Switch: Console Review

With the Switch, Nintendo have a great concept: a home console and a portable handheld all in one. Existing as a hybrid console, the Switch can conceivably pull from both markets whilst also packing a great deal of versatility. And as a whole the console delivers. It may not have the processing power to match an Xbox One or PS4 but Nintendo has long seemed more concerned with fun than power. It is hard to deny that the Switch is a fun console.

The main problem is that the launch line-up is very sparse, with little to recommend beyond The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. Fast RMX is a fun racing game, that is more than a little reminiscent of F-Zero, but mostly feels like a hold-out until the debut of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. SnipperClips is a co-operative game that encourages you to team up to complete puzzles, but can be a bit frustrating to grasp as the tutorials don’t adequately explain how to complete certain challenges. Beyond this most of the other titles are indie releases which have existed on other devices for years.

The Switch may be a small handheld, yet beneath its surface it is the most powerful portable gaming device ever made. Running at 720p (upscaled to 1280p when connected to the dock), the tablet may not match up to most smart phones but is a significant step-up from the PS Vita or its predecessor the 3DS. Thankfully at no point does it feel too heavy or cumbersome. The only real fault is its limited battery life: clocking in at just three hours, for extended playtime a power bank is a must unless you can plug it in at regular intervals. 

When connected to the dock you get to witness the Switch at its full power, with graphics effectively upscaled to full HD. Zelda in particular looks fantastic on a bigger screen, where its beautiful aesthetic shines through. Games do run slightly smoother in handheld mode but the difference on console isn’t enough to prove a distraction. The Switch dock is a small, cute package which takes up little room. The handheld slides easily in and out of the dock, though the lack of padding against the screen is a potential worry. 

In place of a standard controller, the Switch makes use of Joy-Cons, a split controller with left and right sides that are usable in different forms.  They are just as versatile as the console itself, existing in four main forms: docked to the console in handheld mode, loose with hand straps, as individual controllers for multiplayer and connected to the controller grip. Docked to the console is probably when the Joy-Cons feel most at home, well balanced within the tablet and allowing for long gaming sessions without becoming weighty. 

After a few trial sessions I found myself unconvinced by the odd design of the controller grip with some of the buttons being harder to reach making gameplay a bit awkward. I have mostly taken to using the Joy-Cons loose, enjoying the comfortability and lesser constraint compared to the standard controller format.

For two-player sessions, each player takes one half of the Joy-Cons, which are then operated horizontally. Unfortunately in this format they can feel a little fiddly. It can prove difficult to orientate yourself to the controls, as we discovered whilst accidentally killing each other (repeatedly) on SnipperClips. I can see this being less of a problem for games like Mario Kart which have fairly simplistic controls, but do wonder how the Joy-Cons will handle the complexity of fighting games and varied button combinations. 

The relatively small hard drive size of the console is another setback. At 32GB, with only 25.9GB of usable space, there isn’t much room for digital purchases, when the size of a single game could swallow that whole. This makes a Micro SD card an essential purchase for anyone looking to create a strong digital gaming library, which increases the cost of the console fairly substantially. 

The Nintendo Switch is an effective and fun piece of tech. Whilst you might not see top-tier third party games coming to the Switch anytime soon, this has never really been Nintendo’s intention. Only time will tell if it proves a return to form for Nintendo (or a misfire to match the Wii U) but I believe it is off to a strong start.