We have all been there! Blowing on a Nintendo video game cartridge when the game we were playing just would not launch or appeared to be glitching.
DFC Intelligence has big expectations for the Nintendo Switch 2. They estimate over 100 million units sold by the end of 2029.
dont think itll happen because of COQ. it costs as much as gaming consoles that are way better in a lot of ways and nintendo normally thrives on selling cheaper hardware than the competition. i believe that because the switch 2 and the games are so expensive and are far inferior to better versions available for the same price or cheaper on better gaming consoles that gamers would rather get a better value for their money and buy something better than the switch 2. the switch 2 can do a lot better if it isnt expensive and the games are cheaper.
Pretty ambitious... it could be done so long as they lower the price of the games and the system to something more reasonable.
For me...I beg to differ it's an important launch knowing it's not launching with any interesting exclusives except the $80 Mario Kart & I'm not into racers. Until I see some interesting Switch 2 exclusives that I think are a must play I can wait as long as possible before obtaining a Switch 2.
I’ve seen a lot of people projecting that the Switch 2 will sell over 100 million units by 2029. While I understand the optimism—especially considering the original Switch’s success—I think those numbers might be overlooking the current state of the market and how much it’s shifted.
First off, we need to stop using early sellouts or pre-order hype as a reliable indicator of long-term success. Every major console that’s launched in the last 25 years has sold out during its pre-order window. Even consoles that were ultimately considered commercial disappointments—like the Wii U—sold out at launch. The PS3, which launched at a hefty $600 back in 2007, still had people lining up. That early rush is almost always driven by the core gaming audience, not the mass market. The real test comes after that honeymoon phase, when sales depend on casual gamers and broader adoption.
And that’s where things get trickier now.
The gaming landscape has changed dramatically. Mobile gaming has completely taken over in terms of both revenue and number of players. It’s bigger than console and PC gaming combined, and it's still growing. That makes sense when you think about it: everyone already has a phone, and many have tablets too. Pair that with a Bluetooth controller and you’ve got a portable, high-quality gaming experience with almost no extra cost.
Consoles and gaming PCs, on the other hand, require a substantial investment just to get started. When money is tighter for a lot of households and the average consumer is more price-conscious, it becomes harder to justify spending $400–600+ on a single-use gaming device—especially when they already own something that plays games well enough.
I’m not saying the Switch 2 won’t be successful. Nintendo has a strong brand and a loyal fanbase. But I do think people are underestimating how much harder it is today to move that kind of hardware volume. The market’s more competitive, more fragmented, and more mobile than ever before
"That’s not how you launch a system".
I wish we lived in the Alternate Timeline where Sega was still a dominant force in the console space and it hadn't been Microsoft.
Saturn was a fantastic piece of kit... they just went a little too ambitious with its dual CPU setup. which turned a lot of developers off (at the time). The homebrew community have done some amazing work many years later, thanks to multichip experience. It is still the best platform for arcade fighters and shmups of all time. Dreamcast is a close 2nd though.
I still enjoy my Saturn it was the first console I mowed lawns for and saved up for to purchase. I went so far as to purchase a used Saturn to run off an SD card. I even have a second Dreamcast modded to run off an SD card as well.
"gamescom latam 2025, the Latin edition of the world's biggest games event, was a total success, breaking records during its second year.." - gamescom latam.
I mean it worked for me. Regardless if it was just a poor connection between the cartridge and the console or some random bug that was preventing the game from loading properly, the placebo effect of knowing your breath is what fixed the game is dead set in the minds of plenty of 80s gamers.
Clearing the dust from inside the cartridge by blowing on it did work.
Perhaps YOU are unfamiliar with how easily dust can disrupt electronics, but entire generations of gamers and computer users are.
It worked for me and my cartridges. So I refuse to believe it's just a myth
It definitely works. They can go on and on about how it didn't but I was there for 100s of games. It was pretty damn common.
The salt in your saliva is conductive