Nintendo Switch Review: How Does the Hardware Stack Up After One Month?
The console market is an interesting space. Some seek more hardware power, while others look towards other ways to innovate. For the past decade, Nintendo has been looking more towards the latter. The Wii introduced motion controls, which allowed anyone to pick up the controller and easily play. The DS introduced dual screens, which stayed a staple in Nintendo’s handheld devices. The Wii U tried to deliver the same, and while it succeeded in giving an enjoyable experience, it fell short in sales due to unclear marketing. After this, you’d think Nintendo would make a complete “U turn” in their vision, but Nintendo seems to be pushing forward; though this time I think they nailed it.
If you’ve seen any of the marketing for the Switch, that’s already one thing they perfected moving forward. The messaging is clear: Nintendo Switch is a home console you can take with you anytime, anywhere. The console itself is a 6.2 inch tablet, which can connect to your TV through the Nintendo Switch dock. Slide the tablet in, and you’re now playing on the TV. Slide it out and put on the detachable controllers, and now you’re able to freely play the exact same game seamlessly. This “Switch” between modes works flawlessly. As soon as you take the tablet out or put it in, you’re instantly able to start playing. I’ve been enjoying handheld mode a lot more than I thought I would. Even if you’re not taking the console anywhere, it’s great to be able to play a huge game like Zelda in bed or on the couch.
The hardware of this portable console is a huge step up from the Wii U. The screen is a crisp 720p panel, which may not be the highest resolution, but completely does the job. The switch includes a USB-C port, the future of USB technology. It’s what you’ll be using on future phones (that is if Apple stops being Apple). This means in the future you will be able to use the same charger across all your devices. This inclusion in the Switch is very much appreciated. There is also a headphone jack and a MicroSD slot for storage expansion. The battery life of the Switch is good for most scenarios. Depending on what game you are playing, the battery life will be determined by that or other things. Nintendo says you’ll get on average 3 hours of battery life from Breath of the Wild, which is pretty accurate from my playing. Titles that aren’t as hardware intensive such as Puyo Puyo Tetris last a lot longer of a play session. The design of the Switch is very sleek. Nintendo really outdid themselves from their previous console, as the Switch itself is a lot smaller, sleeker, more powerful, and more comfortable than just the Wii U controller. The dock inclusion for the Switch is also very sleek and will fit into most living room set-ups; just to avoid covering my TV, I got a shelf specifically to keep the dock on which works great.
The main controller of the Switch are the Joy-con. There’s a Joy-con left, and a Joy-con right. The two are essentially asymmetrical versions each other, though the right Joy-con packs a few more features. These two controllers slide onto the side of the system to use in handheld mode, and can be slid into a grip accessory to make them feel more like a standard controller; a unified piece, like an Xbox or Playstation controller. My favorite feature by far has to be the fact that you can hold them sideways: this means that no matter where you are with the Switch, you can easily do co-op in any situation. Being honest, the sideways controllers aren’t the most comfortable thing to hold, but they work for those times you want to play something with a friend. Four player games were a non-issue on launch day when my friend brought his Switch, as we had four controllers accessible thanks to this feature.
The hardware of the Switch is great, however there are some notable issues. The kickstand on the back is fairly weak, not wanting to sit on anything other than a completely flat surface. On board storage is pretty low as well; only 26GB is usable, meaning if you’re downloading titles, you’ll want to invest in a MicroSD card. My biggest issue, though, has to be with the Joy-con straps. They extend the Joy-con’s top a bit to make them more comfortable while holding them sideways, and add a wrist strap for increased safety in those motion control based games. My biggest issue with them is that they get stuck easily on the Joy-con. It takes a lot of prying to get them off, and once in awhile I do find a way to hurt myself. They do get easier to take on and off with time, but just pray that you or your friend doesn’t put one on upside down…
Controller are mainly from Nintendo and they offer great benefits, such as the Nintendo Pro Controller. The Pro Controller is a controller that gives the user a traditional feel that resembles an Xbox One controller. This runs for about seventy dollars. Though this may be expensive for some, I personally made the investment, and ended up very satisfied. To me it’s high up there with the Gamecube controller, my personal favorite. Though if you’re a contender of the Xbox One Controler, I can say if feels just as comfortable, if not more.
Regardless of the controller you use, the battery life on all of them has been nothing but phenomenal. Each Joy-con lasts a whopping 20 hours. I’ve never seen the battery dip below 75% since the controllers charge along your Switch as long as you have them plugged in. The Pro Controller is even better, lasting a huge 40 hours. I nearly got through my whole Breath of the Wild playthrough with the Pro Controller out of the box. When you do need to charge, you can plug a cable from the dock to the controller’s USB Type-C port.
The Game Library for the Switch is not that big right now. The main seller right now for the Switch is The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild. Other games, such as 1-2 Switch, are also fun and enjoyable to play with friends. Later in the year, we will see other promising titles exclusively for the Switch. This includes Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, ARMS, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (which is coming out this month). Third party titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, will be available for the Switch in the near future. We’ve seen a good promising few of these already which I’ve been having fun with, such as The Jackbox Party Pack 3. Hopefully Nintendo will be able to keep up third party support, but time will tell.
The hardware of the Nintendo Switch has been great, proving to be flexible to how I decide to play games. I can’t emphasize enough how well the transition between TV and handheld mode works; it’s a bit hard to describe the magical feeling of the Switch without trying it yourself. Simply put, I’ve been really enjoying my time with the system, though to be honest, a good part of that is because how great Breath of the Wild is. Taking a huge game like that anywhere has allowed me to really take my time with the game, as I’m able to pop the Switch out of my bag and play in short sessions, which is something I didn’t know I wanted as primarily a console and PC gamer. There’s still a lot the system has to take on, particularly in its 3rd party support as well as some missing features. By the holiday these will be mostly ironed out, but for now there’s still a good selection of games keeping me satisfied, especially Zelda. If you can actually track down a Switch, I can say it’s a worthwhile investment, and you’ll be treated well as the games trickle out throughout the year.