Nintendo Switch 2 games probably won't have achievements

Two ex-Nintendo employee have shared why they think achievements probably won't come to Nintendo Switch 2

Aug 19, 2024

👎 Nintendo is unlikely to add achievements to Switch 2 games
🗣️ The company has discussed it in the past but would want to do something different
😓 Nintendo also wouldn’t want to make some players feel “less than”
🤫 That’s according to two ex-Nintendo employees who shared their past experiences

The Nintendo Switch 2 could remain the outlier in terms of achievements and trophies if the company can’t offer a unique alternative.

Almost every platform offers some form of in-game achievements, with Microsoft kickstarting the trend with the Xbox 360. However, according to two ex-Nintendo employees, the Switch 2 could also snub achievements.

Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang answered a question about achievements on their YouTube channel, Kit & Krysta. The pair believe that “the time has passed” when it comes to achievements, but Nintendo did discuss it in the past.

“They’re so focused on this idea that they don’t want to make anyone less than or more of,” said Krysta. Kit also believes that Nintendo wants to make sure it would want to come up with a different way of doing achievements if it wants to do it at all.

According to Kit, a high-ranking Nintendo senior director was “eviscerated” in a meeting for suggesting copying Microsoft’s achievements. “‘Xbox does this thing well, why don’t we that?’ This person got eviscerated in that meeting. We do things our way. This is the Nintendo way. We cannot simply follow the path of Xbox.”

Kit and Krysta also believe that Nintendo doesn’t see achievements or trophies as a “pure way of experiencing a game”.

“They [Nintendo] want you to play that game in a very specific way,” said Krysta. “They’ve built this game specifically in a way that you’ll enjoy the most, and they’re gonna want you to do that.”

Nintendo has experimented with in-game achievements for certain titles and currently has a Platinum Points reward system where you’re rewarded for playing certain games. You can then spend those points on physical items or new profile avatars.

Some people love achievements, while others have never cared. The argument will be that Nintendo could offer them to players who want them and provide a way for others to turn them off, but it seems – judging from Nintendo’s previous conversations – it won’t be making achievements a priority with the Nintendo Switch 2.

Up next: Nintendo Switch 2 release date could be further away than we thought

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.