Nintendo seen moving to one device, ending two-punch tactic

The Switch, which debuted in March, gives gamers the option to play in their living room or on the go.

For more than two decades, Nintendo Co.’s twin product lines were the envy of its rivals: a home console and a handheld gaming device. But signs are emerging its new hybrid Switch may upend all of that.

Starting with 1989’s Game Boy, the Kyoto-based company has effectively doubled its market audience by getting gamers to buy one device for home and another for outside. That also allowed Nintendo to market consoles like the Wii as the higher-end product, with game titles costing more and averaging nine per household, versus five for handheld systems.