Ever since the Nintendo Switch launched, it feels like fans and the general gaming community have been highly anticipating a successor or refresh with improved hardware. Yet, seven years later, such an upgrade doesn't exist yet, and it's looking like we have to wait until 2025 for a Nintendo Switch 2, if the latest reports are to be believed.

Obviously, everyone still wants better hardware, not just in terms of graphical prowess, but also in terms of design and ergonomics. But there's more to a great experience than hardware, and in terms of software, the Nintendo Switch's operating system is lacking in a few key ways that need to be improved when we get the Switch 2.

5 Longer video recordings

30 seconds isn't always enough

First off, I hope that a more powerful Switch 2 can also handle longer video recordings for games and that they can be set up differently, too. Currently, the Nintendo Switch can only record 30 seconds of video at a time, and it will record the 30 seconds prior to you pressing the Capture button.

Many times, this is more than enough, but sometimes, it would be nice to be able to share a longer video in some games. A lot of things you might want to show off take longer than 30 seconds. Plus, it would be nice to have a setting where you can press the Capture button to start recording what happens next, rather than what just happened. It would make it easier to capture specific moments without having to wonder whether the preset recording length is long enough to get everything you want to show.

Also, as I've recently learned, the Nintendo Switch caps your video recordings at 100 files, regardless of whether you have free space for them. That arbitrary limit needs to go, as much as I appreciate being reminded to delete videos I don't need anymore.

4 Keep Switch Online classic games going

Don't drip-feed us the same games all over again

One thing that isn't so much a problem with the current Switch, but that gives me some worries for the future is compatibility with the existing library of games, and specifically the classic games available through Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo has a habit of reselling the same old games over and over again, having started with Virtual Console on the Wii, then the 3DS, then Wii U, and then the Switch. On the Switch, at least, they're not paid for individually, but at the same time, they take so long to come out, even when they've been available on Virtual Console before.

For the Switch 2, Nintendo can't do this again and restart the entire process. Let us carry over all the games that are already on Switch Online and that we're already paying for with our subscription. Focus on new additions going forward, even if they're lighter and more sparse. I see a lot of these classic games as something I can go back to if I don't have a brand-new game to play, so I'm happy just having the same library that's already there, as a lot of them I haven't played yet.

3 An eShop that isn't incredibly slow

And more organized, too

A common complaint about the Nintendo Switch software has to do with its digital storefront, the Nintendo eShop. This is the third iteration of the eShop (after the 3DS and Wii U had their own) and Nintendo's fifth digital distribution platform (the Wii had the Wii Shop channel and the DSi models had the DSi Shop), and yet, it feels far less developed than previous models. I won't linger on things like background music (a surprisingly common request), but there are two main areas Nintendo needs to address: organization and performance.

Starting with the latter, the Nintendo eShop absolutely needs some optimization to run more smoothly. The current iteration uses some web technology, which is never the best for smooth experiences, and when you start scrolling down the never-ending lists of "great deals" or recent releases, it slows down to a crawl. Loading new items on the lists takes forever, and the whole experience starts to feel sluggish. Nintendo needs to optimize the software here, and maybe cut down on how many items are shown in these sections if needed.

Then, Nintendo also needs to bring back more valuable sections to the eShop. One of the great things about the 3DS eShop is that it always had something interesting for you to browse through. There were sections for Mario games, Pokémon games, and occasionally content from a Nintendo Direct presentation. These days, Nintendo does something similar using the News feature on the Switch, which can show you collections of games in a certain theme, but why not make these sections easily discoverable in the eShop itself? The current options just aren't inviting to browse because most sections will be flooded with cheap (and cheaply made) games no one cares about.

2 Better folders and sorting

The current groups aren't implemented in the best way

Another feature that was oddly missing from the Switch for years was the ability to create folders for your software or even organize it on the home screen. I get that having the most recent games on it appear first makes sense, but organizing your screen the way you want it to also makes a lot of sense.

In 2022, Nintendo finally added some implementation of folders, but frankly, it's still lacking. You still need to go to the full list of games on your system and then press the appropriate key to see your groups. The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U arguably had this nailed down perfectly, with the ability to move icons around anywhere and create folders with whatever apps you want, and then place those folders anywhere on your screen. I think this approach is still better, but maybe Nintendo could implement a split design where you have a row for your recent games and a couple of rows for pinned games and folders, so you can keep fast access to your favorite games but also easily pick up where you left off.

1 Home menu themes

Why is this still not possible?

The Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, and from the very beginning, you could go into the Settings and find a section specifically for themes. At launch, the options available here were Basic White and Basic Black. Now, seven years on... you have the same two options. The existence of this page has always suggested to me that more themes were planned, in addition to the fact that the themes have "basic" in their names, suggesting that maybe more themes would be available that weren't so basic.

That never happened, and it's baffling to see why there isn't even a small degree of customization here. The Nintendo 3DS offered themes later in its life, and yes, it could have an impact on loading times, but you also can't compare the specs on a Nintendo 3DS to a Switch. Something as simple as more solid color themes would be nice, or even static images. In fact, fans with modified Switch units have shown that it's possible to set custom themes for the Switch home menu without a ton of work. It feels as though Nintendo had this time somewhere in the backburner and just forgot about it, but I hope we see it for the Switch 2.

Keep the great games coming

Of course, at the end of the day, no console is successful without great games, and that's what Nintendo has been focused on this generation. While the lack of some features can get frustrating, the company has been consistently supplying Switch owners with great experiences to play, and that should remain the focus going forward. I just hope the company finds time to improve other aspects of the experience, too.