Should I Buy a Nintendo Switch?

• 

  AdamFury on 02/03/2019 - 20:03

  +2

  I received one as a gift for Christmas and was surprised at how good they are!

  In terms of battery life I want to say 4-6ish hours? I think this would depend a lot on screen brightness also.

  Zelda and Smash Brothers releases on the switch are very good. Both very successful releases and arguably two of the best games on the console to date. I can vouch for Smash especially and have played Zelda. Very comfortable to play on the screen have no dramas with it and love being able to play in handheld mode and then throw it up on the TV as I please.

  Just additional controllers. You get the 2 joycons with the console which come with a little plastic piece to turn it into one controller and you can get the pro controllers occasionally for $60 and they are a fantastic controller or if your friends have controllers they can just bring them around and pair them with your Switch.

  Enjoy!

• 

  starvingartist on 02/03/2019 - 20:20

  when i bought the switch i wasn't a super big gamer anymore either (altho I'm a handheld game only gal so the bar wasn't super high to begin with) but since getting it i love it so much and play it almost daily. the battery life is yeah probs 4-5 hours for me of constant play BUT that is with zelda botw on a decent screen brightness. i think it's a decent screensize. i LOVE botw but it is the first zelda game i have properly played. my siblings really enjoy smash but they like to multiplayer on the tv (they have a switch each). i am SO EXCITED FOr pokemon and animal crossing on the switch as well, so that's also something to consider if you like those titles.

  i can't really comment on multiplayer sorry but from my observations it looks like it's pretty ok because the joy cons can become a controller each for smash. we often have a crazy amount of people playing at a time (I'm sure we must hit the max) as my siblings and their friends all come over and play together, so we end up with about eight controllers since there r 4 switches in the household.

  having said the above there's no way I'd pray for price for it or any of the games because they are just so expensive. one of the major factors for me getting one was the fact that i was going overseas, could claim gst back and a whole bunch of super good deal combos meant i got it for an insane price. so definitely don't buy one full price.

  tldr: i think it's a good investment for enjoyment and i love botw. hope that helped.

• 

  Quantumcat on 02/03/2019 - 20:22

  Yes

  You can play on the TV so no need to worry about cramped screen. Just gives you an extra option. It is awesome to have on a long public transport journey or when waiting for a doctors appt or similar. I play mainly on its screen, rarely on the TV.

  You can play with 2 people with what you get out of the box, but if you intend to play with friends or on the TV regularly you will want to invest in a pro controller or two. Wired controllers are fine too if you want to not spend as much.

  Modding is possible too, for little monetary cost, but will cost you the ability to play online sooner or later.

• 

  SlavOz on 02/03/2019 - 20:44

  +1

  OK - that about settles it I'm sold haha

  Another thing - I'm assuming that when you plug into the stand/dock to play on the TV the console runs on power and doesn't need battery life, is that right?

  I can relate to the price factor though. Console doesn't seem too bad but the controllers and games are very pricey. I've seen a few second hand bundles on Gumtree but I'm still deciding whether it's worth buying a used console…

  • 

    AdamFury on 02/03/2019 - 21:06

    +1

    That's right when you plug it into the dock it keeps the console charged.

  • 

    Quantumcat on 02/03/2019 - 23:30

    You can get wired controllers for like $20 or less, so don't let the price of accessories put you off.

    If you buy a second hand console make sure to test for online connectivity. If that works then there's no harm buying second hand.

    • 

      Elijha on 03/03/2019 - 22:40

      +1

      a cheap Bluetooth dongle and you can add Wii U controllers too.

      • 

        Quantumcat on 04/03/2019 - 06:43

        Oh really? Link? I have like 6 Wii U controllers so that would be super handy

• 

  Some Human on 02/03/2019 - 21:06

  I was playing Skyrim on it last night in tabletop mode on full brightness for at least 3 hours and only used about 2/3 the battery. I was surprised.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 02/03/2019 - 21:34

  well what you are looking for I guess you can find here … a good comparison of top gaming devices

  https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/nintendo-switch-vs-ps…

• 

  Switchblade88 on 02/03/2019 - 22:31

  Another point to note - there is LOTS of talk about bringing Xbox Game Pass to the Switch. This is a BIG deal.

  Not sure on specifics yet - Will it require other paid services? What will work, what won't? But in either case this is hugely beneficial for Switch owners.

  • 

    Ninternet on 02/03/2019 - 22:46

    As this is just rumour right now, that should not factor into OP's decision.

    On its own merits the Switch already has a great lineup of games and a huge 2019 ahead of it.

    Yoshi, Mario Maker 2, Pokemon and Bayonetta 3 alone are huge for me personally without mentioning Luigi's Mansion 3, Astral Chain, Animal Crossing, Daemon X Machina, Hellblade, Crash Racing, Fire Emblem Three Houses, etc

    • 

      Quantumcat on 02/03/2019 - 23:31

      Links Awakening too. Looking forward to that. Was my first handheld game I ever played.

• 

  gasman70 on 02/03/2019 - 22:51

  Bought one and have probably a dozen games. Play it once a month, maximum and them it’s always Mario Kart.

• 

  p1 ama on 02/03/2019 - 23:20

  What's the battery life like?

  Good enough, but you'll want to carry a charger if you play often. Think of the Switch as a home system you can take around, not a portable system that can be docked.

  How are the Zelda and Smash Bros. iterations on this - as good as they were on Wii? Are they comfortable to play on such a cramped screen?

  Wouldn't say the screen is cramped, it's bigger than your phone screen. Zelda BOTW and Smash Ultimate, in my opinion, are the best iterations of their respective franchises. Same goes with Mario Odyssey. I'd say that if you're picking up a Switch, get Zelda BOTW, Smash Ultimate, Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart and you should be good to go.

  What do I need to be able to play with friends that come over? Would this require multiple systems or just additional controllers?

  Just additional controllers. I'd get a Pro controller as the console will already come with Joy-Cons. Again, think of it as a home system you can take around, rather than a portable system you can dock into your TV.

• 

  ONEMariachi on 03/03/2019 - 11:04

  Really depends on the game for battery life. Less intensive indy styled games can be as high as 10 hours I've found. things like Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight I was easily getting that. Games like Zelda and Skyrim, was 3-5 hours.

  The only thing you need to multiplayer is more controllers. Something like Mario Kart you an use 1 half of a joycon each no problem, but Smash needs a full controller. You can get the Gamecube styled contys and the adaptor for a lot cheaper than extra joy cons or pros though.

  Smash bros is probably the best iteration since Melee imo. Great game and well worth the purchase, especially for fun party nights with mates. Zelda was a lot of fun, wasn't my favourite of all time, but def in the top 5.

  I probably play 60/40 handheld to docked on mine and the screen is perfectly fine to game well on.

  Great list of games to start with,

  (Single player)
  - Breath of the Wild (action adventure)
  - Mario Odyssey (platformer)
  - Stardew Valley (farming simulator RPG)
  - Hollow Knight (2D platformer, ala Metroid/Castlevania)
  - Moonlighter (Action adventure - ala 2D Zeldas)

  (Multiplayer)
  - Mario Kart (Racer)
  - Smash Bros (Fighter)
  - Overcooked (cooking game, but like seriously so much fun with a couple mates. Trust me)

• 

  SlavOz on 03/03/2019 - 17:50

  Holy, Ozbargain is getting hard over this system. I went out and bought one today - thanks dudes!

  Paid $615 at Harvey norman for the system plus pro controller & breath of wild (had a $70 voucher left over from returning my Christmas present so saved some). Also found Smash Bros for $40 on Gumtree haha.

  I played a little Smash portable and was kind of let down by how fast the battery was draining, but this was the first charge cycle so I"m sure it'll get better. I think if I'm playing this portably I won't be in the right place to be committed to the gameplay anyway - might just use it to play some indie strategy games on my lunch break and save the Zelda for hometime.

  • 

    p1 ama on 04/03/2019 - 02:35

    The battery won't get better. The Switch battery life isn't great. I think I mentioned earlier, but it really is a home system that you can take out, not a portable system you can rock to your TV.

    Portable charger would probably do the trick, or just get an extra charger and plug it in when you're not playing.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 29/03/2019 - 12:29

    $615 is hardly normal. I paid around $415 for the system, pro controller and botw about a year ago with some amazon deal. But I ended up selling it a week later as I found Zelda too boring lol…

• 

  Tames71 on 19/03/2019 - 16:32

  amazon currently has it for $399 , with shopbacks 12% cashback makes it to $351.

• 

  cille745 on 20/03/2019 - 23:22

  Tbh have used it with friends multiple times but just can't justify it over others unless you're exclusively playing with other people or on the go. They're great fun with friends but they don't beat the other consoles unless that's your only priority

  • 

    Ninternet on 26/03/2019 - 20:01

    +1

    This is highly perspective based. I have all three major systems and still find myself playing most games on switch in docked mode because I enjoy the games on Switch more than the other systems at the moment.

    This obviously varies per person, but you can't just say "not as good as the other systems" without clarification.

• 

  AlienC on 21/03/2019 - 19:44

  +1

  If the Switch had android on it and could run android apps then it would be an insta buy for me and I would sell my 8 inch Huawei Mediapad M3 in an instant.

  But if I recall correctly it cannot do Android and has its own OS and ecosystem (someone more knowledgeable please chime in because I have zero knowledge on the Switch but it is a nice device).

  An all in one entertainment and non entertainment utility device would be awesome.

  The GPD or Z Pro or whatever the handheld windows gaming device was meant to be was a nice starter but it failed miserably and turned into a kickstarter failure.

  But it was a nice proof of concept and hopefully inspired the next iteration of whatever you wanna call what it is.

  One day we will get there but it will take many, many, many fails and iterations which is fair because it is a hard one to perfect.

  I give it 70 years honestly.

• 

  HolyFosh on 24/03/2019 - 16:28

  +1

  In my opinion, a decent way to benchmark if its worth it is as follows.

  Figure out a list of games you'd get, or want to get at some point and can only get on the Switch. I.E Mario Odyssey, BOTW and Smash.

  Get a rough estimate of how long you'll think you'll play them. Maybe using HowLongToBeat, or just estimates on Smash Bros.

  Then figure out if you'll have enough hours played at a minimum to justify the $400 price tag, or if you feel like you need to wait for a bigger drop.

• 

  sakurakiks on 28/03/2019 - 15:32

  I got one for my birthday unexpectedly, and honestly my first thought was "wow I feel so bad but I never really wanted this..". But my ungrateful ass was proven wrong, love my Switch now!!
  Love the large screen and how easy it is to connect to the TV via the dock, controllers have a decent feel, and my favourite thing is the sound of the joycon clicking into the switch xD!
  Great for single player in bed or on the couch, and even better with a bunch of friends (half the people around me seem to also own one now), so we bring our controllers and it's great even played as mini-games during drinks or a dinner party. Have about 6 physical games, 10 digital, 5 on immediate to-buy list, and 50+ things on my online store watch list haha….
  Negative point is that it's now a huge money drain for me…!

• 

  Dazbug on 29/03/2019 - 12:20

  +1

  I've got an Xbox one which I rarely use (Well until MK 11 gets released soon) and wanted a switch purely for mario Odyssey and Kart and was the best video game putchase I've made since the N64 and I've had every console from megadrive up.

  The games are just fun and pick up and play, brings back the good old days of games being simple and fun. Even the graphics and sound are amazing (cartoonish) just wait till u see yoshi game, really there's so much effort put in to these first party games

  This is the first console where I've decided to go fully digital when I buy games, but the biggest thing I hate is the games in the store are all.full RRP. Yoshi you can get for $58 at jb, but if want convenience to buy from eshop it's.$79. Don't understand, cuts costs by no packaging, no sd card, no staff and store costs, yet it's $21 dearer. Really pi$$es me off

  • 

    Circly on 12/04/2019 - 20:43

    I think the retailers force them to keep digital games at a higher price… but then even the indy games cost way more on Nintendo.

• 

  Donatello on 29/03/2019 - 16:01

  +1

  Rumoured reveal for 2 new Switch consoles - one PRO and one LITE at E3 this year

  • 

    Ventak on 13/04/2019 - 18:19

    Waiting for these two.

• 

  MrOcelot on 12/04/2019 - 13:39

  So far switch has the best couch coop experience in current generation.
  ZELDA is perfect if you are into games like elder scrolls, witcher as this iteration is more an action base open world RPG.

• 

  SlavOz on 19/04/2019 - 22:59

  Hey so almost 2 months since I made this thread. I've loved my Switch ever since. Really got me back into gaming in general as I've bought past games that I overlooked on my PS4, such as Dark Souls and DOOM (which run surprisingly well).

  I tend to spend a lot of time on the eShop looking for hidden gems and bargains. The problem is way too many choices so I'm finding it hard to stay focused on one game after beating BoTW in like 3 weeks.

  Here's some standout games from the eShop

  Blaster Master Zero - not a good buy unless you're a fan of the originals. The controls are terrible, the platforming not fun at all, directional shooting is near impossible, and the visuals/sound/UI are too old for their own good.

  Celeste - a must-buy. Great example of retro style done right. Classic platforming with plenty of gameplay depth, tight controls, and an original story that any modern-day adult can relate to as opposed to the usual mythical stuff.

  Enter the Gungeon - OK if you want something for pick-up-and-play, but don't expect too much. The level and item randomization is too inconsistent. Sometimes you get a gun/item that makes you unstoppable, other times you get junk. Enjoying the game and progressing seems to be a matter of luck.

  RIVE - good but very unfairly challenging at times. Requires a lot of unavoidable deaths just to figure out what to do. The controls are very good but shooting just feels a little off at times, which is crucial for a game this fast-paced.

  Mario Odyssey, BoTW & Smash - not without their flaws, but definitely must-plays. They're on sale now as well so picking them up for the current price is a great deal.