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!

  • eezeebee@lemmy.caEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    You vote with your wallet. Look at all the cons you listed and think if you really want to support that. Do you want to tell Nintendo that this is ok, and you’ll pay the high price for it?

    Have you looked at a Steam deck, or any other alternative like a regular laptop? You can run way more games, including emulating Nintendo games.

    • laopi@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      Have you looked at a Steam deck

      Thinking about it, I don’t think the fact that the Switch 2 is a handheld console matters much to me. Especially to play multiplayer games, I assume docked to a TV is the way to go.

      or any other alternative like a regular laptop? You can run way more games, including emulating Nintendo games.

      So this is what I’ve been doing, but I always end up spending hours configuring the emulators, the shaders, everything… and then not playing that much! That’s why I was talking about the “plug and play” nature of game consoles (even though it’s less true now that you have to create an account and stuff like that).

      As for PC games, I never have the proper hardware to play in good conditions. Again, the “plug and play” nature of game consoles is appealing. A game you buy for a given console is working fine out of the box.

      • Robin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        Games on Steam that are “Verified” also give you that plug-and-play experience on a Deck

  • ISolox@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    This is probably not to place to ask about getting a Nintendo console. Most people here are hardcore pc. (which is fine, but definitely biased).

    My personal recommendation is this:

    Do you want to play new Nintendo games? Get a switch 2.

    Want to older Nintendo games and multiplats? Get a steamdeck.

  • Ganbat@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    I personally don’t recommend anyone get the Switch 2. The new price points are frankly ridiculous, and I’d hate to see that shit get justified by sales.

    Personally, I’d recommend looking into handheld PCs. I haven’t looked into them much myself due to lack of money, but they’re generally much more worth the cost from what I’ve heard.

    All that said, I missed that you were looking for something to play with your 7 year old child. Switch might be better, but any handheld would be… notably destructible, so that’s a factor to keep in mind.

    • laopi@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      I missed that you were looking for something to play with your 7 year old child. Switch might be better, but any handheld would be…

      I meant mostly to play party games or multiplayer games with her, with the console docked to a TV. I know the Switch has been super popular as an handheld console, but I don’t think I would be using it a lot in that configuration (especially with 2.5 hours battery life…)