Thoughts on the Nintendo Switch
Seeing that I bought a Wii U a little over a year ago, I’ve hardly been giving the Nintendo NX leaks the time of day. I’m not grouchy, but at the same time, I’ve been resistant to thinking that a new system is coming out to replace my Wii U so early on in its life cycle.
Don’t get me wrong, I know all the pitfalls of the Wii U, etc. etc. etc. But I like my only current gen console, and wasn’t too keen on seeing it fade out so early.
That being said, when Nintendo announced the Switch, they got my attention instantly.
Mobile Power
About a year ago, I picked up a new Nvidia Shield K1 as a gaming tablet to replace my aging Nexus 7. I also bought a mini HDMI cable and a controller, which allows me to hook the tablet to my TV and have more or less a portable console system. It works very well, and plays games such as FFIX, FFIV and FF Tactics like a beast.
In fact, with the setup I own, it does exactly what the Nintendo Switch is setting out to do… except it’s an Android tablet and not a Nintendo console. Now, I should feel a little miffed that the Switch would nudge out both my Wii U and my K1 in that it will overlap in functionality. But I don’t.
In fact, knowing that the Switch is going to be powered by a Nvidia chip honestly encourages me to look at the system on release. Simply because I know how powerful my K1 tablet is… and I expect the chip in the Switch to be much more powerful that even that.
Add to that the vast number of 3rd party developers we’re seeing sign on for the machine. SquareEnix, Telltale, Bethesda… shoot, they may even have Skyrim on release! Things are looking bright, indeed.
The only thing I’m not so sure about are the tiny little Joy Con controllers (when they’re detached from the tablet part). They look really easy to break and lose.
While I had every intention to pick up the new Legend of Zelda for the Wii U (until yesterday), I’m now holding back with consideration of picking up a Switch instead. It will be releasing about the same time that tax returns come back… so….
I still want to learn more before I let myself get hyped for this. But seeing that I’ve not jumped on board the PS4 or XBONE and don’t plan to, chances are high that the Nintendo Switch will be my next console.