Topic: Is The Switch 2 Worth It???

Just another thought for those on the edge: Really do consider Donkey Kong Bananza, especially now that the launch lineup has run its course and the holidays are here. I think Bananza has emerged as THE game on the system (though I expect MK World to grow in 2026). But for whatever reason, I think people are just saying "meh" to it and not giving it the respect they gave Odyssey. And I was sort of one of those people even after playing through it at first.

Weirdly it's another one of those games that I played through at launch and didn't think I really loved all that much, but now that I'm playing back through it and taking my time... it's so good and pretty ingenious in its gameplay loop. When I've slowed down, I've realized how the game gives you lots of options to vary the loop at the right moments so it doesn't devolve into just smash-smash-smash like you might do if you're just going head-down to beat the game. Mine kart rides, 2D sections, barrel sections, rambi riding, etc. Doing more than the bare minimum in this one brings more variety, for sure.

It must be something with me and this particular dev team because I did the same thing with Odyssey. I played it at launch, just got the necessary moons and thought it was fine, but went back months later to get everything and found myself adoring it, mostly because you see a lot more and get a lot more gameplay variety when you expand your path.

But yea, Bananza is a special game. In my opinion, it's a system seller if you're any kind of platform or action/adventure fan. We all clamor for the awesome single-player experiences, but then we get one like this and say... it's not Mario.

You can play Switch1 games on Switch2 for boost and performance as they are patching and updating games for Switch2. Not sure what this really address besides I don't want to buy a Switch2 itself.

huh....all games regardless of platform will experience drops or lag.. This is Strawman debate...

@rallydefault,

"Just another thought for those on the edge: Really do consider Donkey Kong Bananza"

I have heard good things about Bananza. And I was considering eventually getting it for a while. But unfortunately I will have to pass because of lack of money and time (I'm still saving up for a Switch 2 itself as of right now), and not wanting to give Nintendo of America a ton of money still for... reasons. I'm most likely even skipping the next 3D Mario because of that. Right now, the only Switch 2 games I'm planning on getting throughout the Switch 2's lifespan are any mainline Pokémon games, any mainline Zelda games, the inevitable next Super Smash Bros., and Kirby Air Riders.

Though I'm not ruling out maybe buying a cheap used physical copy of Bananza 10+ years in the future, especially if the Switch 2 ends up being my last Nintendo console. And since I will just skip the DLC for it, all of the game content that my copy of the game will have will be completely on the cartridge, so I will gladly buy it physical.

@Nep-Nep-Freak
Those are certainly some long-term plans.

I would suggest being a bit more flexible, but I’m just a random person on the internet.

For what it’s worth, it’s one of the top games of all time in the genre, in my opinion.

I think had DK Bananza come out last year and gone head-to-head with Astro Bot it might’ve been in more “game of the year” discussions.

Defo one of the best 3D platformers of the generation and IMO a consideration in best 3D platformers of all time.

I’m almost tempted to rank it above Odyssey. DK just controls like a dream…although I do think Odyssey has overall better level design.

Hardware exists to sell software, it's common sense. The performance patches and backwards compatability is great but new games are going to be selling console sales. Good for you I guess? But you don't speak for everyone so I don't want the point of that statement was, this thread isn't catering to you, everyone is just sharing their thoughts on the topic.

Yeah this reply wasn't as smart as you thought it was. Ports on certain consoles are going to perform better than others and it isn't uncommon for a port to be botched.
Are you just arguing for the sake of it?

@iLikeUrAttitude
That's a perfectly normal stance many besides just you share, but personally I have a unique perspective.

Unless I genuinely question whether I will ever want to own a system, I buy day one. Reason being, I know for a fact I'm going to need one for multiple top-shelf games, be it today or tomorrow or some future day. So why wait. Unless waiting will save some significant amount of money, which is almost never the case. At best I might save an extra $50 waiting half a decade. And to me, gaining 4-5 extra years of use is worth far more than $50 to me.

So I say to myself ok, you're 100% for sure going to buy one at some point, so... what do I gain by waiting? Nothing, really. Now, what do I lose by waiting? Well, years of extra use for my money. If I wait 5 years and then buy anyways, I just lost 5 full years of fun and enjoyment for nothing. Why not get it right away and benefit from that extra 4-5 years of fun, since I'm buying it regardless anyways.

Plus there are several games already I really wanted to play (Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave, Metroid Prime 4 in 4k 60fps) and actually getting games like Zelda BotW, Zelda TotK, Zelda Link's Awakening, Zelda Echoes of Wisdom in playable 60fps frame rates with UHD resolution, not to mention my entire Switch library running without frame drops or dynamic resolution drops, like Monster Hunter Stories 2 finally running locked 1080p 60fps in hybrid format, and Trials Rising finally running without frame drops since it doesn't run at all on Steam Deck, Ni No Kuni 2 and DQ Builders 2 and Bayonetta 3 all running locked 60fps, etc.

I just figure there's no possible future where I don't end up buying this system. So why cheat myself out of years of enjoyment for nothing? Get it asap to squeeze as much bang for buck out of that purchase as possible.

I don’t have a Switch 2 yet don’t know if I will ever have one. Right now I have a OLED and I love it. So in my opinion the switch 2 is not really anything important at this time.

Valve just discontinued the cheapest model of the Steam Deck, so that puts the Switch 2 a hundred bucks below what now becomes the entry level model. Granted, it's an OLED with more storage, but the Switch 2 now enjoys a considerable price advantage over handhelds of comparable power. There are some cheaper Android-based ones that have much weaker GPUs, but that's about it.

It's only $50 more than the only cheaper mainstream home console - the Series S - after Microsoft's price rises too. All PS5 models now have higher list prices too, although Sony are more likely to offer short-term discounts.

Given the current market conditions, a price rise from Nintendo wouldn't be out of the question, of course. Still, while it might not have seemed a particularly competitive price at launch, it's looking more like it now.

@Matt_Barber
In retrospect, they played the price thing fairly well. All of these companies knew what was coming.

While a perfectly reasonable and defensible position, I would suggest a couple flipside-of-the-coins:

1. 'What do you gain from delaying a console purchase'? The big one is flexibility- you keep the money you would have spent on it in your pocket. This extra marginal cash means more options when faced with unexpected expenses both bad ( medical bills ) and good ( surprise live shows ). This isn't an infinite value ( at least if you are properly budgeting ), but it does mean you should be comparing the entertainment value of a new console vs the non-zero value of the cash.

2. 'What do you lose for delaying the purchase of a console'? Hypothetically speaking, you lose the opportunity to play whatever games said console requires. . . but. This should not be viewed as the total "value" of each such game you are forgoing. . . because unless that new console is your only source of games? You would instead be playing different games on the current platform you already own.

Basically, your fundamental logic isn't wrong, but when doing the cost-benefit analysis I recommend that people be careful to not accidentally measure vs a competing value of "zero" that isn't actually zero.

Yeah, I suspect Nintendo rightfully judged that the worst case scenario would be to release the Switch 2 at a given price, and then "suddenly" raise the price. Doesn't matter how reasonable or unavoidable or not-their-fault it might be, they'd still take it in the teeth. Better to set a retail price higher and be able to keep it steady ( or to pay for Switch 2 costs with price rises elsewhere ).

If you loved your original Switch, but wished it was beefier to handle an even larger percentage of games well, then absolutely. It exceeded my expectations in that regard, really. If you want a console for the first time, I have no idea how to answer that. Buy a gaming laptop on sale probably lol! Only tangible reason to go with Nintendo over others is if you like their first party IPs a lot and/or you often need the portability, imho. I really enjoy handheld gaming a lot and I frikkin LOVE JRPGs. I tend to play the really graphics intensive titles on my PC, which is significantly more stout. Haven't touched my PS5 in months.

No, or at least not yet. The console isn't all that different from the Switch 1 and there's simply not enough big games for it yet to differentiate its lineup enough to overlook the sameyness of the hardware. There's too few new, original entries in their biggest IPs that can serve as good system sellers. Ask me again in a year or two and maybe then I'll recommend making the jump, but right now I'd say no.

@metaphysician
I think if someone might need the money they're considering spending on a console the answer should be an automatic no.

The logic of why wait is strictly for someone who has additional money, dependable revenue or otherwise has little to no concern of whether that money might be needed.

@Bolt_Strike
While that's perfectly legitimate for yourself, weighing what games are worth it and how many there are is something strictly personal, as each individual will come to a different conclusion. And trying to persuade someone a system either does or does not have enough games which appeal to them is rather presumptuous.

So I don't think that personal view has value for someone considering whether or not to buy a Switch 2. Only they can decide if the system has enough games worth it. Some might share your opinion, but they need to form that conclusion on their own. Others might say what? Mario Kart World and DK Bonanza and Metroid Prime 4 in 4k 60fps? I'm all in! Neither you nor I can, or should, presume to decide that for them.

Two thoughts. Firstly, this endless obsession with sales and Nintendo's bottom line is nauseating. Unless you're a shareholder with a large stake sales shouldn't concern you. Not even slightly. Even during the Wii U era when things were dire the consequences I saw as an owner of that device were a rapid fall-off in third party support and a shortened console cycle. But that was the extent of it. When I was playing Mario Maker, Splatoon, Mario Kart 8 or Bayonetta 2? The number of console sales did not impact my enjoyment

And in any case, even if you were concerned about sales at this stage that concern would seem pretty delusional given the numbers. I know some people get worked up here when you throw around words like delusional in relation to this kind of stuff but seriously. No rational person would look at the sales performance of the Switch 2 to date and say it was poor. But again, as a Switch 2 owner? I really couldn't care less how many units they sell

Second thought. Yes, you buy hardware to play software. That's the only reason we buy gaming hardware. However, what is a Switch game if not software? Does it matter what arbitrary category a game fits into? I find it kinda puzzling that people find a way to turn the decent BC often with improved performance and occasional full patches or editions into a negative. It's weird. There's no negative to be had here, it's optional but it gives you additional options. Saying this is not a reason is like saying the fact that a modern GPU runs games you can already run better than your GTX 1060 is not a reason to upgrade your GPU

If people think that these games are better played on the Switch because of the better screen, scaling, more "authentic" system or whatever? If they think that the ability to play Switch software in an improved state (i.e. stability, loading, resolution, framerates) isn't worth it because they are fine with the games on the Switch as it is? Then cool. More power to them. I think it's fair to say that this alone will not be enough to tip some people over the edge into upgrading to the Switch 2. But this is the same thing that GTX 1060 owner says when they don't upgrade their GPU

I don't think you can reasonably argue that BC, Switch 2 Editions and free upgrades are not a good reason to pick up a Switch 2. They most certainly are. But it's just a line item in a list of items a person has to look at to see if there's enough to justify it. Which is a subjective and personal question. Whether or not it's worth it to a person will depend on how they weigh the benefits and costs of upgrading

@skywake
I think this point is especially true for Nintendo, whose 1st party games continue to sell for decades on end. There are still people buying a Switch 1 for Zelda Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing, Super Mario Odyssey, etc. Why wouldn't those games on Switch 2, running at higher resolutions and/or framerates, be a factor for some.

And that's not even accounting for those who want to play Zelda Tears of the Kingdom in 1440p 60fps. That's not even accounting for those who want to play Super Mario 3D World online with GameChat. That's not even accounting for those who want to play Pokemon Scarlet in 4k 60fps and not sub-HD 15fps.

Of course brand new NS2 exclusive software will be the largest factor, but BC with upgrades is a significant factor as well, probably the 2nd biggest factor actually. I'd have bought a NS2 just for the upgrades alone even if it didn't have Mario Kart World or DK Bonanza or a bullpen lineup with Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave, Splatoon Raiders and Mario Tennis Fever.

The 3rd party games are also a huge factor, because they're hybrid handheld and most offer gyro/mouse aiming when other versions do not.

@Bolt_Strike
I did say it was a subjective and personal thing as to whether the costs/benefits work out for someone enough to get one. Something you kinda ignored here

My point was only to say that the existence of optional options and improvements by definition cannot be a negative. At most you can consider it to be something of zero value. In which case it does not factor into your personal equation. But for many people, myself included, these things do have some value so do bend the equation somewhat

The second point I would make is in terms of your statement on cost. I know you personally have a hangup about games being complete on cartridge and do not consider DLC, patches or other such digital upgrades. So for you something like BotW Switch 2 Edition is an entirely new full price purchase. I would however highlight that this is an odd hill to die on and I would say most people do not share your philosophy

I've spent a grand total of $28AU so far I otherwise would have not spent on Switch 2 enhancements. BotW/TotK were part of NSO+ I was already paying for. Games like Galaxy 1/2, Arms, Odyssey, Clubhouse Games etc had patches for no cost. Other games often have the S2 Edition at the same price. The only performance patches I have paid for have been Prime 4 and Animal Crossing. And even then they were optional. I wasn't forced to pay more or again for a Switch 2 version of any of these games. And this is all ignoring the improvement in performance you see for unpatched games

You personally may not care. Sure. And that's fine. But that doesn't mean these things are not positives that some people will consider when working out whether or not the new hardware is worth it. Either as a new to the Switch ecosystem or as someone upgrading

edit: oh and the sales rant I don't really think worth a response

I saw. But you don't seem to understand the calculations from other people who do not share your opinions on graphics/performance, which is why I felt the need to explain it.

When those options have a price tag associated, yes they can. Zero value and a non-zero cost is a net negative.

I never said this, you're either confusing me with someone else or misconstruing my point. I have no issue with games not being complete on cartridge, the issue is they're smaller add-ons that aren't as filling as a full new game. It's like being hungry for dinner and being offered a light snack instead. A snack isn't going to fill you up the same as a full meal. To put in terms of this metaphor, the issue with the Switch 2 is that there are less full entrees and more snacks and appetizers. The main events are lacking right now and the smaller things they're doing to try and hold us over don't last long so it still feels like a game drought even if nominally we have a ton of games.