I haven’t had a proper game console since the PS3.

I would like to get one, mostly to play with my family (wife, 7yo kid). I had been waiting for the Switch 2 for a while now (I really resisted the urge to get a Switch OLED back when it was released…).

On the plus side:

  • it’s really geared towards family/party gaming
  • it’s Nintendo, so you get the whole usual games (Mario Kart, Zelda, etc.)
  • like most consoles, it’s plug and play and can be enjoyed in the living room (I kind of gave up trying to set up a proper gaming experience with my Linux PCs, given that I don’t have the hardware for it)

On the minus side:

  • the battery life is not great to say the least (2.5 hours takes me back of the Game Gear in early 90s!)
  • the screen seems to be pretty bad too (at least it’s a step back from the OLED one of the Switch)
  • the joycons are still not using a Hall effect sensor, meaning they might still be prone to drifting
  • most of the games will not be sold as proper cartridges but as download codes
  • the whole thing (console, additional gamepads, games) is quite pricey
  • it’s Nintendo, famous for their anti-everything (anti-homebrew, anti-emulation, anti-piracy)

Should I still go with it, or is there a better option? (I hope the better option is not to wait 4 more years for Nintendo to release a newer Switch 2 that would fix the shitty hardware).

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

  • Guitar@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    6 days ago

    I have one and I can tell you that even though it’s not an OLED, the screen is not bad in the slightest. It’s really big, super sharp, and the high refresh rate just makes anything that takes advantage of it look fantastic. The battery is more or less the same as the Switch 1. It’s also pretty comparable to my Steam Deck. It really just depends on the game. I tend to keep a charger nearby and I haven’t had it come close to dying on me yet. While some of the joycons may have an issue with drift, I am sure plenty of them won’t. I haven’t had an issue with mine yet, and I can say they are a massive step up from the Switch 1 joycons. It is definitely pricey and that is certainly a valid concern. There will still be plenty of physical carts released, that really depends on what the developer wants to do. Nintendo definitely has that strong anti piracy stance and that does have the potential to cause issues. But if you don’t use it for anything other than legitimately purchased games, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll run into any issues caused by it.