The official announcement of Nintendo’s newest console, Switch, has many gamers drooling over the concept of a console on the go. So what about Nintendo’s already successful handheld system the 3DS? Tatsumi Kimishima, President of Nintendo Co., has answers and insight about the future of both systems.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Kimishima talks about the direction he’s trying to take the company and what his first year as President has been like after taking over for the late Satoru Iwata.

“Three years ago, all of us together — the previous president, Genyo Takeda (technology head) and Shigeru Miyamoto (creative head) — created a plan to revitalize our business, which included smart devices, our new hardware and maximizing our intellectual property (IP).”

Let’s face it, Nintendo has some monumental  IPs such as Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Pokemon. How do we bring those properties into the next generation of gaming while staying true to the innovation that Nintendo is known for? Enter Switch. The unveiling of Switch (formerly known as NX) gave us a preview of where the great minds of the Kyoto, Japan based company are headed. When asked why they decided to combine household consoles with portable gaming Kimishima responded:

“We didn’t just want a successor to the Wii U or the 3DS. So our original concept was, “What kind of new experience can we create?” And what we showed this time was an object that’s both stationary and one you can take outside to play with anyone you want.”

Nintendo already has a very successful portable system, the 3DS, which sold nearly 3 million units in the last fiscal quarter alone. So what does the fate of the popular handheld system look like?

“Thanks to our software, the 3DS hardware is still growing. So that business still has momentum. And certainly rather than being cannibalized by the Switch, we think the 3DS can continue in its own form.”

It seems that those of us who enjoy our Nintendo handhelds are safe, for now. Whew! Now that we understand where they are headed, conceptually, with the console and handhelds, what more do we have to look forward to? With the increasing popularity of Virtual Reality (VR), I think it’s safe to assume that we all want to stomp Goombas, save princesses, and hunt Pokemon in VR. Nintendo has to be considering it, right?

“It’s not that we’re uninterested. In fact, we have a lot of interest. VR offers the experience of playing in a new way. But that depends on the software and how you use it to play. Especially when it comes to games. And beyond games, it also applies to other non-game things, so it is something to look forward to.”

“It depends on the system specifications. I can’t say that we have no interest in VR because VR offers new ways of playing, but that depends on what kind of software can be played. But what kind of software works, that’s only something you only know once you actually experience it. And our games are ones that are usually played for a long time.”

According to Tatsumi Kimishima, the little bit that we saw during the unveiling is just a taste of what’s to come following their event in January 2017:

“The part we’ve shown this time is just a conceptual image of how the Switch is different from the Wii U and previous systems. Going forward, of course, in terms of what kind of accessories will come out, we want to show this in January and later. By no means was that everything.”

“What we haven’t shown you yet is the software lineup. We also haven’t shown all of our first-party software. When we make new hardware, how it works with our software is critical. This is what we weren’t able to show. We want people to touch the device in January and experience the software for themselves.”

We can’t wait to see what the Switch is capable of. The design and concept stays true to the imagination and innovation we’ve all come to expect from Nintendo. January can’t come soon enough! What are your first impressions of the Switch? Are you hoping for VR capabilities? Sound off in the comments section below, and check back with Don’t Feed the Gamers for more gaming news.