A Cheaper, Customisable 'Nintendo Switch 2nd Set' Has Launched In Japan Without A Dock

Either include a charger or drop the price to $225
This is a bad deal all around. Don't forget you have to pay taxes and probably shipping too..

This seems a shambles of an offer. Saving £35 at the expense of a dock, hdmi cable and an adaptor seems ridiculous. I thought it was a great idea until I saw the price!

it's smart to reach their 'one device per person' goal. Not every member of the family needs a dock, especially in japan where there's less room / less TVs in the house.

Not giving an AC adapter is a bit cheap tho. How much is an AC adapter ?

Because if you need to add the price of the AC adapter to the ~250$ (let's say 10$) it's only 40$ cheaper than regular Switch version. When you factor that docks are sold 90$ alone it would be a better idea to buy a regular switch and sell the dock to someone else for 40$+

And here I am, one day after buying a Switch.

It was only a matter time before this happened. I guess they still provide a charging cable?

But the Switch body tablet is still Black, not White or any color.
And still NO White Joy Cons.
Ah, well... i already have White Joy Cons.

Why can't they sell us an extra Dock for £35 in that case? instead of the £80 they current try to charge

I can't speak for everyone but an extra Dock to use in a different room would be far more useful than an Extra Switch console

I like the idea, but the price isn't right, especially without a charger. Selling a device you can't power without a super highly price inflated accessory is borderline insulting. Especially when despite the device having a "standard" USB-C port (that does not meet the spec properly) they are being bricked by otherwise safe charging methods. Dirty tricks from a company I otherwise love.

@Prof_Yoshtonics looks like no charging methods is included in this package.

How do you charge it if you don't get an AC Adapter?

@Anti-Matter ah well. At least YOU have white joy cons so stop moaning

@Kokusho A Nintendo branded charger is $25usd on Amazon. Lol.

@bagajr O guess the theory is you already have one Swiitch so you use that dock. If you want to charge both of your Swiitches at the same time you buy a $25 charger from Nintendo or risk using a third party power device that Nintendo's lack of following the USB-C spec properly may brick your Swiitch.

To be able to choose the colour of the joy cons is a huuuuuge plus, imho!

Excellent idea for multi Switch households.

BTW I am certain that the lack of a charger is very deliberate. This package is clearly a "supplementary" Switch rather than pushing the Switch as a handheld.

@1UP_MARIO
Moaning what ?
It just a little bit disapointing for No White or any color for Switch body tablet until today. (It still Black)
I was pointing about lack of color variation of Switch body tablet.
I have right to say that.
Don't you try to hush me !

Think I would expect more of a discount

I plan on playing handheld-exclusively but this doesn't seem worth it. If they'd rather not drop the price to ~$200 (by making the joycons non-detachable), at least throw a charger in this mix so we can start talking. Then again, this isn't for prospective Switch owners like me -nor for people outside of Japan for now-,maybe current Switch owners will be more interested.

I will say though, choosing the joy con colours is by far the highlight of this offer; customization is always welcome.

The concept is good but not the price. I’d like a £35 dock, hdmi cable and power adaptor though.

This is "specifically" targeted at those who already own a Switch and want a second one but don't need all the extra stuff. It even says so explicitly on the page: 2台目用セット which literally means "second unit set"

"2nd set" implies that you already have a Switch, and therefore a dock and charger, i suppose. Still, my partner and I each have one, and having 2 docks and 2 chargers is pretty nice (especially when there's 2 tv's in 2 different rooms).

@Anti-Matter just be patient. It will come. You already have white joycons

@Anti-Matter
As usual, I echo your sentiments in this matter. I see the picture showing seven different color options for joy-cons, but not white. And, as you said, no alternative colors for the Switch itself. I'd always thought that white sold better in Japan, so I'm particularly disappointed when it comes to the Switch - because, since it's not region-locked, I would actually be able to import one from Japan if they actually released it in white there. So wouldn't you know it, nothing yet in this generation - anywhere. Ugh...
But hey, I can wait and hope. I've done it before.

I have no need for a second system right now, but I like the idea, I like this as a first step. But I can see in the comments it isn't enough for people.

Now, give us the ability to buy individual joy cons. I want a right blue one and a right green one.

@AlexOlney makes too much sense

@bagajr USB c cable.

@Rika_Yoshitake "Pay taxes"

Depends if this price is tax inclusive or not. Some places in Japan do display tax included prices

Maybe Nintendo will realize their mistake with the price of this set and mark it down at some point.

I like the idea seems pricey though. I mean the dock, hdmi, and ac adapter sell in a package for $80 I believe then without the grip that's another $20. Theres your $200 price point. Not a fan of the overcharging here.

Where did they pluck that discount figure out of as it seems way off considering what you lose. May be more telling on how much the items that you don’t get actually cost that Nintendo are making a packet on with mark ups when they sell them separately.

This isn't even an offer, it's a rip-off. Why even sell it without including the AC Adapter? Nintendo... It may be the houses 2nd Switch, but who in their right mind would limit themselves to charging 1 at a time.

Since they want to put more Switches into more homes it's a great idea; the more options the better. That price though...considering what the dock costs on it's own it's very anti-consumer. The savings just aren't worth it.

Then there's the question of charging it, especially on the move. "Oh, that's right, buy an extra charger, which here in the UK is £25 for an official one". What savings are we supposed to be making!!

What an awful deal. They should include the AC adapter, but drop the price by like 80 bucks because of it not including the dock.

Not interested in a 2nd Switch unless I can use the same account simultaneously. I doubt this will ever happen

If my switch got stolen or broken outside of warranty, this isn’t a bad deal. Buying a switch without the stuff I wouldn’t need. Good for parents who are looking to satisfy Switch demands in their household.

This is a great initiative by Nintendo. Particularly allowing the consumer to choose their L and R JoyCon from the full range of available colours.

However, considering there’s no dock, cables, charger and even JoyCon grip, I’d expect a price much closer to £199 if I’m honest.

I wonder if Nintendo will extend this JoyCon customisation to purchasers of the full Switch package? Heck, why not even give the consumer a choice of memory packages while they’re at it? From 32GB all the way up to, say 500GB. Now that would truly be something!

There's always a "but", isn't there...

Once you've bought the adapter to charge it, you save £10. Really not much of a deal. Much more sensible to still buy the whole thing unless the price drops considerably.

"In Japan"

Eeeeeyup.

That is not enough of a saving to justify what you lose.

Free choice of joy-con colors is sure to be a hit with the Japanese.

And Nintendo does want to push for the system to be a one-per-person deal.

I hope they finally sell the Odyssey Joy Cons separately. Its bugging me having those colours missing when I have the rest.

Be better just buying the original set then selling off the additional dock. There's a market for people wanting a second dock.

Just goes to show that the dock is way overpriced. I expected this to be $199 when I first read the headline.

One for hacking one for online play. Good deal

@rjejr So, here is the "2nd Switch" strategy. What do you think?

I wonder if the customization would happen outside Japan, that part is nice, and if Nintendo could get away with no charger anywhere else. Maybe waiting until later in the year means the price could come down more? Not impressed, yet.

A genuine question. What would be the point of a second Switch in a household? I get wanting another dock for another room. I might also understand if you have teens who would prefer their own console and not have to share. But otherwise, what are the benefits of having two or more in one household?

@kepsux

buy a usbc to a with the appropriate circuitry in it and it's fine.

my usbc to a was 5$ on amazon. just had to take the 2 minutes to check the 'good cable' site and make sure the brand was.

not hard. just because there's cheap chinese junk floating around that bricks things means nothing if you're not a complete dumb dumb.

At the time of writing the switch is over a year old in europe. You think that this would be time for a price cut anyway, you know normal price cut and keep the dock madness!.

I'd like to buy just the tablet. I already have 4 spare joycons and one spare dock and usb-c chargers are all over the house. But now my wife wants a switch (will be 4th in the home) Don't think that will be an option for some time though as Nintendo has no need to take the price hit at the moment.

I like the idea of just buying a Switch and your choice of joy cons, but the lack of a power cord really sours the deal. So what? You save $50, but now you need to shell out for a power cord as well and that's $30, if it's regular price. Not worth it at all, Nintendo should have done a better job with the price point here.

@aaronsullivan "What do you think?"

I think 90% of the people on here owe me an apology. Everyone saying - "You can't call it a Switch w/o a dock b/c it's called a Switch b/c you Switch it between the TV and portable modes."

I'm actually surprised it came this soon, especially in Japan where it pretty much sells out on a weekly basis. But we both knew this was coming, it was always too expensive as a child's toy w/ the dock and parents don't need 2 or 3 or 4 docks. Heck w/ the Labo variety pack you don't even need 1 dock b/c none of those 5 Toycon kits work w/ the dock.

It is about 4,000 yen too expensive though, w/o the dock, Joy-Con grip controller, AC adapter, and HDMI cable. That's pretty much my entire list of things they would drop which I've been saying for over a year now. I gotta admit I do feel vindicated. (Petty, I know, waddayagonnado.) I do think for that price it should come w/ the charger as that's worth about $35 US (can't translate to yen). Price would be ok w/ the charger.

That name though. Might as well have called it "A Switch for People Who Already Own a Switch". At least that way you would have Switch in the name twice. I'll let it go b/c it's Japanese, and it does get to the heart of the matter as it's missing the charger et al. Can't recall what I've been calling it the past year. Nothing consistently. Lately it's been "Switch: Labo Edition" since you can't use the dock w/ the variety pack but I started w/ "Switch Portable".

Anyway it's good to see. And something similar will probably come to the US in a box, not a website, they are probably judging demand over there first. Only a question of before or after the holiday. I think they'll wait until March, let parents fork out the $300 this Christmas before offering the "2nd Set" $249 option next year. Though if they want to bundle it w/ Pokemon instead of the dock for $300, "Switch: Pokemon on the Go Edition" that might make it out for the holidays if the game is done.

Thanks for the shout out, not sure how I missed this one, it's the article I've been waiting for for over a year. It's too late for you though isn't it, I think I recall you already picking up a second.

So basically the handheld only version.

I use the power adapter from my HP Spectre laptop to charge my Switch on the road. It can play and charge. Finding one that works with the dock in TV mode is the problem. And this has no TV dock anyway.

Anyone with a modern PC laptop has the power adapter already.

@Rika_Yoshitake Your profile is extremely disturbing but I agree with your points!

Would have been a great option when I bought my kids their Switch's. Heck, I mainly play mine portably. Would have been a great option for me =)

They absolutely could have and should have sold this with the charger. They’re already selling the dock and hdmi cables for much more than this discount. If Nintendo wants to push the multiple Switch household, they need to make the basic set not seem like a complete rip off. I get why there would be more than one in the house, with one docked place to play on tv and everyone keeping their own switches for playing handheld. I use mine in handheld mode most of the time. But two people need to have their own chargers.

While I agree w/ everyone that the price is too high - either add in the charger at that price or drop the price another 3,000 yen - Nintnedo is offering this as a personalized "build it yourself bundle" and that is going to cost more. They are letting you hand pick 4 different color options which probably has to be done by hand, then boxed and shipped by hand. They don't get the quantity savings of scale doing it this way that they would from simply boxing and bundling tens of thousands of these.

So while I think it's still a bit too expensive, you aren't just paying for the parts in a box, you are paying for your choice of 4 different pieces. Made to order is always going to cost more than handpicking the individual pieces. You are losing the bundle discount. It would probably be at least 1,000 yen cheaper if Ntineod just had a predetermined bundle w/o the color choice.

That said, it's still too much, but people in Japan may be willing to pay it for their choice of colors to individualize their own personal Switch. They're paying for the personalization. If this comes west as a packaged bundle it will be cheaper or have the charger included.

And Joycon straps should be just be black, do people really care what color those are? We never use them, not worth the hassle putting them on. But I guess if they care in Japan they'll be willing to pay the price.

This is not a cheaper Switch its a second switch

I really like the idea of this set but not the price, I've seen you can't buy standalone docks anywhere in the U.K so good job I picked one up. If a cheaper Switch came here I would buy it but I think it should be £200.00 or less.

@rjejr ah but you see, this isn't for people who already own a switch at all. The pricing is indicative of this as well. What Nintendo is truly going after here is the audience of folks that exclusively want a switch as a portable device only.

It's just that, by flat out saying this is a" switch minus the dock for you portable lovers" (effectively throwing their entire initial campaign to the wind) they spin the PR as it being a second switch. Please, we see through that like windex-ed windows.

But, what's most amazing here is the fact that Nintendo will go to these sorts of lengths after identifying how the market has dictated their switch use (heavy on the portable play, light on the docked play) but still will not budge on the D-Pad for the left joycon even though the market has more than dictated how they are choosing to play (heavy on the portable mode, light on the 2 player joy con mode). Just give the people a d-pad already, Nintendo.

@Rika_Yoshitake The current overlords at Nintendo are smart, but you can see how greedy the company has gotten lately. I know it's a business, but they do no small favor to the consumer whatsoever.

Meh, we just bought a complete second Switch for our household. Two tvs means we make use of the second dock. But this is great for households who don't need multiple consoles connected to tvs at the same time.

I have to agree with and echo the concerns of those above about the pricing of this set. They've already said the dock itself...alone...sells for $90 here in the US. And the AC adapter is $25-$30 or somewhere in that range. HDMI cables are fairly cheap nowadays. The price on this "2nd Switch Set" wouldn't be considered so bad...except we already know how much the things they are leaving out cost...and it makes the discount look minuscule. Dropping the price to $200 for the set would have been much better, and still not covered the difference in the extra items, so Nintendo would still be making extra money. The pricing on this just makes the company look greedy, which I've never quite pictured Nintendo (of all the gaming companies out there) as being.

Mix and matching the joycons and straps is actually pretty great. I guess having no charging cable might help nudge those without a Switch in their house to buy the full package. Usb-c cords aren't terribly hard to come by or anything, but like every comment above me has echoed...
Nintendo, y u no let switch turn on?

@rjejr I find it amazing that Japan of all places loves paying for custom color style on things. The land of everyone-wears-the-same-suit, and everything is in white, and only white. Quite a place of contradictions.

Still, I'm amused at people mocking this, while there's this:

Those things average around $90. A normal controller in one color is $50. The Elite with swappable parts, trigger locks, and 4 extra buttons is $150. This is the $50 controller in a color picked shell. Nintendo's a bargain.

@gatorboi352 The text in the ad very specifically says (more or less) "second machine set."　２台セット。 Whatever the implied intent may be, the explicitly stated text in the ad is for a second switch. (目用 seems like an odd marketing-speak grammar point to roughly mean "for second players" but doesn't actually mean that. More literally it means second machine set for looking at....I imagine colloquially it sounds perfectly marketing-enhanced. I'm thinking MHXX here.)

It's not really out of line to sell it that way considering they're not charging much less, meaning it's not a "budget switch for portable only users", and they already stated their intent to have multiple switches per house like 3DS. Considering very few Japanese households would have more than one TV, there's no value in buying a second dock for the house in Japan, and the Japanese surely don't need clutter or waste on an island. They'll pay more to get less, if that's all they need. I don't expect to see this in NoA. Not until they decide to actually sell a handheld kit for a price point that makes it a budget entry.

As for D-Pads, heck I went out of my way to buy Razer controllers for my PS4 and X1. $150 Razer controllers. Know what they have? 4 separate D-pad buttons. (Ok, the Wolverine Ultimate has a flat Dpad you can use too, but it sucks next to the separated buttons.

@gatorboi352 "What Nintendo is truly going after here is the audience of folks that exclusively want a switch as a portable device only."

I could buy that if it had a charger. By not including a charger, and by building the Switch with USB-C that doens't like to work with other USB-C devices, and by issuing a warning saying - "If you use your Switch with a charger not ours your Switch will die" - then by releasing this Switch w/o a charger they really are saying - "Only buy this Switch if you already own one, b/c if you try to use it w/ any other charger or dock you are going to brick it."

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/03/nintendo_comments_on_third-party_docks_bricking_switch_systems

So as much as I think they will market a portable for kids, this isn't it. You don't put out a device w/o a charger after making this PSA -

Nintendo has now passed official comment on the situation, saying:

Nintendo (recommends) that Switch owners only buy officially licensed Switch products . . . Unlicensed products and accessories do not undergo Nintendo’s testing and evaluation process. They might not work at all with our game systems, and they could have compatibility problems with certain games, the Nintendo Switch system itself, and other licensed accessories and peripherals.

The portable will come. And it will come with a charger. And in a box at stores, not on a website.

Nintendo wants the Switch to be a one system per person console. This is how they’ll get to that.

This is a good move.

@rjejr Well 3DSs haven't come with chargers for ages, and in Europe, never did, so I wouldn't expect a Switch Handheld to have a charger either. Still, I agree, this isn't it.

That said it's perfectly compatible with other USB-C devices. It's not compatible with a wide variety of USB-A to USB-C devices due to insufficient voltage in many USB-A solutions. Electronics don't like brownouts...go figure. Should work with anything that actually meets USB-C spec (which sadly isn't all of the cheap Chinese junk on the market.)

The Nyko docks and such are a different story. Nintendo's video interface is proprietary, probably soft-DRMed....Nyko and friends are trying to break the lockout to operate as a dock to display video. Not the same as a charger, it's trying to interface with the I/O via reverse engineered specs. It's kind of the Tengen carts all over again. Real USB-C chargers are fine. Heck, Japan would be screwed if that didn't work.

That's a cool way to get a second switch for cheaper. I wish we could customize our joycons in the west though.... I still need to import the splatoon set.

@NEStalgia Yeah I was thinking about the price on the custom Xbox controller when I wrote that, but considering how people here feel about Sony consoles I really didn't feel like bringing up the Xbox.

And Japan may be the land of conformity, but isn't that only the over 30 crowd? Didn't they pretty much invent colored hair and tattoos? Ever see 1999's "Gen X Cops"? Hong Kong flicks were all the rage back then.

And besides, Nintnedo made the New 3DS faceplates pretty much ONLY for Japan. I don't think they ever even released in the US, we barely got the New 3DS at all. This is just the next step in milking their "gotta catch'em all" fanbase.

@sword_9mm @electrolite77 Be careful what you plug into your Swiitch, you are playing Russian roulette with it because Nintendo didn't follow USB spec properly. And no, Anker and Apple aren't "cheap Chinese crap" but can cause bricking.

See the linked articles from the bottom of this post https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/03/could_switchs_non-compliant_usb-c_spec_be_to_blame_for_third-party_docks_bricking_consoles

And the issue got worse with a firmware update, not better: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/03/nintendo_comments_on_third-party_docks_bricking_switch_systems

There's already 2 Switches in my house: the one I got on launch day and the one my brother got for Christmas. 😆 I'm glad we each have our own separate docks, but we don't really need them to be honest.

The choice to cut out the charger is a little baffling. So is the Joy-Con Grip, as I find myself playing my games mostly in tabletop mode with either (one of) my Joy-Con Grip(s) or my Pro Controller.

@NEStalgia "Real USB-C chargers are fine."

Well that's great, if it's easy to determine which chargers are "real" and which aren't. And w/ Nitneod using it's scare tactics I think they want people to buy a full Switch bundle first and this 2nd.

And the difference between 3DS not shipping w/ a charger and Switch not shipping w/ a charger is that 3DS had a proprietary charger, you either had a 3DS charger or you didn't. Nintneod making Switch have a USB-C port muddies the waters. Lot's of USB-C to USB-A cables are out there, nto sure how many of those work. If Nintendo wanted people to buy this as their first Switch it would come with an official charger. Or at least be prepackaged on store shelves.

I bought a GoPro USB-C charger to charge our Switch but I can't find it. Found the box, but not the charger. The USB-C to USB-C cable was only 6" anyway, so it's not like we could charge it while using it. Will have to figure out a way this summer outside building and playing with Labo, I'm not moving or disassembling the dock.

No AC adaptor? I get not wanting two Docks but having two chargers is something I would definitely want

@rjejr Honestly any decent USB-C cords will work. The problem is that people tend to buy the cheap crap, which can ruin the devices. This is also true for other chargers as well.

Also, if you have a pro controller, the USB-C can be used to charge the Switch.

@kepsux The problems causing bricking are DOCKS, not chargers (assuming a proper USB-C charger. USB-A to USB-C is another matter and shouldn't be done usually.) The USB-C power structure in Switch is fine. It's the video/lockout that's proprietary/non-standard and trying to circumvent that (the dock must tell the switch it's in docked mode, and that it left docked mode) that it gets problematic.) Switch draws more power when it's in docked mode, and some of those docks are not handling that well. The cooling MUST be vertical, as well. Not tilted, not sideways, but vertical.

The dock issue and the charger issue are two separate things. Portable switch can charge on any USB-C compliant charger. Video out: Nintendo or nothing.

@rjejr Well, don't confuse Nintendo with NoA. Reggie and friends idiot-proof things "no unofficial chargers." Flash to Japan. Every train, bus, park, mall, and office plaza has rows of USB charging stations to charge your beleaguered battery powered devices. You can bet they intended Switch to be USB-C charged by any charger. Just not for idiot Americans.

"Real" USB-C generally means not USB-A with an adapter. Sure there's cut-rate junk out there but they'll fry anything, not just Switch. A adapters CAN work but really shouldn't, it's a different spec (that's not Nintendo's fault that's the USB Consortium USB-A to USB-C for power when USB-C can be speced to so high a demand was always dumb.) But if Switch works with USB-C from beginning to end of chain, that's normal enough USB-C spec.

Switch sometimes gets wonky recognizing a charger is plugged in at all, but it works quite nicely off my battery banks (all USB-C.) I've probably spent more hours on the battery than off it.

OT: Seriously, I rather they re-design the joy-con. The - button is too close to the left stick and probably make the joy-con like the New3DS where we can just buy the faceplate and swap it.

I do like the idea of choosing your joycon colors which could save you significant amounts of money if you want a very specific set that's either expensive or in a different layout. The whole cost is a bit high though

@rjejr "I could buy that if it had a charger. By not including a charger"

3DS says hello lol

Plus, it's just a USB-C, nothing proprietary.

@NEStalgia I hope you are right about 3rd party charging solutions being OK, there was so much misinformation about it a while back I just stopped using my Anker power bank out of fear it'd kill my Swiitch post the 5.0 update. Looks like the smoke has cleared a bit on the panic, I'll prob give it a go again.

Btw, Japan isn't covered in USB charging points everywhere, lol. I've lived there for nearly 8 years, while you do see USB charging points in coffee shops and sometimes at McDonalds/etc, you do not see them on trains basically ever and they are on long distance buses, but maybe like 20% of the time. Local buses never have them.

"Blah blah blah price blah blah not for me blah blah boo hoo"

Yeah, it's NOT FOR YOU people. This makes perfect sense for Japan. Since they most likely only use their docks for charging in between on-the-go gaming sessions, selling a 2nd Switch without a charger is OK. Hell, it's not like they haven't done this before with the 3DS.

This probably wouldn't fly outside of Japan, though.

I seem to remember that the dock accounted for about $90 of the total cost of the switch. I love the idea of cutting cost from removing the dock, but it needs to be more than $50 cheaper based on that fact. When (or if) it reaches the Americas and Europe i hope its more of a deal, especially with a new Pokemon on the horizon.

@kepsux

i don't use docks. i use a-c cable with an hp touchpad wall wart.

the usb c spec is trash right now. no N is not absolved but the whole thing is a broken mess imo.

i think they tried to stuff too many things into C and are having a hard time keeping it all in line.

either way it's been fine for me.

@TheLZdragon "if you have a pro controller"

We have a faux Pro licensed controller that's wired, so that isn't going to helpful charging anything. It was $20 and works for the odd game of multiplayer so it was worth it.

I've charged our Switch on several chargers but I've done so less since Nintneod made that announcement. I don't think I've charged it any way but the official dock since Christmas, we mostly play on the TV or maybe an hour in handheld while someone else is on the TV. That will change if we get a real Pokemon game though, my kids will be all over that. And Labo outside this summer, that's going to be a problem.

@sword_9mm What worries me is Nintendo can just decide to brick units that don't use equipment they want it to use through software updates, and they straight up did it with the 5.0 push and the sudden flood of bricked systems from unofficial docks. What's to say they won't pull the same thing with 3rd party chargers or power banks?

Basically, when it boils down to it, this announced swiitch should come with a charger, especially for the price.

@kepsux I haven't used mine much since the last update, but the two times I have used it it was fine as always (all USB-C though.) It was having trouble recognizing I'd connected the charger at first (had to power on with the charger on a few times etc) but that's happened now and then before. The patch did do weird things, namely in the dock Switch stays warm and my USB ethernet adapter always stays linked on the hub/switch. Before the Feb patch it did not do that.

Hmm, interesting about chargers, what area are you in? Anyone I've spoken with I have to gently explain that here in the US we don't have chargers everywhere.... they seemed to not comprehend that concept.

I don't think Nintendo was bricking things they didn't want used so much as they changed something major about power states in that patch (as evidenced by the now always-warm, always ethernet connected switch versus the always cool, always ethernet goes to sleep difference) and it strained whatever hacks those reverse-engineered docks were using to tell Switch it's docked. Chargers don't tell switch it's docked. They just tell it its charging. Docked involves the dock saying "ok, you're docked, go into high power mode, spin up the fan, and deactivate the screen, also, charge yourself at max draw." That's not a standard interface. Docks have to reverse engineer it and fake it. I'm guessing when the patch made major changes to power states in docked mode, it was based on what they knew their dock was doing and when.....and the reverse hacks totally didn't behave as expected.

I don't think we've seen any such issues with pure chargers other than the USB-A ones without the resistor undervolting the thing.

@electrolite77 USB-A to C CAN be fine, but it needs research, needs to be certain to have the resistor, etc, etc. It works. If it's the right gear and you research it. Too many implementations can under-volt it. Any USB-C should be fine (unless it's faulty) but even good USB-A needs some research which makes it hard to recommend as "safe" when it needs an asterisk next to it But yeah, if you meet the asterisks requirements it really is safe.

First off, I don't use the portability, and second, their "online" model hasn't garnered good feels about bothering to own a second system, so an extra without the dock has little influence on me.

As an option on the market, I'd like it if it had a charging cable thrown in. It costs way too much for lacking a piece they want $90 for. The color options are cute, but not worth that much. Also, I don't know if they rigged the thing to brick up for being connected to unofficial cables or specifically docks, but we already know they could do it if the mood strikes.

When Nintendo arranges these things like this, half the time I feel like they're just lazy and pay zero attention to their customers, and the other half I feel they want you to think they (a market leader) are a mom and pop doing the best they can. I don't know which is more insulting.

@NEStalgia I live in Tokyo, but I travel very often inside of the country. Everyone is carrying small powerbanks, you see them constanly on transportation because there is no jack nearby under most circumstances.

@kepsux

yeah i get that. not sure if N did whatever on purpose but it's pretty dumb in general.

@kepsux That's interesting. It makes me wonder if people were just messing with me

Wow, this is disappointing. Hopefully when something like this finally comes West, Nintendo actually prices this package at a fair price. My family is in the market for a 3rd Switch. We already own 2 docks so this would make sense. However, it seems like a rip off! I'm thinking they should at least take off $100, if not more.

For the most part, I can see something like this working in Japan. They don't want the extra clutter and probably play mostly in mobile mode anyways.

The weird thing though is that the charger isn't there. This is the one aspect that I feel "could" work outside of Japan but seems really odd to do in Japan. Any standard USB-C charger works on the Switch (I've been mostly using my Pixel charger with no issues). Japan has the most evenly split market share for iOS and Android. Seeing as how iOS devices don't use USB-C and not all of the 50% Android users in Japan will have an USB-C compatible device it definitely seems like a weird decision. It's not like China where >80% of mobile users use Android, where there are plenty of high end options for fairly cheap.

@rjejr Joycon strap colours are very important...

I fully expect this Switch configuration this to be available at retail globally within the next 18 months. Call it the "Switch Basic" or something like that.

This would fullfill Nintendo's vision of making the Switch a "per-person" device rather than a "per-household" device like it is right now.

I just want to be able to fully customize joy cons color. Or give me black (or white) joy cons, Nintendo...

Lol they call that 'customizable'? How laughable.

Now that there is a handheld-only Switch, will we finally see a proper home console as well?

I wish that customizing the Joy-Cons was an option everywhere.

Interesting--not sure if this will ultimately turn out to be a good or bad thing for the overall perception of the Switch as this dual-purpose console (something people seem to love about it)--but the price does seem to be a bit high considering the stuff you don't get.

This makes sense for Japan than any other market since the Japanese love their handheld and with Switch they treat it more as a handheld than a console. I don't think Nintendo would do the same for other market but would be nice too.

@shani
The normal Switch is a home console (and a handheld)

@westman98 Nope it's a tablet with a dock.

@shani
The Switch can connect to a TV, and when connected to a TV, it is played with a controller. Thus, it is a home console when docked.
The Switch is not a dedicated home console like the PS4 and XBO, as it is also a handheld and tabletop device.

@gatorboi352
"...Nintendo will go to these sorts of lengths after identifying how the market has dictated their switch use (heavy on the portable play, light on the docked play)..."

https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2017/171031_2e.pdf

According to the 4th picture on the 8th page, 20% of users play docked only, 30% of users play undocked only, and the remaining 50% of users play in both modes. So in other words, 80% of users regularly play undocked, and 70% of users regularly docked.

The "barely anyone uses the Switch in docked mode" mantra is greatly exaggerated.

Rip off - no AC Adaptor is insane - basically asking people to brick their Switch by having them not automatically have the right kind of charger. Nintendo is getting cocky and overconfident again due to their great sales last year and into this one. If the bricking thing wasn't an issue then this would be fine, but you at least need a USB-C cord that has that 56K Ohm resistor in it, since the Switch USB-C connector port isn't industry standardized and can get overcharged.

@shani @westman98 It's a portable that also has a lite "console" mode - like playing an iphone game thru airplay on your TV.

@AlexOlney I think the New Nintendo 3DS XL and 2DS version didn't release a charger, in box, in Japan.

so you pay $50,- less, but have to pay $99,- for the dock?

ok.

the price if the switch is way to expensive, i know 3 people that played at my house, that realy liked the switch. but the price holds them of.
people rather go for ps4, or xbox one.

there should be a pricedrop to 239,-.
310,- without a game is ridiculious.
its normal that any company drops the price after one year.

i bet the cost to produce the switch is arround 115,- they already made huge profit, to cover all cost.

Why do some (many) people refuse to use the Switch on the TV? Are they trying to prove something or is it such a hassle, to put the Switch in the dock? 🤔

We're getting closer to console makers offering customized packages of their consoles; just go to their website, check the boxes for what you want, & there ya go!

This will be a way lots of Switch sellers have of selling customized systems, pick your controller color, etc. Just watch eBay, and Amazon... People will be selling this with a charger, to make a profit.

Great idea but too pricey. I was hoping for a dockless package but also hoping it would be $100 cheaper. The charging cable is like the new smartphone cable. I only realized that when I noticed the Nintendo logo on the cable charging my wife’s phone 😂.

@Dang69 That's not a console mode but simply a TV-out, something that has been around for smartphones, tablets etc. for a very long time.

For it to be a distinct mode, the UI and/or core functionality would have to change while that mode is active (like Big Picture Mode in Steam, for example). But it doesn't, the display content is simply transferred to a TV (or monitor).

@westman98 By that logic, any modern smartphone, tablet, Laptop, Desktop PC is a console, because all of them can be connected to a TV and a controller. Which would render the word 'console' meaningless (because it would mean the same as 'computer').

@Dang69
Why is it a "lite" console mode and what makes it a "lite" console mode?

Good idea, bad price. Maybe they will get it right in the future with the next console revision.

@shani Except the machine runs at a higher clock with a faster cooling speed when docked. What else do you want from a "console mode", a complete eGPU? They already make that console. It's called Surface Book Pro with a dedicated GPU option. It starts at $1800.

$250 is still too much to make me be interested, bring that pricepoint down to $199 with charger included and I will be tempted. Heck, give me to two ugliest joycons that work. I will just buy their portable dock for charging/HDMI hookup (if it is an option on it).

@shani
Many Switch games alter their resolutions and framerates when docked vs undocked due to an increased clock speed in docked mode. All developers must account for docked and undocked modes when developing Switch software. That's what distinguishes the Switch from, say, a phone or tablet connected to a TV-out.

This home console vs handheld/mobile vs computer classification thing is pretty dumb to begin with. The Switch intends to be all 3 of those things; Nintendo is not going to sideline the Switch as a handheld-only device and release some separate PS4/XBO-console to directly compete against Sony and Microsoft.

It's a good idea to sell a version without the dock, but why would an electronic device not come with an adapter to charge it with, something you absolutely must have?

Just push the customization further. Let the customer decide how many components they need or want. I admit for me it would be neat to have a second Switch--I intend to get one when MHGU comes out for my son, and I wouldn't need a second dock, but he might want to charge his system without having to rely on or dismantle my dock to do so. $225 with no dock or HDMI cable sounds about right, but skipping the charger just makes no sense.

@mrblacky being married with children and being able to play console type games in handheld mode is a godsend.

@shani I was trying to playful with how I was responding, but yes you are ultimately totally correct on how you are defining that

I'd rather have a cheaper dock than a cheaper Switch.

@MrBlacky because Switch as a "lite" console experience is like having a nice arugula salad with lemon-parmesan for lunch, versus PSXBOX(PC?) being a huge triple smoked bacon and gouda bar burger with handcut seasoned crispy potato wedges and choice of coleslaw or cottage cheese and pint of lager. Just very airy, but not bad, and actually (personally) preferred in most cases, since I'm more likely to want that most days - don't usually have the energy for big burger lager meals during the week - kind of a weekend thing.

@kurt3s
This I can totally understand, but with some people it feels like they donˋt want to use the Switch docked just because.

@Dang69
This doesnˋt make sense at all. 🤨

@1UP_MARIO this is getting pretty good lol

I would've expected more of a discount. A fair price for a dockless Switch would be $200-$225.

@NEStalgia what's wrong with having some choices?

@NEStalgia So here's a nice coincidence for me, my son is getting an Acer Chromebook Spin 11 from his school tomorrow, and a charger, which is USB-C, so we'll just use that to charge the Switch. ☺

@westman98 regardless, I still believe that if Nintendo sold this dockless switch worldwide it would still sell extremely well.

@MrBlacky I don’t understand what’s so difficult to understand. You can be anywhere or with anyone in handheld, don’t have to be isolated in one place. Or hog the TV just for gameplaying. You can even watch TV while game playing, unless it’s something on TV you’re really interested in. It’s like saying why would anyone want to read a book on a portable tablet when you can read your books on a much bigger computer monitor that’s tied to one place in the house.

No charger sounds like a real issue and a deal breaker, I was gonna say how this didn't sound bad until I read that. The included joycon grip is pretty bad as it doesn't allow you to charge, and an HDMI cable isn't a big deal, so for someone who would just want it as a portable knocking $50 off wouldn't sound bad, but it needs a charger.

Honestly this "deal" is pretty meh, they'd have better luck selling a "home console" package. Take out the joycons, throw in the dock, hdmi, charging adapter, and a pro controller, knock $50 off, and bam, console competitor.

If your "saving" £35 without the dock, why does buying the dock separately cost £69.99? Disgusting

This is atrocious.

I am willing to pay $170- or even $180 if they don't come with a charger, but no more than that. I have Tablet, PC, PS4, vita, 3ds (don't play xbox1, but I do have the X360 if my lil girl or I want to play old games) and a switch. Don't need more than 2 unless the price is right.

I don't think I'll need any because I don't even use the strap ons and I have enough joy-cons for my system but they look good though

@rjejr Yep, we got a second one. It's a bit of a problem because the main reason is to play those multiplayer games like Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart yet it's very hard to stomach buying a second copy. Something has to give, and right now we have a lot of entertainment options, so it isn't the wallet. (The second Switch is turning out to be nice for using with Labo! Go figure!)

Drop the price to 250$, then i'm sold. Lets see if we will have an autumn 2018 price drop.

@aaronsullivan "The second Switch is turning out to be nice for using with Labo! Go figure!)"

So you bought a "Switch: Labo Edition" before Nitneod released it.

Did I tell you we bought Labo? Traded in God of War, GT Sport and Uncharted: Lost Legacy for it. I'm a Sony fanboi but my kids come first. Though I suppose actually my games came first, my kids game came second.

We haven't started building it yet, waiting for finals to be over, I bought it for a summer project. I was going to mess around in the Garage but it wouldn't let me. Kind of like how I was going to do the minigames in Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival but even after playing a game it still wouldn't let me. We'll probably never touch it again, we only have 3 amiibo and the kid w/o an amiibo got cheated every turn. Stupid game design all around.

On a work related note for you, my kid brought home his Acer Chromebook Spin 11 today, every 7th grader got one and a nice Targas case. The charger is USB-C, I gotta ask Jax if he thinks it will work with Switch. Kids today not only use computers in school, the school gives each kid their own computer. Almost makes me feel good about my $8,000 yearly real estate taxes. Almost.

Needing 2 copies of each game for multiplayer is one reason why I never liked having DS and 3DS games like Pokemon with only 1 save point. 2 kids and 2 3/DS were enough, I don't want to buy 2 copies of each game on top of that. At least those games were only $30 or $40, not $60. I feel ya.

@MrBlacky okkkkk

If they get the price down to £200 (and especially if they can throw in a charger), it’s RIP 3DS for sure... and the Switch heads for Nintendo’s best selling console of all time.