The Nintendo Switch is the greatest portable console of all time AND as a home console it is the most..

innovative. Let's look at the Nintendo switch as a portable console. It is the most powerful portable of all time. It has a beautiful HUGE 6.2" display and the controls just work great. You have the option of local multiplayer by removing the joycons and one player uses the L, the other the R. If you're at home and want to sit on the couch and play on the big screen, no problem! Compare it to the 3DS or the Vita. They both look like kids toys by comparison.

Now let's look at the Switch as a home console. It is severely underpowered, that's it's downside no doubt. Overall it's a little bit slower than an Xbox One so that's not too bad. The interesting thing is that if you're a graphics nut anyway, PC is where you want to be. However, control wise it is great with full motion controls and adaptive rumble. It is truly a next gen control design, ahead of even Microsoft with controls. The best feature of course is that it transforms into the greatest portable console of all time!

The bottom line, hardware is only as good as the software developed for it. In this regard, the Switch has proven it has the power to run the greatest videogame of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild! When I'm playing Zelda, I never think, damn these graphics aren't good enough, in fact I am often left reeling from shock at something amazing I just saw. I don't even mind the frame drops because they are rather minor and they don't detract from the overall package.

Add with that the best first party games by far. This time it will be undivided. In the past Nintendo has divided their develpment between their home and portable consoles. Since the Switch is replacing both 3DS and Wii U, you will get the full undivided attention of Nintendo's first party developers! The potential ports are great as well. Think about all of the best Wii U, Wii and 3DS games ported over to the Switch. This time the virtual console will include everything.

Every hardcore gamer should buy a Switch. Even if you don't care about anything I wrote here you should still buy it. Why? Because of Zelda! It's the greatest game ever created and something no one should miss. This is not like missing Uncharted if you don't buy a Playstation console. This is like you're missing out on a game that you would absolutely love and will change the way you view games. It's brilliance is something to behold. This is over 200 hours of gaming nirvana! Additional content on the way! If you're a true gamer you're either playing Zelda right now or you're saving money to buy a Switch and Zelda.

Its sleep mode is a gift from the goddess Farore. Its damn faster than lighting. I can never go back to playing home console without sleep mode. I refuse to use such primitive gaming tech. And the low wattage for watching 1080p Game of Thrones...gone be good. Go green like Farore Nintendo, help save her creations so that we may have a brighter tomorrow.

Mods: please rename thread to Switch circlejerk, version 3

@Basinboy: Aww, you poor thing.

It literally has only like 1 very good game currently and you already want to call it the best handheld console of all time? Dude, wait until it actually builds a library first.

There is no innovation when it comes to using it as a home console. Its literally just an HDMI cord and slightly higher clock rates in console mode, nothing innovative about that.

Lastly, the Switch isn't just a little less powerful than the XB1, its a lot less powerful, nevermind the PS4.

It is a wonderful handheld, yeah. Kinda shitty as a console though.

@emgesp: Its got the best game of all time mate. A home console with sleep mode? To fuckin die for. Also the controllers battery life is a godsend. I play that shit like crazy and go days without charging it. Fuckin beast.

Ha. Another Nintendo TOY. This thing was rushed and for little kids. Sorry but it has crap games. Name ONE exclusive for it that is any good. All the games are a joke. I have Zelda for my Wii U which I will play after I finish Horizon Zero Dawn. My PSVR has way better launch exclusives. I am going on record to say this thing will flop hard. I predict Wii U level sales.

@dante1972: Snipperclips and Fast RMX. Get rektd!

That's way too early to make a claim like that, the DS and GBA are currently better by far since they have a robust library while the Switch only has Zelda at the moment. Give it more time to develop a reputable library.

Yup. As a piece of hardware, this is all that can be said really.

Now to see how the library pans out.

@charizard1605: Pretty much this.

For a handheld gaming system it's top of the line.

That being said, I game on hardware that can run games at the highest fidelity possible. The Switch really has no value for me considering I can play Zelda on my WiiU.

Or a shitty console that's a good handheld too.

To-may-toe, to-mah-toe

I play it as a handheld and love it.

Don't feel bad for me, I could've done more with myself and have routinely deferred

Dont know about it being the best portable but as a console i like it. Its convenient to pick up and play which is very important! Split controllers make couch gaming way more comfy and its well suited to split screen gaming, it ticks all the boxes for me the portability is just the icing on the cake.

@killonsight: Agreed.

Actually the PSV was an incredible piece of tech hampered by lackluster support even from Sony. The PSV would have been incredible if the likes of Infamous, Twisted Metal, Tomb Raider, a new God of War, The Last of Us portable, etc.

It would have been the best handheld ever created. Sadly, Sony took a shit on it along with the rest of the gaming industry.

@Telekill: Thats why i love Nintendo. Wii U sells like shit and Nintendo releases the greatest game ever made as its final farewell. Nintendo has balls. They dont give a **** what haters think, they rekt haters.

it's just another worthless underpowered nintendo gimmick

I agree. I think its probably an abomination with Nintendo's situation.

I don't know if I would call it innovative as a home console. Yes, HD rumble is a real thing, but it's a minor factor. Having motion controls doesn't really make it innovative, except maybe it means that you can have a touch screen mobile game that is somewhat playable on the TV, if you use the pointer as the control method. That does help it be a truer indie console.

However, processor power is a kind of innovation that gaming hardware companies should get some kind of credit for. Yes, PC is where the true innovation is, but I think console makers should get innovation points for doing the balancing act of price, power, and reliability. Nintendo just kind of gives up on the power in favour of better price and reliability.

(and yes, even though the Switch is more expensive than base ps4 for example, it is new tech. The Switch will end up with the lower price within a couple years)

So innovative that it can't handle a WiiU port of Zelda at over 900p/20-30fps. There is no innovation in it. Its just an evolution of the 3ds that is now able to be plugged into your TV and play games with some eyes melting jaggies.

So what you're saying is that it's the strongest handheld available, and that as a console, it's greatest strength is that it can also be the strongest handheld available.

Well alright then.

Nintendo is the Apple of the console world. I know it wasnt always that way but at this point....

People will worship them, even if its a literal dog turd.

I dun care for it really, its just funny how batshit people go over it. Just like Apple.

Nintendo will just keep making niche products that are marketed to the general populace. I grow tired of seeing them trot out yet another generation of the same ips, over and over again, without much evolution. Them not even trying to compete with the other two consoles gives me very little reason to buy their new offerings.

Get some standards.

This is wrong

The other stuff I can't argue with, it's mostly opinions based. But every part of the bolded sentence is wrong.

I'm not blanket stating, as to suggest they are not cultivating new ips, but there are just not enough of them, much less enough for me to care about them.

Yes it's innovative! First home console I've ever seen that scratches its own screen.

Lol

On topic: I think you are being extremely hyperbolic.

Let's give it a year or two and see how it pans out. Yes Zelda is GOAT tier but it needs more. I kinda wish it was more portable friendly. The DS lite was just so slick and ergonomic. The switch is kinda bulky to take with you unless you buy a case.

I really like it though but it has it's drawbacks.

Kids these days and their lingo, smh.

I think it's innovative for Nintendo to somewhat abandon the home console market because IMO, diminishing returns in game design could make future handhelds more interesting.

@j2zon2591: Well said. I mean Nintendo just went from 3DS to Switch graphics. Thats an insane jump.

i also love sleep mode....

its like your system is on 24-7 at your beckon call!

@KBFloYd: My consoles been in sleep mode since March 3rd. I cant live without it. My PC now sucks. Why cant its games do sleep mode too...wtf Steam.

Umm, PS4 and XB1 has sleep modes as well.

"Cons"

-Lack of comparitive power. The Switch will not be able to get direct ports of graphically intensive games. We should all be used to this by now since Wii. This is the first time Nintendo is really putting its full resources into one console. Sega couldn't make Dreamcast happen, but Nintendo is a wiser Samurai. Instead of regaining it's old glory (being the reigning console) it is going after a new uncharted one, which is being the system with with the greater overall vision. Sony and Microsoft are going after hardcore mainstream enthusiasts from the technological perspective. Nintendo has taken the creative approach here and done something the other can't. Nintendo can travel with you across the face of the planet and still offer the controls of a home console.

-Lack of analog triggers, This is a big deal to some people. Pc doesn't use them much. If Switch had them, all the shoulder buttons including the side buttons would need to be analog as well and that would only work if they were like analog face buttons, not triggers bc of size. It would be an added expense just to mainly support gas pedals and aim/shoot for direct lazy 3rd party ports when Switch''s features demand good games period despite lackluster power.

-Hardware problems. Nintendo will fix the screen scratching and left joycon issues. So far I haven't suffered from these problems with mine. Nintendo will hopefully not stick it ls head in the sand and will exchange the parts for refurbished ones. Expensive, but in the long run it is the shrewd thing to do.

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Sure, but the idea that their existing IPs have 'no evolution' is also patently wrong, unless you want to suggest that Breath of the Wild plays like Skyward Sword. Nintendo IPs change dramatically between installments, that's why they manage to remain relevant.

You have to have vision. As it stands today in comparison to the PS4 and Xbox One, it is shitty because it just launched and has only one good game. It's the greatest game of all time but it's only one game.

Imagine the Switch a couple of years from now with thousands of games. Remember, it is getting portable games and console games and the expanded VC so it should have tons of support. Imagine Nintendo redesigns it and drops the price to $199. Now imagine this amazing device that is a pretty awesome home console and the best portable console with tons of amazing games, new design and low price.

At that point would you say it's a shitty home console?

I dont like it as a console, but it will replace my 3ds one day.

You should've held off your criticism until you played Zelda. Finish Horizon, then play Zelda. Then come back in this thread and apologize to me for this ignorant comment.

And that's fine. I highly recommend you play Zelda on your Wii U though, don't wait. Maybe in a couple of years when the Switch has a price drop and tons of software you will change your mind.

I personally wouldn't have bought one if it weren't for Zelda. To me, Zelda makes it absolutely worth it, one of the best purchases I ever made!

I'd still say it's a shitty home console if it won't play 90% of the games that the other home consoles can play. I love the Switch as a handheld, I think it's the best machine Nintendo has ever made, and I am excited to see the kinds of Japanese, indie, and Nintendo support this system can garner. But my respect for the Switch derives from my assessment of it as a handheld, where it is wonderfully made and top of the line.

As for games- yes, I am sure it will have great games, that's why I spent in excess of $500 CAD on the system at launch. I had some confidence that Nintendo is going to make it worth it. But assessed as a home console, this machine is underwhelming. As a handheld, it is incredible.

It is a nice enough handheld, too bad it is crap as a tablet compared to Ipad.

As a home console it's garbage. Only the software brings value, the hardware itself is junk as a home console. Bottle-necked by it's tablet form factor. Yet, unfortuately I would much prefer to play it as a home console. That would mean I would have to spend $360 to get Switch + Pro controller. $360 for an under-powered home console with an undersized and low resolution tablet screen I would rarely use. Nope.

As someone above said, maybe someday it will replace my 3DS. That's the way I look at it. Not really being a "handheld gamer", I played about 10 3DS games in it's lifetime. Was that worth the $149 I spent on my 3DS Link between Worlds version? Debatable, but i don't regret owning 3DS since it filled most of whatever appetite i had for Mario or Zelda games. However $299 (or $360) for Switch is too much without knowing if it will have more than a handful of games I'd care about. I do know that I would never use it as a tablet considering I already have an Ipad Pro.

This is exactly what I wanted to say. If you compare it to 3DS or Vita, it's terrific. If you compare it to x1 or PS4, it's absolutely terrible.

How do you know it won't play 90% of console multiplats? Has this been confirmed or are you speculating based on the Switch's power?

Speculating based on the Switch's power, and the stances of third parties on the system. If I'm wrong, and this can play most multiplats, most Japanese games, most indie games, Virtual Console games, and Nintendo's own games, then hell, this would be the greatest dedicated games system ever made for my money.

I don't see it happening.