial to the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Pro Controller and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Joy-Cons myself, as well as the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch. However, they come at a high cost for aesthetic variety. Nintendo should keep making these while also offering more affordable and less redundant physical customization options.

My mind immediately wanders to how Playdate creator Panic offers various colors of magnetic cases for its unique crank-controlled handheld. They allow users to choose an accent that best suits their taste while also keeping their Playdate safe at the same time.

Could the Switch 2 offer a similar style of screen-protecting case when undocked? Nintendo could simply implement magnets and let third parties make the cases and other related accessories… which now has me contemplating Nintendo creating a MagSafe-like ecosystem called MarioSafe.

What about slipcovers for the dock that let people spruce up their consoles without having to buy a new one? Even something like stickers designed to easily peel off of the dock’s plastic could be an engaging customization route. Whichever way Nintendo goes about it, hardware customization would be extremely valuable as it’s what people will see in their living room every day and turns the Switch 2 dock into a decorative accessory.

What Customization Will Nintendo Actually Offer?

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We’re talking about Nintendo, so anything’s possible. Heck, the company just released an alarm clock of all things, so nothing is too far-fetched.

While the hardware customization I discussed probably amounts to little more than a wish list from a hopeful dreamer, I actually see the return of interface themes as highly possible. Just the fact that Nintendo set up the Switch’s theme menu to be capable of housing more options means I wouldn’t be surprised to see more, even if we haven’t after all these years.

My theory as to why the Switch never got more themes is that it would simply have been too taxing on the console’s aging hardware. The home screen runs at 720p as-is, so layering more visuals and audio on top of that might have caused performance issues. With the Switch 2, this probably won’t be a problem anymore. Nintendo would be smart to finally make good on this common and lucrative fan request.

It's also possible that Nintendo makes virtually no changes. An “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality would make sense for a company that’s blue shell shocked from flops that follow record-setting hardware releases. In other words, nobody wants another Wii U situation. But I feel like themes could only help differentiate the Switch 2 from the Switch, something more important than ever when it’s all but guaranteed that Nintendo retains the hybrid form-factor that’s now synonymous with their entire brand identity.

Regardless, I’m excited to hear more about Nintendo’s next console, which the company said will happen by the end of March 2025.