I didn't realise the tech component shortage was a long term thing. Oh well.
Also, while it can compete with Series S, it's really just a portable PS4/Xbox One.
I’ve seen reports that the current AI-derived memory shortages lasting anywhere from the next 2-5 YEARS. Some newer CPU technology is now putting strain on CPU stocks, raising prices. Due to broader geo-political issues (like a bullshit conflict involving a vital trade route in the Middle East) regarding transport of strategic resources (like Helium), the ability to utilize more advanced manufacturing methods is getting more expensive. And there’s also a general silicon wafer shortage, in part due to issues related above.
I think Nintendo is going to just be content to keep getting their SoCs and be able to continue selling consoles. And again, if the Switch 2 sees comparable support to Switch 1, competent developers are more than capable of making the system “punch above its weight”.
I recall a LOT of people just calling the Switch 1 a “portable Xbox360/PS3” as well, but thanks to newer software and technologies, we saw the first Switch, as I like the term, “punch above its weight class”. Doom Eternal was never going to run on a PS3. Feral Interactive’s ports of Grid Autosport and Alien Isolation actually performed BETTER than the PS4 iterations of the same games. Ace Combat and Yakuza saw late-life ports that were quite competent, standing up to the PS4, if not Xbox Series S. They might not always have been the BEST way to play ports from more powerful platforms, but most were generally PLAYABLE.
With the next console generation is being talked about now, the component shortages and cost increases are going to weigh heavy. If the Switch 2 can holds its own against the current crop of consoles, I think it will be in good hands as the “next generation” consoles are looking at launch prices at or above $1000