The Nintendo Switch has now outsold the Wii

https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/3/22915715/nintendo-earnings-q3-2021-switch-sales-forecast

by Tomte • 4 years ago

468 331 4 years ago

theverge.com

savant_penguin• 4 years ago

Many years in they added the audio Bluetooth option

The switch has longer support than many phones

bogwog• 4 years ago

That really should have been available at launch.

The switch has longer support than many phones

That’s not a very high bar :P

Gigachad2• 4 years ago

That was basically the only major update the console ever got.

dlbucci• 4 years ago

And well deserved, too! I was pretty much done with console gaming after the Wii. That was the most excited I ever was for a console (since I was 13), but after the launch, I never played it nearly as much as my GameCube.

I played about 5 games on my Wii U, and didn't even plan on getting a Switch, but my oh my could I have not been more wrong! I think the portability and the power to run pretty much any modern game (albeit with worse graphics) was a true winning combo.

Also, I was just thinking today how it's crazy that Nintendo has been the dominant portable console maker basically since the Gameboy in 1989. There were some competitors, but nothing ever took the throne, just 33 years of being the King. Really impressive!

bane2• 4 years ago

Same boat. After the Wii I was done. If I wanted to put money into gaming it was going to be on PC. The Switch isn't the most powerful, or has the best library (Nintendo first party games notwithstanding), or the most portable, but it's "good enough" at everything in the way VHS and MP3s were/are. It also helps that it's relatively inexpensive to get into, and has a huge indie game scene. So while you may not get the best version of "Soldiers on a Battlefield 2022" or whatever, there are hundreds of semi-exclusives.

Getting a console and a portable in one unit was also brilliant and something that neither Sony or Microsoft can do with their "most powerful hardware first". Nintendo cares about things that affect the gameplay experience, and Microsoft and Sony care more about how cool the software is. Orthogonal purposes but it lets Nintendo, a relatively small company, compete globally and effectively against two 9 million pound mega giants.

lelandfe3• 4 years ago

Without detracting anything from your other statements (the comparison to MP3 is excellent), "notwithstanding" is doing a lot of work in the line, "Nintendo first party games notwithstanding." Nintendo's games are the reason folks buy a Switch.[1] It's pretty unbelievable the record they (and especially EPD) have:

1. Breath of the Wild was game of the year for most publications, is considered by some the greatest game of all time[2], and single-handedly sold the console for many people I know

2. Super Mario Odyssey is generally heralded as one of the best Mario games ever made and shipped 22 million copies

2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the best selling fighting game of all time

3. Mario Kart 8 is the best selling racing game of all time, and the 7th highest selling video game of all time

4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the 13th highest selling video game of all time (2nd highest in Japan)

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_Nintendo_... (and apropos of nothing, compare to PS4's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_PlayStati... - Switch's top 6 best sellers all moved more than PS4's #1)

[2] https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-100-video-games-of-all...

jayd162• 4 years ago

Getting a console and a portable in one unit was also brilliant and something that neither Sony or Microsoft can do

Actually the PSP had video out. Really just a marketing thing.

zitterbewegung• 4 years ago

Nintendo figured out when the xBox came out that if you weren't Sony and or Microsoft you would have a really hard time competing in the space so they tried just to focus on making consoles that had some kind of gimmick and optimizing on having fun and they had a clear domination over the mobile space.

I would say that the Switch is their response to Apple as being off balance on the mobile space and they were easily defeated by just focusing on a fun and portable console that also can be plugged into a TV. Really the Switch has a NVIDIA Tegra 1 and the rest of the console is Nintendo's design.

noobermin• 4 years ago

To help the thread, this is the Nintendo way of "lateral thinking with withered technology.[0]" They for example choice lack of color for the Gameboy for the sake of battery life, that is, using cheap technology that can be replicated and mass produced well.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpei_Yokoi#Lateral_Thinking_... From the venerable Gunpei Yokoi, who helped develop the original Metroid and the Gameboy

Aeolun3• 4 years ago

If I wanted to put money into gaming it was going to be on PC.

I think people that are otherwise PC gamers make for a great audience for Nintendo. They don’t need any power, they already have that on the PC. What they want is to be able to carry the thing around and play anywhere they want.

Alex39172• 4 years ago

I mostly lost interest in AAA games when I was 14 or so, but the Switch has been great for going back and playing some of the games that came out around then that I never got a chance to play. The idea of closing out of all my work stuff and rebooting into another operating system is just a complete non-starter, but the Switch is perfect just to grab whenever I'm backing up my hard drive, upgrading my OS, the Internet is down, etc.

bluedino• 4 years ago

I was around the same age. A bunch of things all factor into that, that 14-16 age

k__• 4 years ago

This.

But the Wii failed pretty hard in terms of games.

After the 5th mini games collection it became pretty boring...

KennyBlanken4• 4 years ago

the power to run pretty much any modern game (albeit with worse graphics)

To be specific: 720p and severely degraded effects, textures, models, anti-aliasing, etc - and you'll be lucky to get 60fps.

The Switch has about as much horsepower as a ~6 year old mid-tier Android phone.

styfle• 4 years ago

The nice thing is that most games don’t _feel_ underpowered on Switch. Sure the graphics don’t look as good but it’s not laggy in the games I’ve tried.

For example: Immortals Fenyx Rising is cross platform, but it feels smooth. I would rather play on Switch than other consoles so I can occasionally play while traveling. It’s really nice to have the same game, same save point, with same controller on the TV or on the go.

msh• 4 years ago

Nah. It got the power of a really high end 6 year old Android phone. And with the fan it can provide more power than the same soc in a phone form factor.

hajile2• 4 years ago

Theoretical power and actual power in phones are quite different. Phones throttle their chips down to nothing very quickly.

Agentlien• 4 years ago

My job these last few years has mainly been focused on trying to get games running smoothly across all platforms and finding workarounds or optimizations for switch has been the biggest part of it. It's so incredibly weak in comparison to any other modern console. It's literally a mobile SoC from 2015.

As a user, however, the switch is by far my favorite console. It might not look as flashy but I can play almost any game I want anywhere I want.

firecall• 4 years ago

Also, I was just thinking today how it's crazy that Nintendo has been the dominant portable console maker basically since the Gameboy in 1989

Imagine how many they would have sold if the iPhone didnt exist!

smoe• 4 years ago

I bought the Switch in part because of portability, but almost never ended up using this way. I used to game a lot as a child and teenager but almost stopped entirely once my job involved sitting in front of a screen all day. But I still like playing some games I can pick up to kill half an hour here and there, completely casual. The game selection, is perfect for this. Or a couple rounds of couch co-op. I have zero interest to play hyper competitive games with random people over the internet. The Switch really brought back the fond memories I had when first being exposed to gaming, when I kept going to my neighbors home to play Super Nintendo games against each other

dorchadas3• 4 years ago

I do love the portability of my Switch, but eve more I do love how casual it is. And how a lot of their games, while they can be played multiplayer, are focused on single player stuff. They've great single player titles, and that keeps me coming back to Nintendo regularly (especially their mobile stuff, I'm pretty sure I've owned at least one iteration of everything since the Gameboy Pocket).

celticninja3• 4 years ago

Atari lynx was possibly the best handheld game system, followed by the game gear, but their cost meant it most out to the more affordable Gameboy.

I think though, what won it was not the hardware but the software. The switch is a great handheld console and a good console in dock mode. But Breath of the Wild was worth the cost of the console alone. I liken it to GTA IV or GTA V, but for my kids. It is a beautiful open world that really knocks out of the park every aspect, music, graphics, gameplay, puzzles. It is a beautiful game and I believe it is a major reason the switch is so successful, or at least it's launch period was.

I also think that the portability is a huge factor, I know many households where they have a PS5 or and XBOX and a switch. Few people will buy all consoles but the switch being portable means it has the extra edge when deciding on a second system.

type_enthusiast• 4 years ago

Absolutely agree on Breath of the Wild. I think every successful console has The Game that really differentiates it (speaking as someone who never had a console growing up, just Sierra games).

Having got a Switch for my son - Breath of the Wild is that game for Switch, but is also possibly the best game made so far. If you haven't played it, don't argue - just play it.

TehShrike• 4 years ago

I had a Game Gear, and that battery life was pretty rough. The Switch definitely wins in that regard

riffraff• 4 years ago

I owned a Lynx and it was incredible to have something with colors when the competition was the original B/W Gameboy.

But I was the only one I ever met to own that, which meant I could never trade games or share the excitement. The lower cost Gameboy had "network effects", and so ended up being a much better buy for a random kid.

Izkata2• 4 years ago

I think though, what won it was not the hardware but the software.

Not even just new stuff: I had Grandia II on the Dreamcast as a kid, and thought I'd never play it again. Then I found out it was ported to the Switch, and that was the tipping point that got me to buy it a few years ago.

Foobar8568• 4 years ago

The Atari lynx was burning through battery like nothing, was it 4 or 8AA for like 1 or 2 hours of gameplay?

gfxgirl2• 4 years ago

Not just it's portability. I've seen kids in coffeeshops. Their mom is reading a magazine and the kids have put the Switch on a table using its stand and then use the controllers to play 2+ player games. No other handheld I know of has ever done that.

laumars4• 4 years ago

I much preferred the GB to the GG. The former took 3 batteries and lasted months. The latter took something like 6 batteries and only lasted 3 hours. While the GG was undoubtedly a better machine hardware wise, that counted for nothing when your batteries ran out mid road tip.

saghm• 4 years ago

Breath of the Wild released on the Wii U as well, as did the pre-deluxe version of Mario Kart 8 and what was at the time arguably the best Super Smash Bros game yet (some people prefer Melee, but Brawl was notoriously not great, and Ultimate obviously had not come out in the Wii U's heyday). I'm not sure good first-party games alone can completely carry a console; people need to be hooked in first before they start considering the platform, and the Switch had the most intriguing hook there's been so far.

Xenoamorphous2• 4 years ago

I think the most impressive hardware-wise was the Turbo Express. It was released in 1990, just a year after the Game Boy and Lynx and same year as the Game Gear.

It had a 400x270 screen vs 160x144 in the Game Boy and Game Gear and 160x102 in the Lynx.

It was basically a portable TurboGrafx and could run Street Fighter II (which was also released for the Game Boy but it was miles behind).

fullstop4• 4 years ago

Atari lynx was possibly the best handheld game system, followed by the game gear, but their cost meant it most out to the more affordable Gameboy.

It doesn't matter how powerful a handheld system is if the batteries only last an hour or two.

In the era when the lynx and game gear were released, NiMH batteries were not mainstream yet, and NiCd were not as suitable for the application. I knew a few kids who had the Lynx and they realistically could not use it unless it was plugged into the wall.

Aeolun3• 4 years ago

I also think that the portability is a huge factor

At least out here, I’ll often go to the park and see little clusters of 10 year olds, either all wrapped around one Switch, or all playing together on their respective Switch. I’ve never seen that before, even with Gameboys.

I don’t know exactly why, but they did something right.

thebruce87m• 4 years ago

If you want GTA for kids, get Lego City Undercover. It’s an absolute blast.

charleval• 4 years ago

Atari lynx was possibly the best handheld game system

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. The best handled game system was undisputably the Nec PC-engine GT (was called Nec GT turbo in my country) -> https://www.google.com/search?q=nec+gt+turbo

14• 4 years ago

I really enjoyed the PSP or PlayStation portable. It was the first thing I ever hacked and played games for free. Set me on a path. But I do love my switch greatly. It appeals to me with the kid friendly games. Watching my 5 year old develop his hand eye coordination makes my heart melt.

selfhifive• 4 years ago

I'm always impressed with how much risk they take from generation to generation.

N64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, and Switch.

GB, GBA, DS, 3DS, and Switch.

All of them feel like a generational leap instead of the incremental improvement model of other companies.

laumars4• 4 years ago

Interestingly the Wii is more or less the same hardware as the GC but with upgraded specs. In fact the Wii even has GC ports on it (for GC controllers and memory cards) and plays GC discs. Additionally the Wiimote was originally designed to be an add on for the GC before Nintendo decided to release it as the primary controller for their next console.

dartharva• 4 years ago

the power to run pretty much any modern game (albeit with worse graphics)

Huh? Any modern game?? I'm pretty sure just a small fraction of modern AAA titles is available on the Switch.

jquery• 4 years ago

That used to be the case, but modern game engines like Unity make it easy to plop out an switch-capable version. The hardware is similar enough to a normal PC that it’s a matter of just turning the graphics down (way, way down). It certainly wasn’t a majority at the start but now more than half of new AAA releases have a Switch version.

That said, buying a switch to play AAA games is not ideal. I find the graphics compromises too great, myself. Indie games (only certain genres like platforming), visual novels and Nintendo-first-party games are what I find the switch excels at.

theshrike79• 4 years ago

I literally didn't even notice the WiiU release :) I heard the rumours and forgot about it. The next time I saw anything WiiU related it had already been in stores for a while.

I don't know a single person who got one even near the release. _Everyone_ had a Wii though.

andrepd• 4 years ago

I must be about your age and damn, I played so much Wii. I must have >200h on several games: both Mario Galaxy's (one of my favourite games), Wii Sports Resort, Smash, etc.

On the contrary my Switch is almost exclusively a BotW machine x) bar a few indie games here and there. I must be getting old

dleslie• 4 years ago

Among my children's friends, I don't know of _any_ who own a console that isn't a Switch. The PS5 is basically impossible to procure, and the XBox just doesn't seem to appeal to the child-age market.

So I'm a little surprised that it has taken it this long to outsell the Wii; but then again, more children appear to play on a hand-me-down phone than play on a Switch.

anyfoo2• 4 years ago

Every time I'm tempted to get a PS5, I realize that what I probably actually want is a newer Switch with better graphics.

zxexz• 4 years ago

I dunno, if you look at [0], it seems to put the sales in perspective. I'm curious when these lifetime sales figures stop being updated? I'm assuming it's as long as the product is sold by the parent company. I'm amazed the DS did that well? Then again, I do remember everyone except me seeming to have one when I was a teen :)

Seems crazy it took Nintendo that long to come up with a 'worthy successor', in some ways.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_cons...

Izkata2• 4 years ago

I'm amazed the DS did that well?

Features of the NDS that may have been forgotten, that all could have contributed to the popularity:

* Two game slots, one for NDS games and one for GBA games, making it almost a straight upgrade (it dropped support for pre-GBA games) so you could have two games in your pocket instead of just one.

* PictoChat, an ad-hoc network chatroom that wasn't just text but also drawing with the stylus. I remember bringing it to school and finding several others were also online, we chatted instead of paying attention to the assembly.

* Download Play, for games that supported it you could do multiplayer on multiple systems with only one game cartridge.

* For that matter, it was their first handheld with built-in wireless multiplayer.

Also in terms of games, I think it was their first handheld that really appealed to the more casual/relaxed players: For example it was the first portable Animal Crossing and introduced Nintendogs.

wodenokoto• 4 years ago

I'm surprised by the PSP sales numbers. I don't think I've seen one outside of Japan.

fomine32• 4 years ago

I thought that Switch should be already outsold Wii, because it's combined Wii+DS, and PS/Xbox aren't direct rival. Maybe due to birth rate declining in developed world?

rubatuga• 4 years ago

Great pandemic purchase. Portability is overlooked until you need it for traveling, on-the-go, etc.

Hamuko2• 4 years ago

What? How are you travelling more during the pandemic?

ChuckNorris89• 4 years ago

Travelling doesn't just mean globe trottling, it could also mean just getting out of the house more often.

astura4• 4 years ago

I bring my switch down to the beach or park to play if I'm starting to feel a bit cooped up but also want to continue playing video games.

That's a feature I didn't know I "needed" until I had the option. Since I can now take my "home" activities outside the home, you can consider that "traveling (outside the house) more."

christoph• 4 years ago

I really can’t express how much joy the Switch has given me and my family. I loved it when I first got it all those years ago, but in the last year I’ve been replaying lots of games with my 4yr old.

Mario Odyssey, Mario 3D world, Yoshi’s crafted world, New Super Mario Bros., Pac-Man competition edition and recently we blasted through Unpacking over a rainy Sunday. We’ve easily logged hundreds of hours together in the last 6 months alone.

Meanwhile the PS4 and Xbox have been sat gathering dust.

There’s a few reasons for this IMHO.

1. There’s no bullshit on the Switch. It switches on instantly, it sleeps instantly. It rarely wants updates for anything. It’s so easy to dock and undock for playing in the car on journeys. It’s totally unobtrusive under the TV. It just fits into our family life seamlessly with zero frustrations. Even the grandparents enjoy playing it when they come over.

2. Nintendo games are totally family friendly. We all sit around playing together, passing the joypad between us or playing coop together. I never have any worries about the games we are playing being unsuitable for a 4yr old in anyway. There are no loot boxes, unsavoury material, etc. it’s just pure fun and entertainment. I find my kid has a much greater understanding of cause, effect and 3d space than he would do if that time was spent tapping away on an iPad screen on some ad ridden, loot box infested shovelware. I’m actually amazed how quickly he has learnt using the camera stick, but it’s probably because Nintendo finesse their products to the nth degree.

3. Nintendo finally opened it up to adult games, so if I do want to blast through gore on Doom or Wolfenstein late at night on my own, I can. When I do, I just find myself reaching for the Switch over the PlayStation or Xbox, which I know will try and demand all sorts of updates and downloads before I can play.

jamesgeck02• 4 years ago

Prior Nintendo consoles have some pretty adult stuff on them. MadWorld, No More Heroes, House of the Dead: Overkill, Manhunt 2, Bayonetta, etc. The Switch is just the first Nintendo console in a while that's had great third party support.

echelon• 4 years ago

I've got complicated feelings for Nintendo.

As a kid, I was a big outdoors person until I got my SNES as a Christmas gift. It set me on a path to becoming a night owl software engineer.

I fell in love with Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, Mario RPG, and never worked harder to earn enough money to buy an N64. The web was just starting to take off, and it was at that point I started using the internet to look up cheat codes and make friends to talk about games with.

Because of Nintendo I found out there was incredible depth to Japanese culture. I learned Japanese, discovered anime and manga. Dragon Ball, Cowboy Bebop, Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke, tokusatsu, that whole lot. I also learned to build websites to share cheat codes (strategywiki.org), and started to engineer chat, matchmaking (dsmeet.com), character designer tools, and more. I eventually wound up in Japan teaching English for a bit, working on code on the side.

Eventually video games lost the magical spell and I preferred to spend my time with building and creation. But I don't think any of it would have happened, at least not quite the way it did, without Nintendo.

But it hurts to see that Nintendo can be real jerks to their fans. They force take downs for indie games, ROM hacks, and even music. For a long time they vehemently tried to destroy the vibrant Smash Melee scene. Contrast this behavior with Sega, which actively leans into their fans' excitement and issues artistic license for their creations.

Nintendo also doesn't get the broader picture. They consistently fail at online gaming and paint themselves into boxes.

Switch was a success, but Wii U was not. Wii was a success, but Gamecube and Nintendo 64 undersold. I don't know what they're going to do against the juggernaut power of Microsoft and all of the studio consolidation. Or how they'll fare with Steam entering their lucrative market. They're going to need more successes in this crowded market. I hope they continue to innovate. They're the Studio Ghibli of the gaming world, and it'd be sad to see them go.

I also hope they learn to treat fans better.

wjamesg• 4 years ago

Getting back up to speed on this stuff…How are they not treating fans as well as they should?

hi_im_miles• 4 years ago

Not the person you're responding to, but a recent example that caused outrage was Nintendo sending C&Ds to online Melee tournament organizers during the pandemic (using emulators with mods). I'm sure there's some way in which Nintendo is within their legal right to do this though, even if I think this behavior is a plague to art and technology.

IX-103• 4 years ago

The thing is, these "fans" are not their target demographic, so they really don't care.

Nintendo tends to focus on people that play their games for fun, and less on people that turn it into a serious hobby or try to build it into their personal identity.

hnthrowaway0315• 4 years ago

and less on people that turn it into a serious hobby or try to build it into their personal identity.

Sadly this is almost true for all products out there, just a small percentage of exceptions. In software it's more tolerant and occasionally encouraged (ID Software's open source policy). We are on our own.

iLoveOncall• 4 years ago

I'd also be mad if Nintendo had turned me into a weeb.

kawsper• 4 years ago

I bought a PS Vita just to play Risk of Rain on the go, I've considered buying a Switch to play Risk of Rain 2, but I've torn waiting for a hardware refresh or just getting the OLED-version.

awakeasleep• 4 years ago

Tough to play risk of rain with thumbsticks

MBCook• 4 years ago

Knowing Nintendo it will be at least a year, maybe longer, before a theoretical Switch 2.

The original is still selling great. And they wouldn’t want people who bought the OLED to feel ripped off.

Unless you’re willing to wait quite a while I’d go for it.

dynamite-ready• 4 years ago

As much as I like the console, I hate the hardware issue with the joycons. It feels almost pernicious. It really has put me off playing the thing.

duxup6• 4 years ago

You can send them in to be repaired for free.

cdubzzz• 4 years ago

I’ve done that with two different ones already. And bought a brand new one recently that now has problems. It’s pretty ridiculous.

jjice• 4 years ago

Which is good, but they've been selling broken hardware for 5 years now. They'll fix them for you, but they'll sell you them in a state where they'll need to be fixed. I love Nintendo games. Grew up with them, and still play them (playing the new Pokemon at the moment), but man do I hate the corporation. Their development teams are incredible and the big ones never miss, but the corporate has so many knocks against them, from YouTube demonetization to the still broken joy cons.

I can't think of another first party wireless controller (since they became standard in 2005-2006ish) that has ever had issues this bad.

culopatin• 4 years ago

How many times?

bqmjjx0kac2• 4 years ago

I swear my joycons miss something like 1% of my button presses.

joyconhelper• 4 years ago

for me too - I finally figured out they just have a very weak connection to the Switch. basically needs a clear line-of-sight to the console. Try putting your joycons behind your back and you'll see what I mean! Hope this helps

pupppet• 4 years ago

I despise the Switch joycons, and not just for the drift issues.

“Is my controller in single horizontal mode or paired vertical mode?”, “I want to be player 1”, “stop hitting buttons!”, “The pairing failed.”

When the kids play together it’s always a shit show. Contrast this with the PS4, we pick up the controllers and play. I’ve never had to even think about the controllers with the PlayStation, they just work.

tspike• 4 years ago

I finally caved and picked up a couple of Pro controllers. No looking back.

city41• 4 years ago

I just use the pro controller. Other than its lousy dpad it's a solid controller. Granted I always play docked.

ZacharyPitts• 4 years ago

One of my pro controllers also now has drift. It’s pretty disappointing compared to other console controllers …

AceJohnny2• 4 years ago

Their hardware quality is definitely sub-par. I got the Pro Controller because the joycons are The Worst [1], and it's definitely the worst quality controller compared to Xbox and PS4. For example, its D-Pad will occasionally mis-press up or down when pressing right or left, which is failing the basic purpose of a D-Pad.

That said, the concept of the Switch remains fantastic, and I take it with me whenever I travel. I'm definitely in line for getting the Steam Deck.

[1] especially as someone with big hands https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2001/08/29/you-know-what-...

month13• 4 years ago

The reliability of the joycons is absolutely unacceptable.

The repair isn't too tricky and a set of replacements can be had for pretty cheap. I'd recommend people look at getting them repaired, rather than buying a set of (highly overprices) replacements.

endisneigh• 4 years ago

With cloud gaming Nintendo might have delayed the giants that are Microsoft and Sony long enough to finally make the gaming hardware power debate moot.

pm90• 4 years ago

Would love to see AAA games streaming from a cloud and playable on Nintendo devices.

Maybe something like, if you’re playing on portable mode, since the screen is so much smaller, the on board processor is good enough but when plugged in it seamlessly switches to a cloud instance.

Or just have more firepower in the dock, that would work too.

jamesgeck02• 4 years ago

This is happening on a per-title basis. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is streaming in Japan. The Kingdom Hearts collection is also streaming.

ecliptik2• 4 years ago

I compared the Control “cloud” demo on Switch and a disc copy on the PS4.

The Switch version looked superior, where the PS4 version had obvious texture downgrading and popin. I still played it on PS4 though because the input lag was less and I preferred to have a physical copy.

duxup6• 4 years ago

I thought the dock and such was silly.

Now I don’t think I’ll ever buy a non portable dedicated console again.

WaxProlix2• 4 years ago

The Wii U and Virtual Boy aside, how do they do it? Even the 3DS people came around on. Really wild how much weird shit ('innovation'?) this company can get away with.

jackson1442• 4 years ago

It's unlike anything else- with Xbox and PlayStation you can get mostly the same experience on the "opposite" console, or even on a PC. All of nintendo's consoles have followed a similar thread where it adds something that you just don't have on other consoles.

Nintendo exclusives don't hurt, either. But Xbox and PS have exclusives, too.

monocasa• 4 years ago

Realizing that specs are orthogonal to enjoyment, and putting out good games you can't get anywhere else.

ComputerGuru• 4 years ago

It's not even new - I know at least the GBC was intended to be hooked up and played on the TV from the very start.

wyre• 4 years ago

Pokémon, Legend of Zelda, and Smash Bros all sell consoles and their innovation is child-targeted so they innovate in weird ways cuz kids don’t care really about processor speed or graphics cores.

AussieWog933• 4 years ago

The Wii U and Virtual Boy aside, how do they do it?

Nintendo's top-tier exclusives, and a constant focus on end-to-end user experience.

The PS4/Xbone (and even, to an extent, the 360/PS3) have so much jank when it comes to playing a game on them.

My experience with The Last of Us Part II basically consisted of inserting the game, waiting nearly 25 minutes for it to install, going through that entire process again, twice, because there was a smudge on the disc, then waiting another 20 mins to download a 10GB patch, only to load up the game and sit through hours upon hours of boring-as-fuck intro content before I saw a single zombie.

With Super Mario Odyssey, I put the game in, downloaded some optional 50MB patch in about 20 seconds, then started jumping around collecting coins and throwing my hat at everything.

They just "get it" in ways that Sony and Microsoft don't (or at least, haven't "got" since the original PS2/Xbox era).

klodolph2• 4 years ago

3DS was pretty long in the tooth when Switch came out.

kipchak• 4 years ago

I have to imagine the changes have to have been somewhat more driven by developers coming up with fun gameplay ideas while messing with new hardware. Super Mario 64 DS for example includes a collection of minigames with varying gameplay mechanics that explore different ways to use the dual screens along with the pack-in metroid demo, the Wii U had Nintendo Land, and the 3ds faceraiders, Mii Plaza and some AR demos, which all seem like polished proof of concepts for how to take advantage of the new hardware.

bitwize2• 4 years ago

It's called Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology. It was Gunpei Yokoi's credo. Other console makers start off with, okay, we are going to design a system around the latest and best technology and really wow people with our graphics. Nintendo starts off with, what can we build using old technology that we can pick up for a song and second-source easily if need be? So it becomes a question of, how do you combine these old technologies in new ways that would have a fun gameplay story in them? When you do LTwWT, you really have to focus on gameplay and fun, because you don't have much to fall back on. And then on the software side the question becomes, what kinds of games can we write for this system that a) play to the system's strengths; b) look, sound, and feel great, even with the hardware's more limited capabilities?

Developing for a Nintendo system is not for everybody. It's like being a Mac developer only more so: you have to write software that integrates smoothly with the hardware and contributes to the grand narrative of the vendor.

anyfoo2• 4 years ago

Yeah, it goes so far that I don't quite understand those that say that they use their Switch exclusively docked, or exclusively handheld. I definitely use both, and love the Switch for it (not just for that).

Even the motion controls add value: In games like DOOM, it's pretty cool to effectively have the portable Switch display as a "window" into the virtual world, and move the Switch around for aiming. I'm usually not a fan of motion controls, but that "aiming with the window" thing feels natural, and like something I might do anyway even if it didn't have an effect (like leaning your body into curves when playing a racing game).

fishtacos5• 4 years ago

Oddly enough, my experience was the opposite. After enjoying the Switch for 3+ years (purchased late 2018), the same price point bought me an XBOX Series S earlier this year (Series X were/(are?) hard to find and this was an impromptu purchase. Not entirely happy about that tradeoff).

Suffice to say, been having a blast catching up with old favorites and new games. The backward compatibility enhancements (higher FPS and upres'ing) really put into perspective just how little gaming has progressed generationally, which makes these games that much more enjoyable.

The Switch is an amazing device (own two - one modded and one non). While the availability of games increases daily, its performance will always remain the weak point.

That^ and its horrible controllers. The XBX controller is sublime.

discordance• 4 years ago

Have been trying out Xcloud gaming lately and it works surprisingly well. Although I won't be able to play on a train or plane, it will definitely fill my travel/hotel gaming use case.

Jensson2• 4 years ago

While the availability of games increases daily, its performance will always remain the weak point.

Honestly I don't care that much about performance any longer, graphics were mostly good enough 10 years ago. Modern graphics looks better when you put them side by side, but the graphics 10 years ago was good enough that you easily get used to it. The current switch has problems running 10 year old high end graphics, yeah that is a problem, but the switch is 5 year old hardware, if they made a new switch with modern hardware it should be able to run all those games smoothly.

KennyBlanken4• 4 years ago

really put into perspective just how little gaming has progressed generationally,

Maybe on console, friend. Not on PC.

The XBX controller is sublime.

As long as it's not the Xbox Elite, which fails like clockwork.

bdowling2• 4 years ago

Strongly disagree on the controllers. No other controller allows me to sit in the middle of my couch and stretch my arms out to both sides and still play a game.

Hamuko2• 4 years ago

The XBX controller is sublime.

Except if you use it on the PC. My Xbox Series controller keeps randomly dropping connection and it reports two different battery levels to Windows 10 ("50%" and "Critical"), which are both wrong, so you'll have to replace the batteries without being prompted unless you want it to die at random during a game. This is a widely-known issue, but Microsoft has done nothing to fix it: https://github.com/NiyaShy/XB1ControllerBatteryIndicator/iss...

Accacin2• 4 years ago

I've always had the opinion that Nintendo consoles were best when paired with something else. For me, I have a powerful gaming PC for all my gaming needs, and the switch is for portable/Nintendo titles.

I usually game at 3440x1440 @ 120hz and I don't find it jarring playing the Switch. I love it for what it is :)

fastball• 4 years ago

If you travel at all and want to plug your switch into the TV still (say your hotel room TV), I 100% recommend the Covert Dock[1] by Genki. A total game-changer for me. Really allows me to use the Switch to its fullest wherever I am.

[1] https://www.genkithings.com/products/covert-dock

silveira• 4 years ago

Just got my second Switch today.

guelo• 4 years ago

I guess people really do like barely reworked 20 year old games for $75

mcphage2• 4 years ago

Yep, they do. I’ve been replaying Paper Mario via the Switch, and that game is as fun as it was the day it came out. Just fantastic.

edgyquant• 4 years ago

What games fit this description?

poisonarena• 4 years ago

well its not $75 but come on....

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/advance-wars-1-plus-2-... Advance Wars is $60 dollars

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/space-invaders-invinci... Space Invaders is $60 !!!

Diablo 2 is 60 bux.. I just browsed for a min

bambataa2• 4 years ago

I’m a bit put out at paying £50 for Skyward Sword. I did get 50 hours of gameplay out of it, but it felt steep for how little effort they’d put into the port (it would have been great to have no loading as you fly between locations)

12ian34• 4 years ago

for me, a Switch was worth it for Breath of the Wild alone

fartcannon• 4 years ago

Nintendo has finally sued too many smart people, and shut down too many fan projects. I can no longer support their bad behaviour so I can't support the Switch. I know they've been bad actors in that space for a long time but I guess I've just gotten old enough to see past my nostalgia.

Also the quality of the switch is below my expectations. My NES controller still works, but my joycons are dead.

heavyset_go• 4 years ago

Nintendo has finally sued too many smart people, and shut down too many fan projects. I can no longer support their bad behaviour so I can't support the Switch. I know they've been bad actors in that space for a long time but I guess I've just gotten old enough to see past my nostalgia.

For reference, Nintendo stalked Neimod and compiled a dossier on him[1][2], tried to get him to incriminate himself online[2], and then dangled a job opportunity in front of him in exchange for information about his 3DS exploits[3].

From here[4]:

Nintendo had run background checks on the hacker, knew where he lived, where he worked, and where he graduated from. To make the story even more creepy, the gaming company was allegedly spying on the man, knew everything about his typical day, his usual activities, friendships, times he left his residence, restaurants he liked to visit, and more.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25580861

[2] https://twitter.com/forestillusion/status/134123063191354163...

[3] https://twitter.com/orcastraw/status/1341178144708059136

[4] https://www.technadu.com/nintendo-spying-3ds-hacker-neimod-t...

judge2020• 4 years ago

Is it known how they got this info? Typically this would've required hiring some private investigator for a few weeks to follow them and gather intelligence, but now it seems they could have simply ran his name to get all this information from a background check agency (in my experience these background checks are typically very detailed including employment and income information).

1_player2• 4 years ago

This reenforces my decision to jailbreak my Switch Lite. It's been sitting unused for 2 years, I don't like it, gives me cramps, and the store prices are ridiculous when used to the convenience and sales offered by Steam. And I have to pay for the Nintendo Online subscription to install a NES and SNES emulator. Yeah, no.

Any good Switch jailbreak resources? I'm comfortable doing it, I don't know what's the latest and most effective hack these days.

markus_zhang• 4 years ago

It's surprising that no one in the community takes retaliation, in one form or another. If you don't have the ability to harm others you are sheep in the jungle.

mdm_• 4 years ago

Nintendo has finally sued too many smart people, and shut down too many fan projects.

I've always wondered, with Nintendo's history of being rather litigious and forcing fans to take down gameplay videos, etc, how have they not sued Roblox out of existence yet? Practically every game I see my kids play on Roblox makes heavy use of unlicensed Nintendo IP: models/images of Mario, Yoshi, Pikachu, well known music and sound effects from various Nintendo games, and so on. Robolox is not some obscure app, AFAIK it has over 150 million users and rakes in money from these games that are making extensive use of Nintendo's IP. IANAL but this seems like a slam dunk, what gives?

runevault• 4 years ago

Isn't all that stuff fan made?

bdowling2• 4 years ago

IANAL but this seems like a slam dunk, what gives?

Roblox is protected by the DMCA from liability for copyright infringement based on user submitted content. All that Nintendo can do is file DMCA claims and then wait. Nintendo could not sue unless Roblox fails to take down the material.

Suing the users who submitted the material would be a waste of time in most cases, because most users don't have any money to pay damages.

BigJono• 4 years ago

Because lawyers don't pick fights to lose them. Arguing to what extent a platform has to moderate content, in a foreign court, against a warchest in the billions, is a much different ballgame to just binning a beloved fan game community once in a while to send a message.

slightwinder• 4 years ago

Can they even sue roblox? They are only the platform, the content after all comes from the creators. And the question is whether this amounts as fair use. Fanart and stuff is not getting sued either for reasons.

But then again, people can make money with Roblox, so i'm curious whether Nintendo does sue people who make Money with their content on Roblox.

n3dm• 4 years ago

I can't support the switch Bought a switch

Bro, what?

1_player2• 4 years ago

People change their mind.

qwertywert_• 4 years ago

joycons are dead Did you try cleaning out the connector?

vlunkr2• 4 years ago

I don't understand people getting upset about fan projects being shut down. What do you expect to happen? You can create an earthbound-like game without calling it earthbound.

feanaro4• 4 years ago

I personally expect it to be left to exist.

skinnymuch2• 4 years ago

Why did you buy a Switch?

shawabawa3• 4 years ago

They also illegally refuse refunds in the EU for games you've bought but never downloaded or launched

tasubotadas• 4 years ago

I am now really looking forward to see Steam Deck launch

0-_-02• 4 years ago

apparently switch emulators run well on it :)

yucky4• 4 years ago

My NES controller still works, but my joycons are dead.

Do you have to blow in your switch to get the games to work?

_bfhp• 4 years ago

There's also over a billion more people in the world now... does that matter? Maybe not, but I always wonder when raw counts are compared across decades

bastawhiz• 4 years ago

Has the number of people who are able to meaningfully afford a Nintendo console increased?

ajmurmann5• 4 years ago

Hasn't the middle class in China for example grown dramatically?

keewee7• 4 years ago

Absolutely. Eastern Europe and China are a lot more wealthy today than they were in 2006.

climb_stealth6• 4 years ago

Does anyone know a solution against input lag? I have a pro controller, but even having it 20cm from the Switch it still has noticeable delays with inputs in games. It's my biggest gripe with the console. Plugging in the controller doesn't seem to fix it.

Otherwise, pre-pandemic the Switch has been a godsend on 20 hour flights.

itisit• 4 years ago

All device firmware updated? I haven’t noticed any controller latency. Maybe display lag?

climb_stealth6• 4 years ago

Yup, everything up to date. I'm reasonable certain I have seen both docked and in handheld mode. Though the latest I remember is Super Mario in docked mode. Two people coop and there is a noticeable delay before inputs are applied.

It's odd but no dealbreaker. I'm just always curious whether anyone else is experiencing it.

jthrowsitaway• 4 years ago

Are you playing on the Switch's screen or a TV? Input lag on some TVs can be bad and they usually have a game mode to minimize this. I primarily use a pro controller and couldn't time certain wall jumps on Mario 64 until I put my TV into game mode. It was maddening for a while.

pithon• 4 years ago

See data here: https://displaylag.com/display-database/

climb_stealth6• 4 years ago

I'm pretty sure I have seen it on both. As in both in docked and handheld mode. It's odd because I make sure the controllers are fully charged as well. It's not in all games either which makes me think it could be a games thing. But then I have seen it in Nintendo games which somewhat rules it out again.

It's odd. Not a dealbreaker but very noticeable when it happens.

toast0• 4 years ago

Plugging in the controller doesn't seem to fix it.

There's an option in system settings to use wired communications; if you don't enable that, plugging it in just does charge and play. (OTOH, apparently if you use it in wired mode, amiibo scanning is disabled, if that's relevant to you)

climb_stealth6• 4 years ago

You are a legend! Thank you for mentioning it because I was not aware of it. I have enabled it now and will give it a try next time.

I was wondering about because there is no indication whether wired mode is even used.

numpad0• 4 years ago

Never heard of that before so looked up. Sure enough there was a giant motion-to-photon latency table compiled by someone using gutted controllers and a camera, which in the end seems to all fall within 5.7-7.5 frames(95-125ms). This is almost ten times the typical input latency in a PC, and also roughly coincides with equatorial circumference of Earth(134 light-milliseconds). hmm.

1: https://w.atwiki.jp/smashsp_kensyou/pages/40.html

climb_stealth6• 4 years ago

Oof, 125ms is pretty shocking.

acid__• 4 years ago

They link some comparisons [0], including the PS4 controller which has a 13ms input delay. Switch controller really is 10x slower, oof.

[0] https://imgur.com/6rVNjSU

manomanowicz• 4 years ago

One fix for input lag I have seen is to have the console in flight mode and just enable bluetooth for the controller's connection. The switch needs to undocked to enable flight mode. The WiFi connection seems to be causing interference. If you need internet access, use an ethernet connection (older switch docks require USB to ethernet adapter, OLED docks have an ethernet port built in).

climb_stealth6• 4 years ago

Ooo, thanks for the tip! I'll try that next time. I don't ever really care about the wifi once in a game.

I have the older version so it would have to be through an adapter. The OLED model sounds nice but I can't justify the price for an upgrade.

teleforce• 4 years ago

Nintendo targeted markets are mainly kids, retro and casual gamers. Due to pandemic the take up by casual gamers has been increasing rapidly and I'm not surprised if the majority of Switch recent sales are bought by this group. Add to the fact that Nintendo always has killer casual gaming accessories for examples Wii board for Wii and Wii U, and Ring Fit for Switch is the testament to their commitment to this group[1]. I hope they will re-introduce Wii board for the Switch, and a new Wii board and Ring Fit combo will be a blast for inside the house/indoor physical fitness and exercises.

[1]Why I’m using Nintendo Ring Fit to achieve my New Year’s resolution:

https://www.techradar.com/news/why-im-using-nintendo-ring-fi...

999900000999• 4 years ago

They brought back Advance Wars.

That's what introduced me to strategy games, nothing comes close.

Wargrove and Tiny Metal are both close, but ultimately less charming.

shp0ngle2• 4 years ago

It’s a bit surprising, sure.

It’s basically a tablet - in 2022, an underpowered one. It was underpowered as a console 6 years ago. It has very few third party games (ok, you can play Skyrim and Witcher 3, but most of the games just are not there).

But it’s still so fun. And the first party games are all amazing. Even when stuff like Mario Kart and Super Mario 3D World is a port from even older generation.

duxup6• 4 years ago

It has very few third party games

The library of games on the switch is enormous…

shp0ngle2• 4 years ago

not as big as other consoles.

vlunkr2• 4 years ago

I think it depends on your interests. Lots of new AAA games can't run on the switch, but most indies do.

anaganisk4• 4 years ago

If your interests don’t involve any of the top latest AAA games

lvass• 4 years ago

Nintendo has been my sole choice for a very long time now, since I'm almost exclusively interested in local multiplayer. Switch's popularity has been nice, smaller studios in particular have really stepped up their game, in contrast to Wii's long list of shovelware.

jrm4• 4 years ago

The Wii continues to outplay the Switch in my house. It's great how solid the Switch's hardware is, but the games are a bit meh -- though I'll admit that's probably a product of the times and competition, might as well just repackage old games.

But I can't imagine there will ever be a console as revolutionary (no pun intended for those who remember) as the Wii. To take such a huge gamble on motion gaming and have it work so well is so applause-worthy. To compare, imagine Zuckerberg announces a headset today, and it's actually good? See how wild that sounds?

skinnymuch2• 4 years ago

Oculus Quest is amazing to me. I found the Wii to be gimmicky.

Just my personal opinion

Subsentient• 4 years ago

Can you still install Linux on the new switches? If so, I might have an interest in one. If not, it's just more walled garden garbage.

willis9362• 4 years ago

You can get a more powerful tablet for cheaper than a switch.

The entire value of the switch is in its ability to play nintendo's software: something that can't be done on linux.

anthk2• 4 years ago

The entire value of the switch is in its ability to play nintendo's software: something that can't be done on linux.

Yuzu disagrees.

pdimitar4• 4 years ago

Just finished manually eye-balling every single on the Switch some hours ago today -- took me about 10 weeks on and off doing it casually when I was in the mood. Used an external website of course because Nintendo's is a disaster.

Out of ~6900 games in total (and about 600 more that are upcoming and/or unavailable to me in my country) I liked about 200, wouldn't mind buying other 50, so that's 250 games that I either like or don't hate. And I have about 40 in my collection, some of which I uninstalled.

So realistically I can still buy 250 games out of 7500 in the next few years and get a lot of value for my money.

That's 3.3% of all the games. I count that as a big win and I don't regret my investment in the Switch one bit. Even considering the OLED variant for the bigger and better display -- though I have to say I was very disappointed that Nintendo didn't bump up its specs even a little bit.

russellbeattie• 4 years ago

Nintendo is my favorite tech company because of their willingness to make massive, fearless bets on revolutionary new products. How they are able to constantly and consistently innovate at such a high level, decade after decade, is absolutely amazing to me.

Even their flops are amazing! I will always remember the first week after the Wii U launched in 2012 during Thanksgiving break. My 10yo son had a bunch of friends over and we played Nintendoland all week - four Wiimotes and the tablet. So much fun and such great memories.

Actually, this post has just inspired me to read up on Nintendo. There must be a decent business book or two about them. Any recommendations? The video game industry is the odd duck out in the tech world in my opinion - their production and sales cycles alone are so long (how many years did BotW take to make?), but I bet there'd still be a lot to learn from a product design perspective.

bondant• 4 years ago

Not sure this is the exact kind of books you are looking for but here are some recommendations:

-For a whole picture of the Nintendo business since the beginning (1889), I would recommend the books "L'Histoire de Nintendo" from Florent Gorges. The books are in french but there are English translations of the first two.

-For product design I like the "Reverse Design" books from Patrick Holleman. As the title imply it's not from the creator of the analyzed game but I think the books contains good analyzed of how different gameplay elements works together.

WickyNilliams2• 4 years ago

It's not really a serious history book by any means, but I have a copy Before Mario which covers all their products and company history prior to gaming. It's really interesting to see. https://omakebooks.com/en/livres-jeux-video/48-before-mario-...

dathinab2• 4 years ago

Time to release a more powerful version.

In between there was a bit of worry as NVIDIA had there ARM+GPU chips refocused on only Robot/Cart/Etc. ML, but they seem to be going back to shipping consumer focused ARM+GPU ships so I guess the necessary requirements for a backward compatible updated more powerful switch are finally about to be meet again.

Gigachad2• 4 years ago

I feel like the fact Nintendo didn’t release a new console recently is part of their success. Supply issues have plagued the Xbox and PlayStation so by the time most people get their hands on it, it’s already not winning any graphics competitions. But Nintendo has proven time and time again that having the fastest hardware doesn’t matter. Providing a unique experience at a high quality does. Which can be done on relatively weak hardware.

No doubt they will release a new one eventually, but I wouldn’t imagine there is a huge rush.

dathinab2• 4 years ago

There might be a bit more of an rush then it seems, as for many causal players the Steam Deck (and alternatives to it) are quite a viable alternative for playing many of the games on the Switch which are not exclusives.

In the end we will need to see how the Steam Deck plays out.

But for 2022 the power of the Switch is just very very low. It was still acceptable when the switch came out but by now it's starting to hurt.

This won't matter for targeting children.

But children don't buy consoles their parents do.

And a lot of young adults and adults did buy it too without it involving children.

So if they take to long, they may permanently lose marked share due to the Switch less being an option for (successfully) Indy games in the future.

Due to switching the Games I causally play I'm now kinda regretting not to have per-ordered a Steam Deck. The Switch has the games I wanna play and they run, but not always fully fluent.

ajmurmann5• 4 years ago

Rumor has it that the OLED Switch was supposed to be something like a Switch Pro. However, chip shortage hitting again. Metroid Dread supposedly would have been the big game to take advantage of it. Thus the occasional frame rate drops on the current Switch.

wly_cdgr• 4 years ago

It's a terrific console so long as you stick to games that only use the D-pad :)

copperwater69• 4 years ago

I bought it for metroid prime 4 and it still isn't out

Toutouxc• 4 years ago

Both joysticks on my Lite (the one where you can't just buy new JoyCons) developed severe drift after three and five months after purchase. After replacing the second one I realized I hate the thing for multiple reasons (low FPS in AAA ports, expensive games, bad ergonomy) and tossed it into a drawer.

I wouldn't recommend the Switch to anyone, especially because Nintendo is very well aware of the stick drift and they keep using that same part.

redisman• 4 years ago

It’s a pretty good system but some of the ports are really poor. I played Outer Worlds on it and it was just unacceptably bad quality. I get that the hardware can’t run it but then don’t sell it. Looking forward to switching up to the Steam deck and selling my lite

ratorx2• 4 years ago

I wouldn’t really recommend the Switch (even non-Lite) for AAA games. The tradeoffs for portability don’t work with the graphical intensity of AAA.

The Switch is great as a second console for playing more casual games (especially paired with a PC for everything demanding), but if you want to have a single console (and also play AAA), then it’s not good.

jcadam• 4 years ago

Too bad. The Wii U is my all time favorite console.

odiroot• 4 years ago

Same here. Still appreciate mine. I have no need for a portable console, so for me Wii U was end of the line.

tristor• 4 years ago

I'm happy to see this. The Switch is one of the most perfectly engineered consoles I've ever used. The UX design is fantastic, the controller design is fantastic, and it's just a lovely device to use both docked and handheld.

schipplock• 4 years ago

A communication error has occured :). I wish they would fix their online offering. I'm not a serious gamer, but my collegues get kicked out during a Mario Kart online session all the time.

KronisLV2• 4 years ago

Just dropping by to express joy at this fact - Nintendo Switch is such a nice console! I got the Lite version and while the risk of eventual stick drift has been weighing heavily on my mind, it's amazing that it runs as well as it does in such a small form factor!

It's perhaps like the PSP of our time, but even better - numerous games have been ported to it and optimized so that you can enjoy a lovely gaming experience wherever you are. To me, that shows that you don't always need a 400$ GPU in your gaming PC if you just want to experience a lovely story like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or even just play something like Doom.

Not only is the console adequately made, feels reasonably comfortable, has a good selection of games and a good UI, but it also indirectly fights back against Wirth's law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirth%27s_law) and proves that gameplay should sometimes be placed above graphics first and foremost and make artists think about the materials that they use, their texture resolutions, the LODs in their models, how efficient their shaders are, as well as how much resources the game code uses.

I just wish that Switch development was a bit more open, for example, there are no publicly available releases with packaging functionality for game engines like Godot, but i guess that's just the status quo that we're stuck with.

Regardless, i actually sold a PS4 that i won for getting the first place in a programming competition years ago (an acquaintance of mine wanted one and i had some dental fees, so figured that i might as well sell it to him for like 40% of MSRP since i basically got it for free), i probably wouldn't do that with my Switch. Not needing a dedicated monitor is also really nice!

I wish that we'll see similarly performant games in the future and that we won't have the platform be sunset anytime soon, maybe instead get something like a Switch Pro or even have different graphics settings/modes in games, which would support the older releases and their thermal envelopes, while also letting the newer hardware also be successfully leveraged for that additional graphic fidelity, for those who care. Hey, i can dream~

simonh• 4 years ago

To rally in defence of the Wii, I'm a PC gamer through and through. I could never get on with consoles, particularly for first person shooters, although I had good times playing some casual games on friend's machines back in the day.

The Wii was fantastic though, I loved playing shooters on it, and the fun factor of things like tennis, golf and such made it a regular feature of family evenings.

That's over with the Switch. We occasionally play Mario Kart together but that's it. My eldest got addicted to CotW, Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing but now she's into LoL on her laptop the Switch is dead to her as well.

I'm not saying it's a bad console or machine, far from it, it's fantastic. But it's a fantastic console, whereas the Wii was something special. I wonder how many people bought Switch due to a halo effect from Wii. We certainly did. If they brought out Wii game controllers and games for it I'd be all over it.

cardosof• 4 years ago

I've just bought one to play with my wife! What single or 2player games does HN recommend?

moralestapia• 4 years ago

Cadence of Hyrule!

the_dege• 4 years ago

Untitled goose game

astura4• 4 years ago

It entirely depends on what you like!

Starting out it's hard to go wrong with the mega-popular Switch first party games in your preferred genre.

baud147258• 4 years ago

Though I wonder how much the video game market has grown since the Wii had reached end-of-life

The Nintendo Switch has now outsold the Wii

Related Stories