Switch The Official Nintendo Switch|2 Thread - Part 2


The console will cost $449.99 — a big jump from the original Switch, which debuted at $299.99 in 2017. Some have speculated that the price hike was at least partly due to the ongoing confusion around President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs. The timing was certainly awkward; Trump announced a fresh, wide-ranging wave of global tariffs the same day as Nintendo’s event.

But Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser says that tariffs did not directly impact the console’s original price tag. “Put [the April 2nd announcement] aside. Any previous tariffs were not factored into the price itself,“ he explained, speaking to me the day after the event.
So why is the Switch 2 so expensive? When I asked Bowser, he rattled off a list of the new console’s features: the bigger LCD screen, the more powerful internals, the Joy-Con controllers that have been “enlarged and redesigned for durability,” the GameChat social layer built into the console, and more.
 
So an 11 year old console. Okay...
I mean, this is a portable console with an extremely limited power budget. It also has current gen features (RT, DLSS, mesh shaders) that allow for modern games that could never run on a PS4.
 
I mean, this is a portable console with an extremely limited power budget. It also has current gen features (RT, DLSS, mesh shaders) that allow for modern games that could never run on a PS4.
But it can be docked. It's going to be two gens behind in a couple of years while charging a premium.
 
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But it can be docked. It's going to be two gens behind in a couple of years.
Modern games are pretty scalable, though, so long as the full feature set is there. The kind of power necessary to equal something like a PS5 just isn't possible with the Switch's hybrid design, and I think from almost every metric the consolidation of the portable and home console divisions has been a success. Nintendo's model has proven that raw performance isn't what's important to gamers, it's the quality of the games. And with a fixed platform, devs are able to take full advantage and push the hardware past what other comparable PC parts could deliver.

That being said, I'm not a current Nintendo gamer. The last consoles of theirs that I owned were the N64 and Game Boy Advance SP. Aside from a few titles here and there (like Zelda), the vast majority of Nintendo exclusives don't particularly appeal to me. I need a strong narrative to hold my interest, and that's basically the exact opposite of Nintendo's style. So, I don't foresee myself buying a Switch 2. I have a PS5 Pro and a PC, so my gaming needs are taken care of.
 
Modern games are pretty scalable, though, so long as the full feature set is there. The kind of power necessary to equal something like a PS5 just isn't possible with the Switch's hybrid design, and I think from almost every metric the consolidation of the portable and home console divisions has been a success. Nintendo's model has proven that raw performance isn't what's important to gamers, it's the quality of the games. And with a fixed platform, devs are able to take full advantage and push the hardware past what other comparable PC parts could deliver.

That being said, I'm not a current Nintendo gamer. The last consoles of theirs that I owned were the N64 and Game Boy Advance SP. Aside from a few titles here and there (like Zelda), the vast majority of Nintendo exclusives don't particularly appeal to me. I need a strong narrative to hold my interest, and that's basically the exact opposite of Nintendo's style. So, I don't foresee myself buying a Switch 2. I have a PS5 Pro and a PC, so my gaming needs are taken care of.
While this is fair, they're also now charging a premium. Not just for the console but the games as well. That's before we get into all the other nickel and diming.
 
While this is fair, they're also now charging a premium. Not just for the console but the games as well. That's before we get into all the other nickel and diming.
Yeah, I don't know what factors go into pricing. It's pretty clear that once prices go up they never come down now, even if costs eventually decline. It's hard to know how much of it is the reality of our global economic situation and how much is corporate greed. The console price seems reasonable for its feature set, even if it's on the high side, but the game prices are outrageous, especially since Nintendo rarely has discounts or sales.

The one thing I'll grant them as a company is that they're still supporting physical media, unlike their competitors. I wouldn't be shocked if the PS6 is digital only.
 
Honestly, while the price tag on the console looks steep, I can sort of see it with inflation and what the system offers. It's the other stuff that that bugs me. $80 dollar games? Physical games that are essentially no better than a digital copy? Charging 10 bucks for a system virtual tour? The increased cost of the joycons and other accessories? THIS stuff irks me more than the consoles actual cost
 
Honestly, while the price tag on the console looks steep, I can sort of see it with inflation and what the system offers. It's the other stuff that that bugs me. $80 dollar games? Physical games that are essentially no better than a digital copy? Charging 10 bucks for a system virtual tour? The increased cost of the joycons and other accessories? THIS stuff irks me more than the consoles actual cost
I will say at least Nintendo is aware that games should exist on physical media, not just a DRM to download the game.
 

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Maybe. Nintendo still shipping stuff from Vietnam as fast as possible.

Still kills a few things I collect though.
 

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