Is the Switch 2 a waste of money?

Submitted ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨TacticalRaptor@feddit.org⁩ to ⁨games@lemmy.world⁩

I know that it has a shorter battery life than the OLED plus the Switch 2 doesn’t even have an OLED screen by default. Also, the library of games exclusive to the Switch 2 isn’t much (they do have CP 2077, HW: AoI, DK: Bananza, MKW) & paid upgrades for both BoTW & TotK. Do you consider the Switch 2 worth it when you factor in shorter battery life, paid upgrades, 2 microSD card tiers (normal & express), expensive accessories & etc?

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RamRabbit@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
If you already have a Switch, there doesn’t seem to be much point in buying the Switch 2. If you don’t have either, I would highly suggest looking at the Steam Deck, which has a significantly more vast library of great games and is overall a better product.

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- popcar2@piefed.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Telling people to buy a Steam Deck used to make sense, but it doesn’t anymore when it’s twice the price of a Switch 2 (I say this as a Steam Deck fan).
  
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  - RamRabbit@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    The cheaper games easily make up for that. Particularly since games that you have owned for decades just work, no repurchase required. Have you seen how expensive Nintendo games are? Even on sale they are extremely expensive.
    
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  - thingsiplay@lemmy.ml ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I agree with this sentiment. (me too fan)
    
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- grinning_serpent@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Steam Deck is a terrible deal at its current price. Several hundred dollars for a zen2 system? Are you insane?
  
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rafoix@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Every hobby is a waste of money if you don’t like it.

Have fun doing whatever is fun for you.

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noxypaws@pawb.social ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I don’t understand wanting to be a Nintendo customer when they’ve demonstrated countless times over the lazt 15+ years that they loathe their customers.

I see no reason to get a Switch over a Steam Deck unless you absolutely MUST play first party games, and even then they rake you over the coals with game prices and don’t even let you backup your saves unless you pay them rent for the privilege.

Steam Deck OLED is fantastic and Valve demonstrates far more respect for their customers, and the game library and overall utility of the device just leaves even the more powerful Switch 2 in the dirt in terms of value, in my opinion. Not to mention how much you’ll save on game purchases.

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vane@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
It’s waste of money but if you have money it’s not.

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missingno@fedia.io ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
If you don't own a Switch at all, then I'd say definitely grab one, you'll have a pretty big back catalog of S1 titles to catch up on. Even for legacy content, performance will be better on S2, and you'll be future proof for future games, so I would advise getting S2 over S1.

If you already own a S1, upgrading really depends on how much you want new first party games. I bought it for Kirby Air Riders and that alone was well worth the price for me after waiting 22 years for that sequel.

Ordinarily I'd say if you're not that interested in the current lineup you can always wait until games you really want come out, but with the economy being fucked it's possible there may be additional price increases in the future. So if you're at all considering it, I think it's best to grab one sooner rather than later. I'm half joking when I say I bought mine for Kirby Air Riders, I was also just nervous about tariffs, and I made the right call locking my purchase in at the launch price.

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64bithero@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The reality especially on here is you will run into three camps.

The people who already own a switch 2 (and mostly love it)

the people who don’t own one and won’t and think it’s absolute garbage

And those switch one owners who didn’t buy one but I generally see they didn’t like the switch 1 they bought.

If you loved what the switch did then an upgrade to a Switch 2 to me makes a lot of sense. Games like StarFox at least visually show what a huge leap the newer SOC can offer. And more games will be released over the next 7 or so years. Not to mention your old library of switch games generally runs a lot better.

If you’ve never owned a switch then it’s going to me to depend on what your looking for. If you want a PC or the freedom of a Pc then just get the PC. But be aware of the learning curve and upfront expenses. And yes that includes Steam Decks.

If you want a native Nintendo experience running any recent Nintendo software and want an easy to use hardware that’s generally less expensive then it’s comparables then I still think the Switch 2 is a good option.

Personally I love my Switch 2, coming from a Switch 1 it was a nice upgrade. I also game on PC but enjoy having a simple setup and native Nintendo experience. I’ve never been much of an accessories buyer. I primarily play with my Switch 1 pro controller.

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- otp@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I have a Switch 1 and really enjoyed it, but I don’t feel the need to upgrade. Better hardware would be nice, but I’m better off gaming on PC anyway.
  
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zikzak025@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Depends on how much you’d want to use it, to be honest.

People balked at its price tag at launch, but it’s currently the cheapest entry point to gaming. It delivers better performance than the Steam Deck at nearly half the price, but the tradeoff is the closed ecosystem.

If there are key games you want to play on Switch 2 that are easy to get for less than MSRP, I’d say it’s worth it. If you want games that are also on every other platform and you have options that aren’t the Switch 2, no harm in saving your money. Probably not worth it for just 1 or 2 big titles right now. But it’s only been around for a little over a year so there will also certainly be more to look forward to down the road.

The only other factor is that hardware is continuing to get more expensive over time. Short of a major changes to global production/the AI bubble bursting, I wouldn’t count on that changing for a while yet. So there may also never be a cheaper time to get a Switch 2 than right now, especially when we know the price of the console will go up in just a couple months.

www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/…/260508.html

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xep@discuss.online ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’m enjoying mine. Pokopia is great.

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- cheat700000007@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  The only sw2 game worthwhile.
  
  Switch 1 games feel great though, huge improvement on most even without upgrades.
  
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jontree255@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I think it’s a nice upgrade from the Switch 1 the build quality is a lot better and the screen is a huge upgrade. Performance is better too. I’ve never seen the OLED Switch 1 so I can’t speak for that but I think the upgrade would be less noticeable.

I mostly used my Switch 1 to play indie games and Nintendo Exclusives like BOTW and TOTK.

On Switch 1 both Zeldas, and Hades 1 would all drop frames at certain points. For Balatro on Switch 1 I had to disable everything in the visuals settings because the game would chug when you started scoring high. I don’t have these problems on Switch 2.

Lastly, IMO if you can comfortably afford it and want one you should get one now before hardware prices increase even more. Nintendo is eventually going to stop supporting Switch 1 and there’s some good games like Pokopia that are only Switch 2 already.

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Auster@thebrainbin.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago
I'm biased towards preservation, ownership, tinkering, analogue instead of online, and the sort, and it doesn't feel like it's worth the price to me.

Also in that line, I posted my reactions to using the console the console for the first time some weeks back for what's worth it:
https://thebrainbin.org/m/consolemods@lemmy.sdf.org/p/749690

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Strider@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Define worth it for you.

The hardware is a great upgrade. And I don’t mean the insides, that seems fine. I mean the changed joycon slotting, the build quality, the stand.

I’d never go back to the first one in general. But. The EX SD cards are still expensive, sizes I’d need are not there and especially if most things are key cards you’d need more storage!

So being a nerd I still have (multiple of) switch 1, not replaced by switch 2. But I find both good, the rails on 1 suck (because of plastic blocker on the joycon thst wears off), both still have non echo thumbsticks so go for 8bitdo controllers but in general the switch 2 is a nice upgrade.

So if you want a switch go for the 2 imo.

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- grinning_serpent@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Is the Switch 2 unable to use standard microSD cards? They make you buy some proprietary card?
  
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  - Strider@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    First off no, it’s not proprietary. Express SD cards are finally a speedy standard. But since they’re new they’re not available in many sizes and also expensive.
    
    Nintendo explicitly states that for the switch 2, microSD EX(PRESS) is required.
    
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horse@feddit.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I think the Switch 2 is great for certain types of gamers. Some reasons I really enjoy the Switch 2:

I enjoy Nintendo’s first party games

I often play in short bursts and the Switch is easy to pick up and play. Also many games on Switch cater to that kind of gaming

It’s less expensive than a gaming PC or more powerful consoles and if you don’t care about playing every major AAA release there are more than enough games to play that run great on the hardware

The big AAA games that do release on Switch 2 still run surprisingly well. Usually with worse graphics than on other platforms and at lower framerates (eg. 30fps instead of 60fps), but if you’re not the kind of gamer that is really invested in such things they generally run plenty good enough to be enjoyable

Lots of family friendly games and lots of couch co-op games that anyone can pick up and play

Games are expensive and I don’t want to excuse that, but Nintendo’s first party releases tend to be of a high quality, release in a good state and don’t lock content behind microtransactions or battle passes (releasing 20€ DLC a few months after a 70€ game is pretty whack though). Personally I don’t mind paying a premium for that and would rather pay 80€ for a game that is complete, than 60€ for a game where I’m missing out on content because I didn’t buy the 80€ premium version and then still have progression balanced around pushing people towards spending even more via microtransactions

But that’s enough glazing Nintendo for one post. If you value similar things then maybe Switch 2 is a good choice. If you care about having the best graphics and the best performance possible and don’t care about the exclusives or have a massive library on another platform, then maybe not so much.
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makeshiftreaper@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I have both an OLED Switch and a Switch 2. If you don’t have any other consoles then I’d say a Switch 2 is worth it. It’s getting a lot of games the Switch 1 couldn’t play and combined with the Switch 1 library there’s a lot of really great games. If you have a Switch already then I’d say it’s probably not worth it. Likewise if you have a PS4/5 I’d recommend playing games on that over getting a Switch 2. However having a portable “home” console is a really nice feature. Something to consider is unlike the past it looks like Switches will get more expensive in the short term rather than cheaper

In terms of games: DK Bonanza is a slightly worse Mario Odyssey, which is still a really good game! Kirby Air Ride is just ok. Mario Kart world is worse than 8 and Sonic Racing Crossworlds. Pokopia and Tamodachi are supposed to be excellent for people who like those games. Outside of that basically everything else is available on other systems

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rodneylives@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Kirby Air Riders!

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Guitar@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I love it, I’ve played mine pretty much daily since launch. The exclusives have ranged from good to great for me so I’m getting a lot out of it. It’s better than the Switch 1 in basically every way unless you have an OLED. The Switch 2 editions of games feel pretty substantial compared to Switch 1 performance, most notably BOTW and TOTK. More and more companies are making Switch 2 versions of 3rd party games for it as well which is nice. If you’re gonna play a lot of stuff on it, it’s worth it. If you want to play it more casually like a lot of folks did with like a Switch lite, that’s a lot harder to recommend. I will say that if you like cozy style games or really enjoy old Pokemon, Pokopia is so good it almost makes it worth it on it’s own.

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Zarxrax@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
For me it is not currently worth it. Donkey Kong looks amazing, but I’m not paying that much just to play a single game. In a couple of years when more games are available, maybe that could change.

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grinning_serpent@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Switch 2 is great if you already have a lot of Nintendo games.

It, like all consoles, is terrible if you don’t. It’s probably the best option for handheld gaming if an Android-based device isn’t sufficient, however.

It’ll also depend on how much you care about their exclusives. If you just gotta have Zelda, you don’t have a choice. I don’t care about Zelda, though, so I haven’t owned anything from Nintendo since the GameCube.

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ISolox@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Totally depends on the games you want to play. I have one because I love Smash Bros and the Xenoblade games.

If there isn’t any exclusives or third party games you’d want to play portable on it, I don’t see a good reason to.

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nicpicname@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
It’s about the games, and honestly I would say to wait.

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MaXsteri@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
DK: Bananza is the first DK that I’ve not enjoyed. It seemed to lack the skill and timing elements of a typical DK game. With most gameplay essentially boiling down to randomly and repeatedly running round smashing things up to progress. It wasn’t in the least bit fun, and I normally love DK games.

I wouldn’t buy a Switch 2 for that game. But others might, and typically Nintendo prices drop little over time. So if your going to buy anyway, there isn’t usually much money saved by waiting.

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cheat700000007@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
There aren’t 2 SD tiers, it literally rejects the use of non express.

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impudentmortal@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Others have made great points. I’ll just add that around next year, a Switch 2 with replaceable battery will be coming out for European consumers. If you live in Europe or are able to somehow get a Switch 2 from there, then that’s something to consider if repairablility is important to you. However, like others have said, waiting for too long will lead to price increases. I hate this time line.

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deliriousdreams@fedia.io ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I don't own a switch 2.

I think it might be worth it if you're planning to buy one eventually, just because we know there will be another price increase and it will never be cheaper going forward than it is right now.

I agree with the others about the pros and cons if you don't already own a switch 1, and perhaps if you don't own any other consoles and gaming computers (because at that point I think tech spec wise the switch 2 is a pretty good bargain when you can't get a steam deck and the price of other consoles has risen so high).

But I also think it's worth noting that this depends on if you actually want to play nintendos first party titles.

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IEatDaFeesh@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Some people think MKW is worth the 500 dollars. If that sounds reasonable then buy the switch 2.

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- Guitar@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I love the Switch 2 and MKW has been the single biggest disappointment as far as exclusives go. I genuinely think MK8 is better. But there are several other exclusives that are much better at justifying a Switch 2 purchase. Pokopia, DK, and Kirby Air Riders just to name a few.
  
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newthrowaway20@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Not worth it to me currently. But I figured it’s probably not gonna get any cheaper than right now so I picked it up.

It needs more first party games.

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cattywampas@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I like mine. I think the bundle is a great deal, especially now that you can choose your game.

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arcine@jlai.lu ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Personally I’m waiting for an OLED model.

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