Review of the Nintendo Switch: Still nice seven years later
Our Verdict
Six years into its life, the Switch is still a brilliant hybrid gaming console, that can be used at home or out and about. Its huge library of games continues to grow, and it's well worth the money (even if some older models struggled with Joy-Con drift).
Reasons to buy
- Reasonably priced
- Can be played handheld or docked
- Huge library of games
Reasons to avoid
- No LAN port
- Memory capacity on the smaller side
The year 2017 saw the release of the Nintendo Switch. Many people expected the Nintendo Switch to be financially unsuccessful like the Wii U, which was the company's least profitable home platform. However, astonishingly, the Nintendo Switch outperformed both of its home consoles. The first Nintendo Switch is still in high demand seven years later. Is it, however, the finest portable gaming console?
We have a detailed analysis of this system that covers every detail, from its game selection to its specifications, if you're thinking of getting one in 2023. In our best Nintendo Switch guide, we ranked this basic model as our top selection; to assist you in making your decision, we've compared it to the other models in our review.
Nintendo Switch availability and cost
The typical price of a Nintendo Switch is around $298 USD (or £249 GBP). It is fairly priced for a game system, and it is definitely less expensive than consoles like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. Of course, it also has less processing power than any of them, so you might argue that purchasing a Switch gives you less, but you also get so much more that it becomes difficult to define what is "lesser."
Regarding availability, obtaining Nintendo's most recent hybrid system is really simple. A store that sells video games is probably going to have Switches as well. We advise making purchases from any of the following websites:
specifications for the Nintendo Switch
Most games on the Nintendo Switch may be played at 1080p or 720p resolution thanks to the NVIDIA Custom Tegra CPU. This could mean that it can't match the very lifelike visuals and somewhat less fluid gameplay of the PS5 or Xbox Series X, but those systems aren't portable, and the PS5 still has an enormous library of amazing titles.
The Nintendo Switch specifications are as follows:| Feature | Details |
| CPU/GPU | NVIDIA Custom Tega processor |
| Display | 1280×720 6.2-inch LCD Screen |
| Battery | 4310mAh lithium-ion battery |
| Memory | 32GB RAM |
| Storage | 32GB internal storage |
Features of the Nintendo Switch
Of course, you can purchase a wide range of cheap Nintendo Switch games (we'll discuss the library in a moment), but what additional characteristics makes the Switch stand out from other gaming consoles? A summary of some of the main features of the Nintendo Switch is as follows:<- Docked and handheld play: The biggest feature of the Switch will always be the fact that you can play it on your television screen, as well as anywhere else you play. It’s the first console to truly be both a home console and a handheld (the Super Game Boy and Game Boy Player don’t count).
- Joy-Cons: The console comes with two Joy-Con controllers already slotted in for you to play on the go, meaning you don’t have to spend money on a Nintendo Switch controller when you buy one. You can even do multiplayer, with each player using a single Joy-Con.
- NFC scanner: The Switch features an NFC scanner, allowing for the use of amiibo in compatible games. These figures allow you to access exclusive bits of bonus content when you use them.
- Nintendo Switch Online: This subscription service allows you to play online with friends and strangers in Switch multiplayer games. There’s also a large selection of retro games that you’ll gain access to if you become a member, as well, plus access to a saved data cloud and a connected smartphone app.
- Streaming services: Unfortunately, the Switch lacks compatibility with big names like Netflix and Disney Plus, but there are still a few streaming services that you can use on the console, namely YouTube, Twitch, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
- Bluetooth audio: As well as a standard 6.35mm earphone jack, you can connect your Bluetooth headsets to the Switch.
- Screen brightness adjustments: You can have your Switch automatically determine the right level of brightness at all times, or you can manually adjust it so that it always appears in the same way.
- Screenshots and gameplay videos: Of all the Nintendo Switch Consoles in the current generation, none make it easier to take screenshots and videos of your game mid-play than the Nintendo Switch. The left Joy-Con has a screenshot button that can grab an image for you at any time, and if you hold it in, it captures the last 30 seconds of gameplay. This is ideal if you have any fun or unexpected experiences. You can then easily share these directly on Twitter and Facebook or send them to a mobile device using a QR code.
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>, Design of the Nintendo Switch
Although the plastic structure of the Nintendo Switch might feel more luxurious, in my opinion, it has an excellent design. After inserting the Joy-Cons into each side of the screen, you're left with a straightforward device that has a somewhat vintage appearance. It is true that more color options for Joy-Cons would be wonderful. The dock is a little, unobtrusive piece of hardware that works well with any configuration.
However, there is a significant design problem with the Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con drift. For those who are unaware, early Joy-Cons had a common design defect that caused them to report movement in a specific way even when their joystick remained unharmed. It can even become impossible to play games because of how hard this becomes to handle. Fortunately, if you get a newer Switch, you probably won't have this issue as often as you formerly did. However, as a result, we do not advise purchasing a used Switch.
The catalog of Nintendo Switch games The Nintendo Switch's greatest selling point is its library of games. There is a vast collection of games available to you. Though it is obviously impossible to cover everything, here is a summary of the games available on this console:Nintendo Switch exclusive games The Switch offers a wide variety of games from the well-known Nintendo IPs, much like any of the other Nintendo systems. The most polished iteration of Nintendo's squid-based third-person shooter, Super Mario Odyssey, is the most recent in a long line of amazing Mario games; there's also Splatoon 3, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a prequel to Breath of the Wild that uses Warriors-style gameplay, and the amazing crossover event that is Smash Bros. Ultimate (We had never seen so many well-known video game characters in one location before). We could go on.Switch games for the Wii UMany enthusiasts passed on the Wii U. You shouldn't worry if you were among them since the majority of the popular titles on that system have now been remastered for the Switch. The first and largest was, of course, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which came out on both platforms at the same time. Other notable titles included Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which is among the best Switch platformers ever made, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which boasts a ton of extra features over the Wii U version, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, which took the amazing original game and expanded on it.