Topic: Is The Switch 2 Worth It???

Random tangent. So I had my family Christmas do on the weekend, well the main one, and as is tradition at this point we played some games on the newest gaming gadget. Last year I got out the Steam Deck, this year it was the Switch 2. Notably for both the convenience of transporting and setting up a hybrid console is very nice

So after lunch was had and we were winding down I turned it on. Asked what game people wanted to play. Mario Kart World, unanimously. Passed around controllers to interested parties. Much fun was had and at the end of it people were saying they should pick up a Switch 2. And specifically at one point in one of the knockout vs races with chaotic custom items it was said that "this Mario Karts more than 8"

I think sometimes people are so siloed into specific narratives that they kinda forget that the average user is not even remotely concerned about the latest dramas. And to be clear, I'm not and have never said that all criticism is invalid. But more often than not the stuff that seems to exist only to fill the gaps in news feels pretty..... vapid

It was certainly refreshing to see a clean, unfiltered perspective on both the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World. Especially given that generally it ended up largely aligning with my own conclusions

@skywake good points…people seem to forget about having fun. Mario Kart is a blast, great to hear your family/friends enjoying it for what it is.

@Tasuki
You missed the sale of MKW bundle for $450 but, there's still a hack to get one for $409 base system or $454 for MKW bundle.

Load up on eShop credit from gcx.raise website that gives 10% back on $50 eShop cards (It's 10% of your discounted price though so it ends up being like 9.1% after first purchase). Then use that on the official Nintendo Store, bringing your cost down.

@skywake
I feel like I'm that average gamer, but just engaged. Cause almost none of the "controversies" I see people pitching fits about even registers on my "give a crap" radar. Not for Switch 2, not for Mario Kart, not for Metroid... I've been having an absolute blast thinking hey, whatever. Sucks to be you guys I guess.

And like you said, it's not that many criticisms arent valid, they just aren't something that bothers me much, if at all. I'm just in this for the fun. God help me if I spend 8 hrs a day upset and complaining over a hobby that's supposed to make me smile when I'm bored.

Also had one my colleagues ask me what Switch games were good. Walked over to their desk to suss it out, they never got a Switch and were looking at picking up a Switch 2 for them and their partner for a shared Christmas gift. Why now? They want a new console and were concerned about what RAM pricing will do next year

They were looking at Animal Crossing, for their partner, so were already getting that. I suggested they get the Switch version used and upgrade it to the Switch 2 edition rather than paying more for the Switch 2 edition. But they wanted to know what else was good and worth getting. I suggested Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition and Mario Kart World and was slightly jealous of the idea of experiencing BotW/TotK Zelda for the first time. I think he's going to have a pretty decent Christmas break.....

.... and I get the feeling there's going to be a fair amount of new Switch 2's sold this holiday period

Word is Switch 2 already crossed 15 mil. Unofficial, off the record of course. But it's looking like they're gonna hit 20m by the end of the fiscal year, which accounts for just 9 months.

Is there any actual evidence at this point suggesting Switch 2 won't match the success of the original Switch? I know that's a tall order, but every indicator is due north.

Yea, I mean, I've been saying it since launch: MK World is a fantastic game. The gameplay is way better than 8 Deluxe. I don't know what is wrong with the internet.

@OmnitronVariant
When you really get to know and work with the new mechanics (the charge jump, grinding, and wall riding), you start to see 8 Deluxe as way too limited and “linear,” if that makes sense. Going back and playing Deluxe is way simpler, which can sometimes be nice, but it also feels like you’re anchored to the road.

The more I play it, the more I see how the moniker “World” doesn’t just apply to the free roam world literally, but how they’ve opened up the possibilities in the gameplay. Shortcuts and general traversal are almost intimidatingly open to experimentation.

@OmnitronVariant
Sorry, hard disagree. From your posts, the last time you played the game was… launch?

If you played online now, you would not be winning your races, guaranteed.

The mechanics are leading this game to evolve in ways Deluxe never did.

It's too early for long term evidence either way (all we know is the first year is going super well), but the huge sales bump and added momentum Switch 1 got in 2020 might not be reproducable.

@FishyS
Mm. The covid bump. Almost 30m units sold in a single year. That's not gonna be easy to reproduce. But with the first year on track for 22-23m compared with the 17m of the original NS1, it could negate any need to.

My short answer : NO
Game key card is the reason Switch 2 doesn't look worthy to buy at the moment.

@Anti-Matter
Everyone and their mother already knows about key cards. You add nothing of value to the conversation by pointing out what everyone already knows. The small minority of physical diehards who would rather not play a game than own it digitally aren't in this forum.

This thread is for people who actually own the system to provide insight about the experience to those considering a purchase, not for activists with picket signs who want to protest against digital media being stored on a plastic SD card instead of a plastic proprietary cartridge.

@JaxonH Game key cards dont matter to me. People are just trying to make a big deal out of it. Digital purchase ate just as much yours once your purchase them as a physical copy. Its not like Nintendo is going to come and wipe your console of a digital game you bought when they stop selling it. And anyway if they did you just download it again. Not that big of a deal. Me personally 80% of my games are Digital now during this gen.

I’m ready for the game key card discourse to go away…almost everything is digital only today. I’m also 80%+ digital only…and I love the ability to switch games without the fuss…but that’s just me. At least the Switch has physical options. If the system has games that you want, I struggle to find a reason why you wouldn’t want it, regardless of the methods to play.

All opinions are important both Switch 2 owners and Switch 1 owners who are thinking about upgrading but giving reasons not to. Trying to insult people or belittle the opinions of those you disagree with is surely a sign of a fanboy and if anyone should be ignored it should be those. We need rational fair opinions based on evidence and facts. There has always been people that want to validate their purchase too. I strongly believe the Switch 2 is not worth buying yet especially at current pricing in Europe and this based on a weak hardware platform for its price point and a lot of disappointing games so far with games like Mario Kart World and Metroid 4 being good rather than great but also priced very highly plus a lot of dismal conversions like Tomb Raider, Skyrim etc. However there have been a lot of Switch 2 owners who have stated disappointment too. You cannot just rely on positive opinions of Switch 2. Like this review of the Switch 2 console on Amazon. To many Skyrim is an unplayable and unacceptable product on Switch 2.

@BonzoBanana Metroid 4 came out this year?

Anyhow, tend to agree. Opinions are opinions for a reason. People spend their money how they want, and many will find the purchase not worth it, especially these days.

@BonzoBanana
Again, you're speaking about these games like you've actually spent time with them. You haven't. You don't even own a Switch 2. It's incredibly misleading for people who may read these posts to gather hands-on opinions. @Anti-Matter is the same: he just likes to pop in from time to time to rile people up. He doesn't own a Switch 2 and has zero plans to get one, so he's just gonna do his best to be negative. He doesn't deserve defending.

I'm giving my viewpoints why I haven't upgraded and that opinion is formed by all the professional reviews I've read. To completely invalidate all those reviews as if your sole opinion is more important than all those professional reviewers is clearly utterly ridiculous. When I have stated other issues like performance and poor functionality of the Switch 2 that is factual. I always try to be fair and give all the reasons for my opinions. You don't need to play a game with 300ms of input lag to know that is an awful gaming experience. I find 90ms of input lag less than ideal.

@BonzoBanana
Call me old school, but I do believe you need to play a game to review it.

@rallydefault
Wouldn't matter if they did. People who cement their opinions beforehand are completely inelastic as a result. Even if they did play, they'd just scour the game for anything to criticize and completely ignore the fun, because justifying pre-existing beliefs takes priority over enjoying something with an open mind.