Whether you're a fan of playing games on the big screen or someone who's always loved playing handheld games on the go, the Switch can be there to satisfy your every need. We're sure that you all have your own preferences when it comes to which mode you play in, but how does the Switch user community play in general?
Believe it or not, it's pretty much 50-50. Speaking to Ars Technica, Nintendo Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing Doug Bowser said that the split is "about even - about 50 percent in the dock and 50 percent away from the dock." Of course, the Switch has always been marketed as a gaming console that can do both, and with this message seemingly being confirmed by players, it's clear that Nintendo has developed a clear understanding of what fans want from the console.
It's worth noting that the undocked time Bowser refers to encompasses both handheld and tabletop modes, as Nintendo doesn't currently monitor which of the two undocked options a player uses at any given time.
He also went on to explain how this data has been collected, suggesting that the information Nintendo receives is invaluable to the company's planning and marketing.
“One of the nice things we’ve seen with the Switch is we’re able to read more telemetry data in how players are engaging with the content. We get that when they connect, if they have a Nintendo account we have the ability to understand how they’re engaging with the device... From a positioning standpoint, we can look at various titles and how they’re being played. That allows us to think about various ways with digital marketing and some of our videos to know how to position them.”
Nintendo seems to have hit the nail on the proverbial head with Switch; if this data showed that players used their console overwhelmingly one way or the other, an argument could have been made suggesting that Nintendo should have just made a dedicated platform to that particular playstyle. As it happens, fans are using the console exactly as expected, and the dual playstyle nature seems to have worked a treat.
You know what we're about to ask now - which way do you play? Docked, or portable? Let us know with a comment below.
[source arstechnica.com]
Comments 141
Both, docked 60% undocked 40% 😝
I must say that I play in both modes, however, portable is the mode that I play most.
Docked only on weekend with my daughter for a few hours through the day.
I’m actually quite surprised at this. I’ve only played docked a few times. I mainly play handheld.
I’ve been playing portable a lot nowadays because my TV’s sound quality sucks.
I'd say I'm 90% handheld, 10% docked purley for the rare occasions I play split screen. But it'll be interesting to see if it changes with more heftier titles on my to buy list (xb2, ya VIII etc.) Where as currently I pick up an play Rocket league or Fortnite.
I'd probably say 80% undocked and 20% docked for me
I'd say that I'm more 30% Portable and 70% Docked.
I just prefer to play on the TV when I can, however the portable aspect is still very useful and impressive
I'm pretty 50-50 myself. There are some games I just prefer having the pro controller for, like Splatoon.
Almost always docked
50-50
I used to play exclusively handheld, but now I often spend time at my girlfriend's house and we put the console in the dock.
And now I realize this could be read in more than one way
I play 50/50. I have with me all the time and play at commute, lunch breaks and other train/buses rides but I also play for a while each night on the TV. Whenever I can I prefer to play on the TV with pro controller (unless is a 2d platform as the d-pad on it is non functional)
I'm always docked. The screen is too small for me to play portable, only ever use it to browse the eshop and I would use it for YouTube, browsing the internet etc.... Hint hint Nintendo!
I play mostly portable. Like maybe 90% and 10% docked. Docked play happens mostly on the weekends. I use my Switch mostly in the train everyday on the ride to/from work.
WOW! A lot of people play handheld in this thread.
I have a 4K television and real nice audio system, so I tend to play docked like 95% of the time. Really, the only time I play handheld is when I go to the bathroom.
Always docked. Fortunate enough to have a good surround system.
Undocked on holiday, most weekday at lunchtime for 30 minutes, in the loo and sometimes when I'm in bed.
But nothing beats the comfort of playing with the Pro Controller on the TV with a good sound system
When i first got it, I said i would only play it at home as it was a console. That lasted 3 days, then played undocked, table top at lunch for half an hour. Since then everyday at least half an hour undocked.
@Kriandis Hope you were being sarcastic about the bathroom talk.
I only play on handheld when I’m not home on vacation. So rarely does my Switch leave its dock.
My eyes prefer the 50in TV thank you very much.
90% undocked, mainly handheld although there has been a rare table top use here or there. About 10% docked but that is because I rarely play video games when I am at my house.
100% Docked. I get the appeal, but I don't game on the go.
90% docked 11% portable 1% margin of error
I think I’m like 60% docked 40% handheld more or less.
I play handheld at work or when the mrs is watching something lame on tv when my son comes to stay it’s mostly docked
The strange thing is though since owning the switch my other consoles don’t get a look in they feel restricted to me now
I'm probably 60% undocked, 40% docked Although I prefer to play docked, nothing beats gaming on the big screen, it's just that other people are using the TV
Most of the time at home I played it docked, but there are a lot of moments where I would play when I am not home such as on the train travelling to uni or on a car journey. Or even at home... sometimes I just wonna play in bed.
It'd be neat if Nintendo included these statistics on the Switch itself. I'd love to get a approximation of my own playtime in each mode.
Anyway, I would guess I have around 60/40 handheld/docked.
Docked 10%, Portable 90%.
I generally play PC / PS4 at home. Switch is great for grabbing little bits of time here and there on the go.
@Spoony_Tech That's always my answer - I don't have my 52" tv hooked up to a 5.1 surround sound system so I can play on a 6" screen in stereo.
But I don't think this matters as much as - where is our log so we know how long we've been playing? Over a year after launch and 3DS and Wii U put the Switch to shame in that regard. Just port the 3DS one over, it's great.
My kids play a lot of handheld on Switch b/c my Wii U and PS4 is also hooked up to the tv, they have to share, I don't. 😆
I mostly play in docked mode at home, but I have a night shift job where I'm on my own with a lot of downtime, so it's great to be able to take my Switch with me to get some gaming in. The downside, of course, is the absolutely pitiful battery life. It would be nice to have some sort of charger to keep your system going while playing in handheld mode, but I'm scared to try any 3rd party solutions as I've heard they can fry your system. Leave it to Nintendo to overlook such an obvious necessity.
I would guess 70 docked, 30 undocked. I mostly play undocked when I'm watching sports on another TV in the house that's not the gaming TV, or when I got a boring appointment where I gotta sit around and wait a lot (car shops etc.)
I’m mostly handheld mode...unless I’m playing Splatoon. I like to kick back in my couch and use the tv for that game.
I'd guess I'm probably pretty close to 50/50. The versatility is just so convenient.
Mostly undocked as I'm visually impaired and can see the game closer unless it's Splatoon and then that docked
Probably 90% Undocked for me personally.
100% handheld for me, in fact i haven't even taken the dock out the box in the 12 months I've owned it !
50/50 for me. Handheld at my various jobs, Docked when at the crib.
Updated : Handheld 90%, Docked 10%
The Switch has been absolutely awesome for our fam. My kiddos want to watch cartoons on Netflix and I want to play some Paladins- no prob now. Our XB1 is our "media hub" with Netflix, Hulu, Prime and the Kinect, but the Switch has become nearly as essential now.
For me it's like 99% docked. Playing in handheld mode is fun but I like to play on the big screen whenever I can. Partly because I just enjoy it more, and partly because the Switch battery just drains too quickly for me when undocked. The moments I do play it undocked though are still plenty fun and I really am glad about the feature! It's cool to see that it's about 50/50 overall too. Everyone has their own preferenced playstyle!
Guess I play 80% docked mode.
It's really amazing how everyone goes their way, with the Switch, the only constant being that everybody loves it ˆ_ˆ
As a father of a young autistic child who tends to enjoy watching long stretches of educational programming (obsessively), as well as a girlfriend who is obsessed with watching one of the true crime networks, I overwhelmingly play the Switch as a handheld. Maybe 85-15 between time spent undocked versus docked.
I'm actually deeply in love with the Switch's innate portability feature. Barring a few games (Xenoblade 2 being a particularly notable exception to the rule), most games actually look better undocked, as the blemishes become much harder to see. Skyrim is a great example of this phenomenon: it looks, in my opinion, very impressive in handheld mode. On the TV? Not so much.
In short (tl;Dr): being able to play huge console-caliber games on a handheld has been an absolute godsend.
100% handheld
For me it was almost 100% portable because I didn't have a TV in my room. Now that I have one I'd say it's 80 dock and 20 portable.
I used to wonder what everyone was going on about with the love of undocked. But then Pokémon quest was released I now play undocked more than docked and I love it!
It depends on the game for me. I prefer playing Splatoon 2 and Xenoblade 2 on the tv with pro controller in hand. Mario + Rabbids and DO Tropical Freeze I generally play in hand held.
Docked when I get the chance. Also depends on the games
How do they get that information?
95/5 handheld
100% docked and the image on my 4k tv is brilliant too.
I wonder how much eyesight has to do with play mode preference.
Anyway, it's exclusively handheld for me as it's more comfortable on my eyes and I need to look after them. There's a non-correctable scratch on the cornea that gives double vision at certain angles. Playing on the TV is more difficult, even though it's huge with good resolution.
Was playing almost exclusively handheld until I got the Pro Contoller.
Personally the best controller I’ve ever used.
For me I'd say it's 80-20 in favor of handheld.
Probably slightly more on docked mode but that's only because of the very poor battery the switch has or i would play much more on handheld mode.
I play my competitive, multiplayer and singleplayer docked with the Pro controller, and handheld mostly if I'm out or want to relax on single player games, Minecraft, or VOEZ with touchscreen controls. So docked mostly.
I’d say undocked 75% docked 25% for me.
@Spectra Nope. Longer ago.
I use dock all the time in home as I like using the TV and use wired connection for best online connection. I used handheld mode a bit when I was on vacation a few weeks back, but I used a stand more then the 5 min of just holding my switch.
About 90% docked for me. Sometimes I want to play when others are using the TV, but I'll just do something else until I get time on it.
This is a pretty remarkable bit of forecasting and insight Nintendo had for this product design and launch... or maybe luck, but it's impressively working out for them.
Not just a portable, folks.
Docked 75% of the time. It's actually a bit uncomfortable to hold as a handheld, I find. 3ds xl was way more comfortable for me
Seems like going hybrid was the smart move judging by the percentages.
Seeing the responses here also seems to indicate most people are heavily one or the other.
For me it really depends on the game. I find that playing BotW, Odyssey and Xenoblade are nicer on the big screen though when I play indie games or MH XX it usually goes portable.
@BigBoom3ai3 Do you use the d-pad though? Had to physically modify the Pro Controller to get it any where near acceptable. Playing Celeste forced my hand on that one that and Hollow Knight would be impossible the way the d-pad shipped on my Pro Controller. Maybe you don't use the d-pad though? Or maybe you got a revision Pro Controller? I'm curious what the status is of shipping Pro Controllers now.
for me its game dependent i hate the joycons with a passion nobody will understand so i NEVER play handheld, but i play in tabletop, if i am playing any shooters i prefer to play on the tv as its easier to see further enemies, but any platformer or racing game tabletop is perfect while im watching tv i just throw it on a tray table and sit back with the pro controller. i cant play rocket league in tabletop the game just is too muddy same is oppsite though for doom cant play that on my 65" 4k tv but handheld its perfect
99.999% handheld.
And good to know they're data mining us.
Cya
Raziel-chan
Docked 95% of the time. 5% for Opus games undocked with headphones.
I play about 90% docked vs 10% undocked currently. It really depends on what I'm playing and if I'm at the house by myself or not while I'm playing. The only reason it is 10% undocked is because the past few days my wife has been watching shows I don't care for, so I play in portable so I can still spend time with her at the same time. Skyrim doesn't need all my attention to play unlike Splatoon where I'll just hole up in the game room and play on the tv.
@aaronsullivan I understand this may sound crazy, I finished Hollow Knight with the analog on the pro controller and Celeste 100% with the analog on the regular joy-con. I just got the Pro Controller for Father’s Day and I guess the D-Pad is... fine? I don’t know maybe they revised it but I can’t really say as I hardly use it.
depending on the type of game i play both docked and handheld.
but tbh i find handheld more engaging and play it more often ever since the wii u actually.
its just that more convenient to play a srpg right before your dozing off in bed.
but on the somewhat bigger games, where i trully want the colours to pop, i do find myself frequently popping it in the dock.
Am I the only one who thinks it's great that Nintendo has a marketing executive named Bowser?
Almost completely handheld. I played docked a couple times while working on Zelda because I didn’t want to stop when the battery was getting low.
Depends on the game, but I’d say 60/40 docked. Harvest moon undocked since you can play the whole thing with touch. And my nightly 20 minutes of picross is undocked, too
95% docked
In the beginning 90% docked, but now it’s almost 100% handheld for me.
I'm docking this one only for recharging purposes, 'nuff said
70% docked, 30% handheld, 0% tabletop... because tabletop sucks.
100% handheld. I've never used the dock once in the 8+ months I've had my Switch. I have a good TV with surround system, but it just does not suit my preferences or my lifestyle.
It's probably 80/20 for me, favoring docked, but that 20% of handheld time is HUGE.
I've been drifting towards more and more handheld. I'm probably at 66.6% to 33.3% in favour of portable.
I do play Splatoon 2 100% docked.
Additionally, I'm 100% portable for grinding (e.g. balloon world, Korok seeds, etc...).
Exactly 50/50 for me. That's the feature I like the most about the switch. I dont understand the people who complaint about the flexibility of the console. It's so perfect!
Probably 95% handheld for me.
Nowadays I'm leaning towards docked, but I hate playing on TVs. Instead, I play on my monitor with no input lag, a closer image, and I can play in my room with no hassle.
Handheld is still very often used though. Being able to play BotW and Xenoblade 2 wherever I want is simply magical.
Of course they have to say that.
I use it 90% of the time as a handheld, but for personal circumstances.
Anyway, I've been always convinced it's a handheld that can be played on a TV screen, not the other way around.
For me it's mostly docked with split Joy-Con, but I also use handheld mode and when I visit friends/family, we play tabletop mode too.
@WhirlyWoo
No TV? Or are you not allowed to use it? 😉
90% handheld. The only games I can handle docked are turn-based or point and click. Anything real time is next to impossible for me in docked mode
I play both ways, but lately I've been playing on the go more.
@Moroboshi876
"...it's a handheld that can be played on a TV screen, not the other way around."
It's not!😉
Other than local multiplayer sessions, I almost always play in handheld mode. For most of my adult life I've played portables more than home consoles though. I just find it easier to grab a few minutes here and there that way.
"But the Switch is just a handheld with a TV dongle?? Nobody uses the Switch docked!!"
50/50 for me.
So far I have played mostly docked, I noticed much more detail when playing on a tv.
Almost 100% handheld for me. With the excellent sleep mode it's so convenient to just pick up when I have a spare 20 minutes and get a bit of gaming in!
Completely handheld for me. It's just easier in my bedroom to pull out my Switch whenever I want and start playing immediately. Only reason I don't use TV mode at all is because I stopped watching tv years ago. And even then, when playing Splatoon 2, I prefer playing handheld even though tv mode is fine.
This seems rather suspect to me. I'm honestly hard pressed to find anyone actually plating this thing in docked mode more than 40 to 30 percent of the time. Granted around the holidays that sucker stays in the dock and my cousins played the ever loving life out of Mario kart and odyssey, but I wouldn't say the few hours I spend on it is 50 50. The amount of time I've left it turned on with whatever game I was playing in the background as I grab updates while docked is probably about that. I would be quiet curious to see how Nintendo is recording that metric. As 3rd parties are seeing different numbers skewed towards portable. Which is why you starting to see games that put more of a focus on portable mode than docked. When we get our metrics it is only when the game is not in standby mode.
The majority of my time is spent with the system docked.
It might be a different story if the Switch would reasonably fit into pants pockets, but it doesn't even with cargo jeans.
I still enjoy taking it out on the porch, and packing it with me when traveling away from home for extended periods of time.
99% docked
70% Handheld, 30% TableTop
100% handheld here... I have one dock at home and on at the office - they both sit on my desk.
I love all the random % statements with zero data when it comes to the Switch.
All handheld for me. I pretty much treat my Switch like an upgraded 3DS.
@Syntaxkita actually weirdly enough I saw another report on this data and it said that Nintendo can only read your playing data when you are connected to the internet so it’s not logging that time spend playing outside when you aren’t online. Thought it was interesting
Itd be good to be able to see your actual data, I think I'm about 60/40 in favour of docked
Hard to say as I don't have one yet, but I suspect that it'll be about 50/50 for me. I don't plan on leaving the house with it very much tbh unless I'm going on a long trip where I'm not driving.
80% docked 20% handheld ....also depends on the game im playing nothing beats playing BOTW or Odyssey on a full screen TV. ALL HAIL NINTENDO!!!!!
@MrBlacky I mean that's how I feel. I see it not as a system a part of which you can take out, but as a handheld you can put into a stand that also sends the signal to a TV.
That is if I have to analize it. Doesn't have anything to do with how I have to play it.
I thought I'd play more on handheld mode. Like I would get the switch to play lying on bed and take it when I travel and such. And at first I did enjoy the handheld mode more, mostly at home still. For me the switch is too expensive to have with me to throw on my backpack (even on a hardened pouch) and I easily get a bit nauseous if I play in a train or in a car.
And the console is just a bit too large / heavy to hold for longer periods of time. So on the sofa trough the (not so big 32") tv with a pro controller is the most comfortable way to play the switch.
@Moroboshi876
But with a handheld, I can't play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with friends on my TV. 🤔
@Agramonte
I'm pretty sure Nintendo has the data lol
The only time I play docked is when I'm taking my Switch to a party. When I'm at home, the dock just sits in a corner and I play everything handheld on the couch or curled up in bed. It's how I roll.
@westman98 and it is not included... hence "% statements with zero data" 🙄
@Agramonte
I mean, they say 50-50. It's not an precise number per say, but certainly not a "some people play docked, some people play undocked, so people do both" kind of generality.
I think the point is that the Switch is not predominantly being used docked only or undocked only. Which is good.
How does Nintendo measure this? 90% of the time im not online in handheld mode. Anyway i play 95% handheld/tabletop mode. (At work where i got more time to game then at home, at home i mostly play PC) Only when i got my nephew over i whip out the dock for some Coop / multiplayer on the 4K TV.
20 docked 80 handheld.
I loved both modes. Handheld is just so good for picking up and playing without being stuck in one place, or when the other half is watching tv.
However I do think docked mode is great for being able to appreciate the beauty of games like BOTW and Odyssey on a big screen.
The great thing is I am able to get more gaming in than I have done for a long time with both modes available. I find myself choosing the Switch over the PS4 and PC a lot of the time because it is so much more accessible and flexible, therefore fitting in with a busy lifestyle.
I play probably 75% docked and 25% handheld. The Switch isn’t exactly convenient to take on the go, since it’s bulky and needs a carrying case, but I do take it to bed with me and play as I fall asleep sometimes, plus it’s pretty great for road trips.
95% undocked
This is the beauty of the Switch. I play mine half the time away from the TV and half the time on the TV. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, it’s better because it’s both. You keep interest in the game while away from home and can really dig in when you have your big TV and pro Controller.
@NintendoFan4Lyf
So. You mean the first year was 100% "docked" is that correct?
95% undocked.
I honestly thought that I would play entirely handheld, but to my surprise, it's more like 40/60 docked/handheld. Still more handheld than not, but there is a lot of docked play. I dunno, I like my big games on the TV. That being said, I rarely actually play my Switch because the games are prohibitively expensive and sales always seem to happen when I don't have the money to spend.
Working as intended. I play both...but I cannot be bothered to worry about ratios.
I can't say my pure ratio, but a lot of my dock/undock depends on the game. Like I'll only play Splatoon 2 handheld. But Rocket League I play either way. I only play at home. If my wife wants the tv, it is handheld, if she's gone, docked. Mario Odyssey I only play docked. LA Noir I have to play handheld. For some reason, I would rather do touchscreen controls. I've tried to read most of the comments, but I'm sure there are other people like me.
2D Games undocked. 3D games docked.
@westman98 Yeah, that would be good. But If you go down the comment section - looks like Nintendo didn't check any of our usage.
Regardless, as long as people use it (and buy games) all good in my book 👍
My Switch is zip-tied to the dock 😆
Beautiful games I really try to play docked as much as possible, while games such as Golf Story are more played undocked.
Due to living circumstances I play a bit more handheld than preferred, probably 70/30 handheld vs docked.
I play 100% docked for some games (Xenoblade, Zelda, Odyssey) but then mostly handheld for other games (Sonic Mania, Snake Pass). It really depends on the game! I definitely play docked the vast majority of the time.
@MrBlacky
Have one 65" plasma TV and another OLED TV in the house and that's not counting the kids TV's but prefer lying on the couch playing it in handheld with headphones on
Never used the hdmi cable. Only use the dock to charge the battery. 100% handheld and 100% happy with it
@NotSoCryptic So, what, do you think all the people in this thread saying they play mostly docked are Nintendo bots?
I play about 75% docked and I'm at least 80% sure I'm not a bot.
@BigBoom3ai3 Honestly, I suspected you were using the analog stick. 100% Celeste is impressive!
@JasmineDragon
No. I'm thinking the data sitting in front of me at work says you're in the minority like the bots. rolls eyes
I too play both ways. But I think slightly more ofter docked. About 60/40 for me. Just cause I can't bring it to work.
There definitely are games I prefer to play docked or prefer to play portably. Splatoon 2 docked for example and Stadew Valley and Digaea 5 portable.
My switch serves as a portable for me. I've yet to dock my Switch
Both, it is probably about even. A cellar full of kids, a big cinema screen and surround sound is a winner for many games. Handheld when lounging around the rest of the house. It really doesn't matter what the balance is as the versatility in itself is unbeatable.
95% docked. Still use the 3DS for handheld gaming.
I would say that I'm docked about 95% of the time.
100% as a handheld system. I've literally never taken the dock out of the box, and I've had the system almost a year now.
Yeah yeah, never mind the docked vs undocked thing. The real story here is that the Nintendo marketing guy's name is Doug Bowser.
90% docked for me. Although I have been playibg Mario Aces more handheld lately..
Mostly handheld, unless my brother comes over and the Mario Kart or Mario tennis throwdown happens...
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