This is my opinion (not the sites’ as a whole). I respect opposite opinions which disagree with mine and I’m not trying to force my views on anyone. This is not an attempt to bash at Nintendo; they’ve made dozens and dozens of amazing games. But I do want to offer my honest and constructive views on their latest system.
I want to commend Nintendo for a willingness to take risks and innovate. Opting for small cartridges over disks is much more space-efficient. Having a portable system which can game like a console is an impressive feat. The Switch is essentially the world’s strongest gaming tablet. I also like the idea of Nintendo unifying their handhelds and consoles so that Nintendo’s franchises can enjoy the benefits of both.
However, I won’t be buying a Nintendo Switch anytime soon.
This is nothing against Nintendo. It’s been my policy for a lot of companies. I never buy the first iteration of anything. I didn’t buy the first iPhone, the first iPad, nor the first Kindle. And with every console, it seems to be a good idea to wait a year or two until the console is available at discount and it has a larger game library. With the Switch especially, it has the risks of an early console release and a new technology altogether.
There are several reasons why I’m skeptical of the Switch at the moment (although I also believe Nintendo has the ability to overcome most of these issues)
1) The Wii U was released just a few years ago. Many people, including myself, have already built up a library for that system and there’s not a lot of reasons to upgrade at the moment. For those who never had a Wii U, getting a Switch for Zelda could be worth it. But otherwise, there’s not a large incentive to spend more money at the moment.
2) The third-party support is very limited. Although, it is getting titles such as Skyrim and Rocket League, it is still missing the vast majority of third party titles which PS4 and Xbox One are getting. Even if the Switch’s hardware can’t handle recent titles, it should at least be an opportunity for a lot of 7th gen titles to be available on a portable platform.
3) A long lifespan is not guaranteed. Nintendo’s recent consoles have all eventually ended in a drought of software after a 5 year cycle. Switch has potential for a long lifespan, but we will have to wait and see.
4) The price is very high. Although, it’s $300 on paper, it is in short supply and many retailers are actually selling it for $400 (plus tax). With an SD card to expand storage, it comes out to be even more than a PS4 Pro. Wait for a discount.
5) The build quality could stand improvement; the controller is made out of a cheap-ish plastic. I would hate to buy a Switch now only to see that a Switch 1.5 is coming out with a bigger screen, higher resolution, thinner body and longer battery life.
6) I don’t really need it at the moment. I have a gaming PC and other consoles with other games. I still have Wii U games left to beat. Also, I already have a lot of devices next to my television. Until the above concerns are addressed, it would just feel like I’m buying another box.