Nintendo Switch is officially its longest-standing console and shows no signs of slowing down

The Nintendo Switch just passed a pretty major milestone in its life cycle, albeit one that most people wouldn't realise had happened.

Behind the scenes, there's an ever-ticking clock taking stock of how long a console has been around for, and yesterday it hit 2,687 days since the Switch first went on sale, on 3 March 2017. 

If that seems like a random number to you, don't worry – the explanation is simple. The Famicom had previously been the longest-lasting home gaming console that Nintendo had ever made, measured by the number of days it spent on the market before a replacement became available – 2,686 days. 

Now the Nintendo Switch has passed that mark, making it the new record-holder for Nintendo's home console lineup (although the portable-only Game Boy reigns supreme on 4,352 days before the Game Boy Advance arrived). That shouldn't be a huge surprise for anyone who's owned a Switch since day one. It feels like we've been talking about rumours surrounding the next Nintendo console for about five years, after all. 

Still, as its last big Nintendo Direct confirmed, part of the magic of Nintendo's games-first approach is that it's managed to keep impressive amounts of momentum behind the Switch thanks to new releases. 

There are new titles still coming thick and fast, with this year still promising a new entry in the storied The Legend of Zelda series and a long-awaited new Mario & Luigi RPG to sink your teeth into. 

Still, there's no point pretending that the Switch might have years and years left as Nintendo's main console. The company has already confirmed that it has a successor on the way, and that it's going to be unveiling the console sooner rather than later.

We know it'll be shown off before the end of this fiscal year, and most analysts expect it to release in early 2025. 

So, the Switch will likely rack up at least another 100 or more days to pump up its tally before the next console arrives. What shape that console takes, and how close it sticks to the template laid down by the Switch, is the million-dollar question right now.