Nintendo believes in cloud gaming, but thinks consoles will stick around

Nintendo believes that the future of the video game industry will include cloud and streaming technologies, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that consoles such as the Nintendo Switch will soon disappear.

Cloud gamingallows games to be run on powerful remote servers and then streamed into devices, instead of games being downloaded to consoles or played from physical media. This means that the device, whether it be a console, computer, or mobile phone, is not relying on its own hardware to run the game, but rather on the strength of its internet connection.

The technology was the subject of a question to Nintendo executives in this year’s annual meeting of shareholders, and it appears that the companybelieves in the potentialof cloud gaming.

“We see a future where cloud and streaming technologies will develop more and more as a means of delivering games to consumers,” said Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, who added that if cloud gaming will create more gamers, then it gives the companymore opportunitiesto provide people with the unique Nintendo experience.

Nintendo Director Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind theSuper Mario,Legend of Zelda, andDonkey Kongfranchises, said that while he thinks cloud gaming will become more widespread, “there will continue to be games that are fun because they are running locally and not on the cloud,” hinting that Nintendo does not have any plans to scrap consoles from its line-up.

“We believe it is important to continue to use these diverse technical environments to make unique entertainment that could only have been made by Nintendo,” Miyamoto said.

Nintendo has already dabbled in cloud gaming with the Nintendo Switch. Last year,Resident Evil 7: Cloud Versionarrived to the hybrid console in Japan, allowing gamers to access a streaming-only edition of the game.

It is also unclear at this stage whether Nintendo Switch Online will eventually expand to include cloud gaming features, but for fans, it is good to hear that the Nintendo Switch, as well as its successors, will not be going away any time soon.