The Nintendo Switch, Hands On

[Guest]

Switch is finally here, and we've found that Nintendo made some good decisions, some bad ones, and more than a few befuddling errors with its latest console.

The Nintendo Switch, Hands On : Read more

 

[cknobman]

Short battery life.
Hardware bugs and flaws.
Underpowered.
Completely locked down file system with no ability for save games to be used anywhere but exclusively to one unit.
High price.

WTF is going on at Nintendo? How do these huge tech companies make such stupid decisions over and over again?

 

[ddpruitt]

I'm glad I pre-ordered a switch.

So that I could make a killing it by selling it on eBay to someone who didn't know better. I was almost sad to only have it a few minutes but after seeing these reviews...

 

[jaber2]

But the hype worked didn't it

 

[jross12]

While it's true you get around 3 hours with Zelda, you get much more with other games. You made that clear in the chart and then ignored it while talking about it in the review. In portable mode I downloaded Shovel Knight and Fast RMX, played about 6 hours of Shovel Knight, then played a few races in Fast RMX, and my battery was still in the 60% range. That's really good.

I've had no issues with the kickstand and, unless my Switch has a major manufacturing defect, the screen is not made of glass.

I haven't had a singe issue with my joy-cons, but I realize that is just my personal experience and the issue does exist. I also haven't felt the need to buy a pro controller as the joy-cons in the grip work great. Using the joy-cons sideways in multiplayer bomberman worked well also, and I have large hands.

No online gameplay? I suppose thats correct if you don't count the games that launched with the system that have online gameplay. *looks at Bomberman and Fast RMX*

Most of this is just my experience with the Switch, but there are a few factual errors in this article.

 

[yeticorn]

For what it's worth, I have been enjoying mine. I have not experienced any hardware connectivity issues but then again I have only used the joy cons separate from the system a handful of times.

I think people saying the hardware is underpowered are missing the point of the system. It's clearly not meant to host the most cutting edge graphics. Nintendo games largely have cartoonish art styles which do not necessitate high end hardware.

It's not particularly expensive either - it costs just as much as other current gen hardware. Console gaming systems in general have gotten much cheaper over the years when you look at how much an atari 2600, NES, or SNES cost in today's dollars.

 

[g-unit1111]

Short battery life.
Hardware bugs and flaws.
Underpowered.
Completely locked down file system with no ability for save games to be used anywhere but exclusively to one unit.
High price.

WTF is going on at Nintendo? How do these huge tech companies make such stupid decisions over and over again?

Yeah the Switch is definitely not a home run. Maybe a bloop single over the second fielder. :lol:

I think Nintendo should just cut their losses and become a software developer the way Sega did. It would be good for their brand and they could make a ton of dough porting their legacy titles like Mario 64 and Zelda: A Link To The Past, over to Android and iOS the way SquareEnix did.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

After Browsing reviews and issues on Youtube , I told my youngest no way on this platform.

 

[dstarr3]

I love how people will say that the Switch is disappointing in regards to graphics and performance, and then play any other console as if they're not disappointing, as well. The Switch is going to have just as many titles that run at 1080/60 as the other consoles will. Which is to say, very very few.

 

[Marco_43]

Well, although I understand people might prefer a PS4/XBOX , I simply guess it's because the Nintendo Switch is not meant for them.

I give priority to portability over fps and local-lan-play/local-multiplayers over solo/internet vs battle.

Moreover, short battery life is better than no-battery-at-all and reasonable-power & portability is better than home-only.

 

[Dosflores]

It's funny that all reviewers criticise the kickstand, when the Nintendo Switch tips themselves tell you it's meant to be flimsy and loose, so that it wouldn't break but rather release the tablet in case of a blow. It's almost as funny as criticising a handheld for not having 500+ GB of system storage.

I agree that the tabletop mode is rather useless, which gets aggravated by not being able to plug the AC adapter while using the kickstand. However, you do are able to play while using the AC adapter in handheld mode, so the Switch's design is still a lot more sensible than that of the Apple Magic Mouse 2.

 

[koga73]

I love my switch and have had zero issues. Zelda Breath of the Wild is an amazing game. I suggest looking beyond the specs on paper and try it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Marco_43]

It's funny that all reviewers criticise the kickstand, when the Nintendo Switch tips themselves tell you it's meant to be flimsy and loose, so that it wouldn't break but rather release the tablet in case of a blow. It's almost as funny as criticising a handheld for not having 500+ GB of system storage.

I agree that the tabletop mode is rather useless, which gets aggravated by not being able to plug the AC adapter while using the kickstand. However, you do are able to play while using the AC adapter in handheld mode, so the Switch's design is still a lot more sensible than that of the Apple Magic Mouse 2.

...or even worst, the pen recharging system in the iPad Pro. Nothing against Apple, of course I love it as I love any tech product well thought, but people should be a bit less partisan in voicing critiques.

Yep, I agree and it is actually amusing to read so many critics of the Switch lately, mostly about inexistent or laughable issues like Polygon 'The Nintendo Switch’s kickstand makes the worst sound possible' published two days ago.

It's true that Nintendo has to correct multiple issues and probably will, but most of these don't prevent me to fully enjoy the Switch at home and away, in ways and places that I was only dreaming to have a console to play with (airplane, waiting in a post office, going to work...).

 

[cryoburner]

It's almost as funny as criticising a handheld for not having 500+ GB of system storage.

I agree that most of the criticism is likely unwarranted. I did initially feel that 32GB might be a bit too low for such a device though. Doubling the storage to 64GB probably wouldn't have cost them more than $7 or so, and would have provided some extra breathing room for updates and downloads. Then again, the same could be said for those $800 smartphones that do the same. I suppose it kind of makes sense to go with a minimum amount of onboard storage, since not everyone will even be using the device online, let alone buying games through the eShop. Those that do can easily add a microSD card as needed, though that is another secondary purchase they'll have to make.

I agree that the tabletop mode is rather useless, which gets aggravated by not being able to plug the AC adapter while using the kickstand. However, you do are able to play while using the AC adapter in handheld mode, so the Switch's design is still a lot more sensible than that of the Apple Magic Mouse 2.

This is something that I'm sure will get addressed by third-party peripherals, as there are a number of ways that issue could be solved. One would be to use a cable or adapter with a flat, angled plug that simply redirects the cord underneath and out the back. Another would be to snap the device into a case that does the same, moving the charge port elsewhere. You could also just use a separate stand, and it looks like some are already available and designed specifically for just that purpose.

 

[Marco_43]

After Browsing reviews and issues on Youtube , I told my youngest no way on this platform.

And your youngest will miss a lot as we're judging the Nintendo for superficial and minor issues.
I've a 10 and a 15 kids and watching them laughing hard while playing together at Snipperclip, for example, it's a joy. As usual, Nintendo prioritizes social play, local LAN vs play, all activities that address human need to be together. As a father, I really have nothing fundamentally wrong to complain about the Nintendo Switch. Happy gaming to all!

 

[dstarr3]

After Browsing reviews and issues on Youtube , I told my youngest no way on this platform.

And your youngest will miss a lot as we're judging the Nintendo for superficial and minor issues.
I've a 10 and a 15 kids and watching them laughing hard while playing together at Snipperclip, for example, it's a joy. As usual, Nintendo prioritizes social play, local LAN vs play, all activities that address human need to be together. As a father, I really have nothing fundamentally wrong to complain about the Nintendo Switch. Happy gaming to all!

Seriously. People are criticizing consoles like those are the things we value. They're not, we value the games that are on them. And if you've got a young one, Nintendo is going to make a lot of amazing games for them that you're not going to find on the other platforms. So the technology may be flawed in some ways, but that's true of every platform, and at the end of the day, it's up to the games to make a console great, not the technology those games are running on.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

My neighbors son had to return his , it froze and then would not function at all. He did get a full refund from Gamestop. Gamestop was very understanding , great retailer.