We are a little over two weeks away from the Nintendo Switch 2’s full reveal presentation, and the hype for the new console is building. My own personal hype, though, has reached new heights.
And it’s all because of an incredible Switch 2 OS and UI redesign concocted by a graphic designer named Noah Bell which is beginning to go viral on social media, and deservedly so. We can only hope the Switch 2 looks something like this.
After the original Nintendo Switch’s lackluster OS design, Bell created their own concept of what the Switch 2’s menu could look like, and it’s just plain gorgeous. Including a redesign of the main menu’s buttons, Bell also imagined what themes could look like on the console. With Xbox Series X|S and now, finally, PlayStation 5 offering some semblance of menu customization (although nothing will ever beat the PS3), the designer has upped the stakes for the Switch 2, offering a beautifully-made concept of themes on the handheld console hybrid set to launch some time this year.
In the video which looks like it was made by Nintendo itself, Bell illustrates what a Super Mario theme would look like on the Switch 2, complete with custom icons and an animated background of Nintendo’s top hero popping out of a pipe.
Other themes shown off in the concept include one based on The Legend of Zelda and another based on Pokémon, all with the snappy tagline of “play your way.” And boy, oh boy, I hope we can all play our way just like this.
The Nintendo Switch is one of the most successful consoles of all time, but its ugly UI really needs an upgrade after only offering a dark or light theme. Nintendo fans would flock to purchase themes based on their favorite games, so it feels like the only thing holding this back from happening would be Nintendo’s awareness of how much players want this feature, or potential hardware limitations.
I still long for the days of the PS3, when the PlayStation Store was flooded with hundreds of horrible themes, but several amazing ones, too. And the days of pre-order bonuses including exclusive themes for players to supe up their console experience with. Please bring these days back.
If the Switch 2 can innovate with its assumed mouse-like capabilities for the JoyCons, then the UI and OS can, too. Bring us something better than what the Switch offered and it will already be a win out of the box. Give us the same old, drab home screen, and we are at a stand-still.
I’ve seen enough. Noah Bell should be hired by Nintendo to help design themes for the Switch 2. At the very least, Nintendo should follow through on the themes idea and then give Bell a shoutout for this awesome video, because I fear it will be better than what Nintendo has to show on April 3.
Prove me wrong, Ninty. Prove us all wrong.
