What if Apple designed the Nintendo Switch UI?

The Nintendo Switch's interface hasn't changed a lot since the console launched back in 2017. Despite the odd tweak to improve usability, it hasn't delivered the customisation options that a lot of fans have been clamouring for. One designer's latest shot at showing how that could be done redesigns the Switch UI to offer the features fans have been crying out for while making the whole thing feel very Apple-like in the process.

The mock-up seeks to provide a lot of what players have been asking for, including customisation options and, most significantly, a way to sort games and apps into folders to aid organisation – something Nintendo itself has shown little inclination to offer (see our roundup of Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals if you've yet to purchase the console). Make sure you check out our Nintendo Switch Black Friday live blog. 

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Shared to Reddit's Nintendo Switch channel,  Porcorusseauu's mock-up (also on his website CML Image) retains the Switch's bubble-shaped UI but moves the icons to the left of the screen and adds in a file system to allow content to be organised into folders – fans have been complaining for years that the current lack of folders makes it difficult to find games if you have a big library. The redesign also adds in customisation options, allowing the background to be changed or replaced with an image.

The resulting design looks sleek – we'd go as far as to say premium, even, and it very clearly takes inspiration from Apple's iOS aesthetic. However, as pretty as it looks, while fans say they'd appreciate the features, many think the UI looks too cluttered and would interfere with the simplicity of the user experience, especially for kids. It would also probably add quite some lag to the device's performance. "It looks pretty but lacks the simplicity and speed of the current UI," one person noted on Reddit.

Nintendo doesn't allow custom UI designs and has shown no sign of bending to players' will yet. Of course, the Nintendo Switch still offers Nintendo's best array of games yet and is great fun to play (see our Nintendo Switch review for more details). If you're looking for the console, see the best current prices below, and if you already have one, check out our guide to the best Nintendo Switch games.

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