I want to love my Nintendo Switch again, but Im struggling to rekindle the relationship

Date:
Sun, 19 Sep 2021 14:30:00 +0000

Description:
Its hard to go back to Nintendo Switch after some time away, but theres still hope.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

I dont really believe in love at first sight especially when it comes to inanimate objects. But when the Nintendo Switch was revealed, my attraction can only be described as instantaneous.

From the moment we met you could see that I was filled with desire. Those
were the opening lyrics from White Denims catchy track that accompanied the Switchs incredibly slick announcement trailer, and they couldnt have been
more fitting.

Nintendos trailer for its eight-generation console successfully hammered home the hybrid console concept with aplomb unrealistic impromptu rooftop parties aside and seemed to erase all the Wii Us many mistakes.

Unlike the unwieldy Wii U , which to this day would probably still bamboozle the average consumer as to what its actually supposed to be, the Switchs appeal was immediately obvious. This was a console that you could play on the TV, but one that could also be taken on the move, completely untethered by
any restrictions. Amazing.

Better still, the console was also designed for local multiplayer from the outset. Detach the ingenious Switch Joy-Con controllers, and suddenly youre battling it out on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe while waiting for a plane to France that has been inexplicably been delayed. One of you yells an expletive, the other responds in kind, and then you both look up to see a disapproving
priest glaring at you with all the holier than thou energy they can muster. Amazing. Future heartbreak (Image credit: Nintendo)

Sadly, though, despite enjoying a glorious honeymoon period with the Switch that saw me sink an exorbitant amount of time into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,
Breath of the Wild , Splatoon 2 , Super Mario Odyssey , Overcooked!, ARMS , and indie gems like Hollow Knight , my love for the system has waned considerably in recent years.

Its hard to pinpoint the exact moment my feelings changed, but Ive certainly become numb to the Switchs initial appeal, most of which has been due to Nintendos own making. The Switch also now has to compete for my time and attention with the PS5 and Xbox Series X , both of which have a habit of exposing its flaws.

So, whats stopping me from embracing my Switch again with open arms? Woe-Con controllers (Image credit: Future)

When youre afraid to actually play a console in fear of breaking it, you know somethings gone wrong. I now see the Switchs fragile Joy-Con as a ticking
time bomb, ready to implode at any moment. The Joy-Con controllers
frustrating reliability issues are well-known by now, and it means that every gaming session could result in my controllers developing the dreaded Joy-Con drift .

Its shocking that Nintendo hasnt addressed Joy-Con drift by now, and it means that the Switchs little gamepads that brought me so much... well, joy, have never felt more fragile in my hands.

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller isnt much better, either. While it isnt likely to break anytime soon, it comes with the worst D-Pad in Nintendos illustrious history, which makes games of Tetris Puyo Puyo a painful experience. Compare Nintendos pads to the delightful PS5 DualSense and ergonomic Xbox Series X controller , then, and it already feels like a big step down. Outdated online services (Image credit: Nintendo)

I love playing with my friends, but sadly the Nintendo Switch is a lonely experience online. Its as though Nintendos online system is somehow frozen in time, despite the fact the company has all the resources it needs to fix it.

It's hard to believe, but even though the Switch launched in 2017, youre
still unable to message your friends, start party chats or do anything remotely social on Nintendos console other than share screenshots to the internet. It still uses friend codes for heavens sake.

Yes, Nintendo released an online companion app , but support for it has been non-existent. In fact, its recently lost some functionality , and whenever
Ive used it with friends, its been a noticeably poor alternative to services like Discord or even Skype .

Im tired of having to jump through hoops just to play the odd game with friends on Switch, and now that its a paid service cheap as it may be consumers deserve more. To make matters worse, the Wii U had a more comprehensive online feature set with online video calls and Miiverse. First-party fails (Image credit: Nintendo)

Nintendos first-party lineup has also started to leave me feeling rather uninspired. And thats a big concern when you consider I only tend to buy Nintendo consoles for its exclusive IP.

I love Mario as much as the next person (probably more), but seeing the usual wave of sports games, half-baked compilations, and retro rehashes come back around for the umpteenth time with a full-fat price tag has started to irritate me.

The fact that Ive played the majority of Switchs biggest games years earlier before on Wii U hasnt helped matters, which I regard as a bit of a slap in
the face . But when Nintendo announced that Super Mario 3D All-Stars would be a timed-release? Well, its hard not to feel like the company isn't just being greedy and capitalizing on fans nostalgia.

Im still incredibly excited for Breath of the Wild 2 , of course, but
Nintendo needs to start taking more risks and create new IP as it did with Splatoon , ARMS, and Ring Fit Adventure . Im not going to buy another remaster, remake, or re-release. (Drop some Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC , though, and we have a deal.) Switching allegiances (Image credit: Sony / Microsoft)

"...the Switch feels sluggish, underpowered, and its games can look to put
it kindly downright ugly."

One of the biggest problems with Nintendos console release cycle, and its decision not to go toe-to-toe with Sony and Microsoft anymore, is that its hardware tends to enjoy a couple of years where things feel good enough from
a performance and visual perspective.

Compared to the PS4 and Xbox One , the Switch held up pretty favorably, offering something new and exciting that led to thousands of people begging for 'Switch ports'. Now, though, compared to the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and a half-decent PC build, the Switch feels sluggish, underpowered, and its games can look to put it kindly downright ugly.

While I would never expect Nintendo to put out a machine thats capable of 4K/120Hz , returning to face resolutions that can drop as low as 540p and framerates that tend to hover precariously under the 30fps target, is
jarring, to say the least. The Nintendo Switch OLED , as beautiful as its new seven-inch screen might be, wont change that either.

With no Switch Pro on the horizon, its a situation that many players will
have to stomach until the Nintendo Switch 2 arrives, and its something thats hard to ignore every time I return to play on Nintendo's system. Game Pass smash (Image credit: Microsoft)

The final wedge thats been driven between me and my Switch is also partly
down to the competition, specifically Xbox Game Pass Ultimate . I used to
love playing indies on the Switch, but its hard to pay the full asking price for the latest and greatest indie title when Microsofts subscription service has consistently delivered many of them for free, and often at launch.

Theres also the obvious benefit of indie games running and generally looking better on Xbox, especially when played on the TV. Throw in Xbox Cloud Gaming support and remote play, and Switchs biggest appeal portability goes out
the window.

Case in point: Octopath Traveler . While its not an indie game per se, thanks to a combination of TV play, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox remote play I
managed to finish a game that took no less than 70 hours to do so. And thanks to Xbox Game Pass , it was free on day one, runs at 4K/60fps on Microsofts machine. Octopath Traveler is still $59.99 / 49.99 on the Nintendo Switch eShop . Couples counseling (Image credit: Nintendo)

Thankfully, theres one thing that ensures I won't turn my back on the
Nintendo Switch for good, and thats the possibility of Nintendo delivering another cracking title. I may be experiencing some serious Nintendo fatigue right now and feeling pretty disillusioned with some of the companys archaic decisions (please can we add an achievement system one day?) but all of that could change if Metroid Dread, Pokmon Legends Arceus , or Breath of the Wild
2 deliver the types of unforgettable experiences that Nintendo is renowned for.(And yes, I'm aware that these aren't new IP.)

Ill still have to look past the hardwares technical limitations and quality control issues with gritted teeth, then, but at least theres still hope for
me and my Switch yet. Nintendo Switch OLED vs Nintendo Switch : what's the difference?



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/i-want-to-love-my-nintendo-switch-again-but-im- struggling-to-rekindle-the-relationship/


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