Topic: Testify as to how and why the Switch is your all-time favorite platform.

Here in 2022 marks forty years of my being invested in this hobby of video games. It all began back in '82 when my mother introduced me to her Atari 2600. Over the past forty years I've owned just about every mainstream console and popular handheld. At one time or another I was a Sega-kid, an Xbot, and a Sony Pony. But ever since my first time playing Punch-Out on my friend's NES back in '86 I think I've been entrenched in the Nintendo fandom for a majority of those years.

The only exception were the Wii years. I never did care for waggle controls and so I missed out on quite a few gems from having not owned that platform. By contrast, Nintendo's return to the core audience with the Wii U was win for me personally, but almost certainly a failure in the eyes of many others. Which I suppose makes the Switch's dominance these past few years in the console market doubly sweet.

Firstly, the Switch's portability is the console's greatest aspect. For me, at this point in my life I take a great amount of pleasure from laying in bed and playing the Switch for an hour two before I nod off for the evening. Secondly, to me it feels as though the Switch platform is the last time Nintendo will offer physical media for their games. Every day we creep closer towards that all-digital future.

Anywho, prior to owning a Switch I would've said SNES > PS1 > Neo Geo were my top three all-time favorite platforms. The Switch has kicked the Neo Geo out of my top three and has firmly planted itself as my all-time favorite platform. It isn't the first platform to offer console-gaming on the go (the Turbo Express and Sega Nomad delivered the concept first), but the Switch is a better amalgamation of the idea. And I think we as Nintendo fans need to give the Wii U just a tad more respect.

The Wii U was basically the Switch's alpha phase. It's difficult to believe the NX was originally going to be a Wii U / 3DS hybrid until Nvidia presented the Tegra X1 to Nintendo. Right place...right time. 100m Switches later and Nintendo remains the third pillar in a keiretsu between Sony and MS. And a healthy, competitive Nintendo (and MS) can only spell good things for us the gamers.

@Blackrosewaifu9000

Yes, YES. Preach!

I think that the interface is incredibly streamlined, especially compared to other Nintendo consoles. However, I still wish there was some music to go along with it.

It resurrected a lot of fantastic titles from the Wii U that deserved a second shot.

I don't use handheld mode a ton, but it is extremely convenient and easy to use.

The third-party support is incredible, especially from the indie side of things.

Includes a ton of masterpieces like BOTW, Odyssey, Splatoon 2, and so much more

I think it may still be a bit too early for me to say whether or not it's my favourite of ALL time but I do quite like this thing and would like to give my reasons as to why.

Some fitting music to set the mood:

1. It's very slick in it's presentation and navigation.
2. Being able to play it on the big screen AND out and about is easily one of the best console gimmicks ever, and I don't think anyone can argue with me on this.
3. It has been very good with appeasing both new and old fans, constantly introducing new games and ideas whilst also expanding on previously loved games with remakes, remasters and sequels.
4. It's the system that has introduced some of my favourite franchises to me, such as Crash Bandicoot, Ace Attorney, 2D Zelda, Streets of Rage and so, SO many more.
5. The eShop has regular great deals on lots of games I'm interested in so it's easy for me to pick out the ones I want.
6. Despite the way it's handled being somewhat messy at times (looking at you NSO), the sheer amount of retro stuff on this thing is AMAZING. It is the collection machine. Dozens of ports, arcade conversions, trilogies/duologies galore, CAPCOM IN GENERAL. It is fantastic.
7. Having immediate multiplayer with the Joy-Cons is one of the best things about the system. It gets even better when you upgrade to the Pro Controller in all of it's sumptuous glory. It even allows for multiplayer on the go because of Tabletop mode.
8. The options in the settings, whilst they could be better, are still pretty good, ESPECIALLY universal button remapping, that one's a game changer.

Yeah, I like this glorified tablet VERY MUCH.

I definitely like the Switch a lot but it has far too many issues for me to consider it my favorite console, that title goes to the 3ds which I love to death.

What keeps the switch from being my #1 is:
-The mediocre online (now which you have to pay for) the garbage virtual console isn't a good deal especially with the expansion pass
-Bad hardware (not talking its underpowered nature btw the joycons are absolute garbage that will drift, the switches cooling fan is also really bad and I have to replace mine now, bad kickstand, bad battery life, no bluetooth support, charge port on the bottom of the screen etc.)
-Lack of basic features everyone else has like universal native voice chat, party system, invites, messaging, no folders for some reason, etc.
-For being so simple design wise the Eshop for some reason is very laggy and a chore to navigate through
I have more issues but these are at the top of my head.

But what the console does do right is:
-Amazing library of games - at the end of the day this is what matters most
-User Interface is sleek and face
-Portability, though not everyone will take advantage of it which is fine
-Design of the console is clean
-No more proprietary charging ports

The switch is a great console but its really unfortunate that its not completely realizing its full potential, which honestly isn't hard to do.

Firstly I love the hybridity - I mostly play docked, but I do undock if my partner would rather watch TV that I'm not interested in. Meanwhile my offspring mostly plays undocked, as they're at the age where they like their privacy, and also can play it in the car on log journeys.
Secondly I love that we can now play Pokemon games on TV, together with a 2nd player joining in.
Thirdly I love the sheer amount of software available, not just Nintendo's current and old games, but also ports from previous generations games that I missed out on.

PS yes, the Switch is my all time favourite platform (my previous favourite was the Wii)

@Magician
I still prefer 3DS games than Switch games despite i like both of them for some reasons.
3DS has some charming from sound effects, lounge music from eshop, folders, decorating badge, beautiful retail box design and color scheme.

Here is another thing.
As i found more kiddie games on PS4, i picked more 3rd party games on PS4 version instead of Switch version as i want to build other machines games library.
I was shaped by PlayStation games during my teenhood so i still a PlayStation guy even i like Nintendo games too.
And recently i prefer the PS4 retail box than Switch retail box as for collector.

It plays games and is adaptable for any gamer. I better develop that.

I play a game, it boots up straight away, nothing is trying to tell me to buy something, or sign up to anything. It just comes on.

I can play a variety of games where some I prefer handheld, some docked. It has a touch screen, gyro etc so there are tons of ways to play.

A biggy is Nintendo's games. One thing I have always thought since the 80s is, they just make the best games. And with Switch (yeah yeah I get it, the Wii U flopped) but they have been on fire.

Imagine paying 500 quid for a console, another however many quid a 4K TV is and playing something like Crypt of the Neuromancer! Lol.

Some say the Switch is barebones. I say it's clutter free. I'm not into pop ups, achievments yadda yadda. I just like playing video games. Whilst the other two consoles try their hardest to force an 'experience' on you trying it's damndest to be a hollywood blockbuster game that's all effects and clunkyness, Nintendo still give you the experience of playing a video game. And their creativity really is on another level for that. Yeah, I wish I could articulate that better, but it is intrinsically different and that joy that got me into gaming years ago.

My fave console ever. Love it. There's much to dislike with modern gaming, but Switch does it's own thing.

@Magician nice article ( i see you have just falling in love with switch ) my favorite systems would be a zx spectrum, gameboy ,GBA, gamecube and switch. I think games on switch are totally new.

@Magician
Your gaming situation sounds remarkably similar to mine, right down to our advanced age lol I also missed the Wii days because I can't stand waggling, and I re-entered Nintendo fandom with the Wii U. I was really upset when it "failed," but I was really happy with it as a console.

Anyway, the Switch's portability and Nintendo's age-old fun games are the reasons this is NEARLY my favorite console (the SNES still takes it for me). Nintendo just gets what gaming is all about. Yea, the cinematic stuff with layered storylines and tons of world building are fun every now and then, but I've always found gameplay loops and feedback more rewarding than mature plotlines and realistic graphics (that's not to say games can't have both, of course). I just know that I'm ALWAYS going to enjoy a Nintendo game, even in a genre outside my usual favorites.

It is FAR from being my most liked Nintendo console because a ton of the first party offerings are games I already have on Wii U. That said the first and third party exclusives it does have are amazing. The fact that almost all games are pro controller compatible as well is a HUGE plus. The two gripes I have that aren't software related are the horribly shoddy Joycons that break monthly no matter how gentle you are with them and the second is the fact that a modern HD console should NEVER use an SD card for memory storage. Most people will want 1TB minimum and that will set you back hundreds of dollars.

Like others have mentioned, I do miss a lot of features from past Nintendo consoles, such as the Activity Log, the Everybody Votes/News/Weather Channels from the Wii, the lovely incorporation of Miis, the UI music, UI themes, the ability to manually back up save data etc. The lack of touch-screen support in a lot of games that would benefit tremendously from them (especially in Nintendo's own games) is also quite frustrating. They're all arguably inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but they help to make the platform feel more complete, I suppose, for wanting of a better term.

With that said though, the Switch fulfills almost everything that I have ever wanted from a console, and it was pretty apparent during the Wii U days that we were all yearning for a hybrid future. While I rarely use my Switch in docked mode, I still love that it's there and that I can take a sizeable chunk of my library and controllers for a friend's house for some relatively uncluttered multiplayer. I had also travelled interstate for work a few times in 2018, and it was great to be able to dock my Switch in my hotel room for some evening sessions.

I remember taking my Wii U controllers and games to a friend's house (another friend supplied the console) back in 2015 to play Smash Bros., and it was a pretty messy/convoluted experience, while taking the Switch from place to place is virtually painless and soes easy to set up, and if all else fails, there's always tabletop mode.

I don't think that is the case, at least not entirely. I think we will see fewer third-party titles receiving physical releases (with smaller publishers such as LRG/Super Rare etc. picking up the slack), especially for late ports and/or re-releases of games from generations gone by, but there is clearly demand for physical copies, and I think that there always will be. Just look at Ring Fit Adventure, having sold over 12 million copies worldwide, the overwhelming majority of which are entirely physical (with a small number of mostly overseas hardware bundles that include the game as a download code).

Card readers would also cost Nintendo next to nothing to include in their hardware, as opposed to the substantially more expensive UHD Blu-ray players included in rival hardware, so it would not benefit Nintendo to alienate a good chunk of their audience by going all digital, especially when the Switch benefits most from physical releases (that, if supplied entirely on cartridge, will not require installation or downloads to play). While far too many games do have software updates nowadays, Nintendo have also had the foresight to allow wireless sharing of update data, which should aid in long-term preservation (another advantage of the Switch over rival platforms).

@TowaHerschel7
I think joycons breaking monthly is an exaggeration. It's been 5 years and none of mine have ever broken. That's not to say there isn't a proclivity to drift, because there is- my brother had not one but two joycon with issues (he got 4 years of use out of them before it happened though, which is pretty good), but there's an equal proclivity to drift on Dualsense controllers, Xbox controllers and Power A controllers which all use Alps analogs. Not that that makes it OK, but the difference is, those are using a known shoddy product while joycon are simply limited by technology, as the clickable analog housings have to be a certain size to fit, and they just aren't as resilient over time due to their smaller, more fragile size. They have been iterated upon though- the analogs are on their 3rd revision per listings on AliExpress. And judging by the low rate of reported issues on Switch Lite, which is when the 2nd revision was released, it seems the issue isn't nearly as prevalent as it was in joycon released in the first couple years. And, at least there's free repairs beyond warranty, which is not the case for all the plagued Alps analog controllers.

As for the micro SD, there's no other viable option for a portable system. All handhelds use them, and its the cheapest way to expand portable storage that exists. It's why SteamDeck is using microSD as well. I have a 1TB, and they're only $109 on Amazon just the other day- far from "hundreds of dollars". Bout the same as buying a mechanical HDD for PS4/X1 last gen. Certainly less than buying a $200-400 NVMe expansion for PS5/XSX. And most people get by with much smaller sizes anyways. I think I'm one of the few on this site with a 1TB card.

@iLikeUrAttitude - "Bad hardware (not talking its underpowered nature btw the joycons are absolute garbage that will drift, the switches cooling fan is also really bad and I have to replace mine now, bad kickstand, bad battery life, no bluetooth support, charge port on the bottom of the screen etc.)"

To be fair, most of these should have an asterisk added:
Joy-Cons aren't that liable to drift now, at least, from my experience anyways: The first set I got did, but every other set I've received since (around 3-4) have not, so I'm not sure how common this actually is.
The Fan on the launch model wasn't great, sure, but from what I've experienced with a revision model, and now an OLED model, that problem seems to have been mitigated.
The Kickstand is bad, but only for the regular version: OLED switches have a much improved kickstand that is actually able to work on it's own.
Battery life was also improved with the revision model.
Bluetooth support for wireless headphones was added, and is now a feature (you don't even need an adapter, which isn't something I can say for the PS5 atm).
Charge port being on the bottom hasn't changed, sure, but I'm not sure how this is a problem? (I mean, the primary charging method is through the dock, so in most cases it probably won't even be thought of, let alone a hinderance)

As for the topic question, as others have said, the best part of the Switch is obviously it's ability to play a wide-range of console games on the go. It's portability, combined with it's large library, mean that no matter where you are, you have access to a an absolute gluttony of quality titles, across a variety of different genres, including arguably some of the best new titles Nintendo has produced in some time.

That said, there are a couple of niggling things that I feel hold it back from being my absolute favourite system. Firstly, compared to the 3DS and Wii U, the Switch feels somewhat lacking in character and charm. Things like themes, and the 3DS's badges/stickers are lacking, without any sort of replacement, and the eshop feels remarkably drab compared to it's two predecessors.
The other thing is it's even more lackluster rollout schedule for legacy titles. The Wii U wasn't exactly great in this regard (and the 3DS was even worse), but it at least had a decent library towards the end of its life (to the point where it effectively lives on as a VC machine). The Switch, on the other hand, hasn't even come close to matching that, let alone surpassing it, and while a chip shortage might lead to the Switch successor being delayed somewhat, it's unlikely the Switch will continue beyond 2023, and at the rate they're rolling out legacy titles, it's looking like the Switch will end up looking noticeably worse than the Wii U did in this regard.

@Magician The switch doesn't need to be perfect for me, As much as I would want, more, polished features, Tell me this,

Can I take my ps4 in the car? can I take it in another room? Can I just turn on my ps4 whenever and wherever I feel like it and just get into a game? can I have tv on next to me wile I train for a boss?

No, but the switch can do all those things and more, thats why I always double dip on games with the switch, because I can just carry my switch everywhere, and whenever i'm in a mood for something, I just, Hop on my switch and play,

And yes it doesn't have folders, and yes not all the ports on the best, but Its still such a fun and different time compared to my ps4.

It will be difficult to beat the GameCube for me, but if the Switch also gets GameCube game service then I think Switch will be the best console.

Ever since I had a GameBoy Player for my GameCube I loved the ability to play games on both: the big and the small screen. Seemlessly with the same save file aswell. I loved my WiiU for the Off-TV play option and the Switch basically offers that but even in an even better way. There are so many games I have beaten due being able to continue playing in handheld mode that I am pretty sure I wouldn't have finished otherwise. Whenever I am thinking about playing a JRPG, the Switch is my go to platform since these games usually feature boring sections down the road that are a perfect fit to be played in handheld mode while watching a show on TV. I also really like the JoyCons even though I mostly play with the Pro Controller. They are packed with features and they allow for some quick 2-player sessions if no other controllers are available. Though I am also one of the lucky who never experienced drift with any of my 3 pairs of JoyCon.

The portability aspect is also a huge aspect when it comes to local mutliplayer sessions. It's so easy to bring your Switch to your friends' houses for some couch multiplayer sessions, especially if your friends also have a Switch (dock).

Overall, I have a pretty good gaming PC and a PS4 Pro but ever since I got my Switch in 2018 it has been my main gaming device. The lack of stuff like folders and themes doesn't really matter much to me when the UI is so fast and snappy. I don't want to risk losing that for some fancy visuals in the home menu. I also don't mind the weaker hardware of the Switch as the convience it offers more than makes up for it to me. I don't think I want to ever go back to a non-hybrid console.

Most of this reply can be summarized with "just buy the OLED" or "I didn't experience this".
I shouldn't have to get a whole new system to mitigate these problems I have with my current one, also if I were to do that and do a system transfer I would lose my splatoon saves since and some other games that aren't supported by the cloud which is another issue.
The OLED is what the Nintendo switch should've been with the bluetooth support, battery battery life, a kickstand that isn't garbage etc.
Regarding the joycons yes they are still very much an issue and Nintendo has done nothing to solve it after almost 5 years so people had to come up with their own methods. You just got lucky and didn't get an issue, or you will later on.
And lastly for the charge port it's just a personal gripe with me since I can't charge while playing without the switch being flat on its back which isn't practical to play at all

The Switch just makes playing games easy, to the point that it can be difficult going back to other systems.

It's not just about being able to play console-scale games on the bus. it's knowing that at any time I can pick up my Switch and have my game running within seconds. It's knowing that I can easily switch between the comfort of playing a game in bed to playing on my main TV in the living room.

No other system offers an experience like it. As much as I enjoy PS5 and Xbox Series X...they're anchored to my TV, so I feel I need to be quite invested to start them up. As much as I enjoy my 3DS...sometimes I don't want to hunch over a tiny screen. As much as I enjoy gaming on my laptop...games need setting up and it isn't so easy to suspend and resume play at will. Some say Switch is the compromised experience but in many ways, to me, it's every other system that is compromised.

Add to that the library. I'm a lifelong Nintendo fan, so was always going to enjoy the library. But Switch has my all-time favourite 3D Mario in Odyssey, my favourite Fire Emblem in Three Houses, my favourite Smash Bros in Ultimate...that's not even to mention some other top-tier titles in Luigi's Mansion 3, Metroid Dread and Breath of the Wild, as well as having pretty much all of Wii U's top games and the best third party support of any Nintendo system ever. And, while the retro catalogue is perhaps weaker than Wii and Wii U, it's portable and still has the majority of the NES, SNES and N64 games worth revisiting.

This has been my favourite system for years now, and it only gets better. I'm really excited to see where Nintendo takes this concept moving forward.