Nintendo has revealed thattheSwitch 2’s eShop won’t have any background music, just like the original Switch before it. First appearing on the Wii as the Shop Channel, the eShop is Nintendo’s proprietary platform for purchasing digital copies of games. On its original platforms, the eShop came with its own theme music - different on every platform. Nintendo’s many eShop themes have since become iconic, particularly the Wii version with its calming electric piano and string hits, which has been much memed-on since its debut.
However, the Switch eschewed that calming backdrop in favor of another advertising tool:videos of the games it’s selling, which the Switch 2’s eShop will also feature. In an interview withPolygon,Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto said of the decision, “Unlike back then, the eShop now has lots of videos that are showcasing the games.We didn’t want to intrude on that, so we don’t have music there.” On the Wii Shop channel or the 3DS eShop, videos of games were rare. Now, almost every game has a trailer attached, which would force music to stop and start constantly.
The Nintendo Switch 2 eShop Gets Other Improvements, Though
Better Performance & New Features
Nintendo isn’t just taking the Switch’s eShop and porting it over to the new console, though - quite the contrary. In an “Ask the Developers” interview on the officialNintendowebsite, several of theSwitch 2’s creators discussed new featurescoming to the console, includinga series of improvements to the eShop.
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First,the Switch 2’s eShop is expected to run better than the original Switch’s. This is almost certainly due to theSwitch 2’s beefier hardware, which will allow it to run bigger and more complicated games than its predecessor, includingthe likes ofElden Ring,Cyberpunk 2077, andBorderlands 4. Even with tons of high-def game captures to load and video trailers for just about every title, the Switch 2’s eShop will run more smoothly, per Nintendo.
In addition,the Switch 2’s eShop will also get a “Game Finds for You” section, which sounds like a place for the digital store to recommend new games based on player activity. Kawamoto specifically describes it as a feature that “lets you quickly see screenshots and watch introduction videos for games,” making it easier to find interesting titles “without having to search every nook and cranny of Nintendo eShop.” It sounds similar to Steam’s “Featured & Recommended” banner, which uses data based on the types of games you most commonly play to display new titles you might be interested in.
Nintendo Menus Have Become So Boring
An Unfortunate Trend
You hate to see it, butNintendo’s UI and menus have lost a lot of their charm in the last decade-and-a-half or so. There was a time when music was ubiquitous on Nintendo consoles: not only on the eShop, but also on the home screen. I still get the 3DS home screen music stuck in my head from time to time.
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It wasn’t just music, either:the Wii and DS lines were full of cute little details, like the startup sounds that would play whenever you loaded a disc into the Wii U, new eShop items appearing as presents to unwrap on your DS home screen, the rotating icons for 3DS games. These elements were not only incredibly charming, but also a great way to introduce what a console is able to do, and they’re sorely missed.
The Switch does have a couple Easter eggs of its own, like the different sound effects the face and shoulder buttons make when unlocking the console.
I get that the Switch 2 is setting itself up as a serious console for serious gamers, and I understand why more videos means less music. Buta little whimsy never hurt anyone. Even the PS5 has its own shoegazey, ambient home menu music, while the Switch’s main screen is dead silent. The 3DS' cheery home music never took me out of its darker games likeShin Megami Tensei 4.
Nintendo has made its decision, and while its upcoming console will probably have Easter eggs, it looks like eShop music is a thing of the past. It’s unlikely to come back on theSwitch 2or any other future Nintendo consoles, so for now, it’ll have to live on as a subject of nostalgia.
