The Nintendo Switch Is a Great Console That's Nearing Its 5th Year. Is it Still Worth the Money?

This year will mark the five-year milestone for the Nintendo Switch, the hybrid gaming console we’ve all come to love and admire. While much of the Nintendo experience has undergone some upgrades throughout the years - pro gamers and avid fans of Nintendo are considering whether or not it’s still worth the hype in 2022. 

The Switch has brought us some of the best years in gaming. As it was the first and only hybrid console of its kind offered on the gaming market. Finally we got to experience what it’s like to have portability and convenience when it came to video games. 

The producers behind the console have brought much thought and intuition into how the console can enhance the hybrid gaming experience, without the noise of multimedia that was brought along by PC, Xbox, and the Playstation 5. 

Now although these are some of the most rewarding gaming consoles one will find on the market, and at its current price - some are left feeling that for a few extra dollars they can get a much better quality gaming experience than what the Switch can offer them. 

But after five years on the market, and millions of consoles sold, is there too much hype around the Switch? If you’ve thought of purchasing one of these incredibly nifty consoles, consider what it can do, and how much power is cramped in such a small device. More so - the hybrid console can still offer all the gaming experiences offered by traditional PS and Xbox, just portable. 

Is the Nintendo Switch Still Worth the Hype in 2022? 

If you look back at the previous generation of consoles produced by Nintendo, you’ll understand why there’s still so much hype around the Switch in 2022. 

Nintendo changed the game, literally when it first launched the Game Boy back in 1989. It sold more than 120 million units across the world, and at $90 per console, young gamers were instantly hooked on the game bundles and accessories that came with the console.

Yes, improvements on the modern day Switch has nearly nothing in comparison to what the Game Boy or Game Boy Color had to offer, even if it had a printer with swappable cartridges. 

With the advent of the new millennium, Nintendo continued to push the boundaries of what handheld and hybrid consoles can offer, launching some of the most well-known consoles at the time such as the Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Wii, and the Nintendo 3DS. Yet, these consoles rendered many hours of uninterrupted fun, but nothing was quite like the Switch when it was first launched in 2017. 

The Switch combined its experience in the console range with the need for a more convenient and streamlined gaming experience. 

Players could access a handful of some of the best games ever, with sleek Joy-Con controllers, a built-in LCD screen, access to internet storage with three USB ports, and additional ports for HDMI connectivity. The Switch finally made it possible to enjoy your favorite Nintendo games on your mounted television. 

Designers and producers made sure to take composition and ergonomics seriously, for all of its Switch models, including the Nintendo Switch Lite. With an estimated 79 million units sold by the end of 2020, the Switch managed to reach a peak in the gaming world. 

Remarkable Games Offered By Nintendo 

The Switch brought us the best in gaming, and players were immersed into a new world of experiences, absorbed by the captivating first-party titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. 

For some part, the Switch reached a pinnacle when Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March 2020 and would see more than 20 million units sold of the game. This sparked a frenzy in the gaming community, as Nintendo was making a strong comeback into the market as the social simulation game came at the perfect timing with the advent of the global pandemic at the same time. 

There was no shortage of games when it came to the Switch, as players had a plethora of great titles to choose from. Nintendo was looking to expand on their previous offerings, bringing big names such as Mario smash-bros, RPG Pokémon, and of course the popular Witcher 3 to their consoles. 

It gave them the edge they needed. Allowing players a more enjoyable selection of games, combined with the fact that players could easily connect it to their TVs made it even more attractive than initially considered.

Even five years after the launch of the Switch, Amazon remains a stronghold for bundle deals and subscription packages for games and consoles. Nintendo generated a following which has been hard to convince otherwise, even as newer and more advanced gaming consoles have come to life. 

Is The Switch The Right Fit For You?

Purchasing a new gaming console can give many consumers and avid gamers cold feet. With so many remarkable options available on the market, choosing between hybrid or traditional consoles can be a game-changer, considering the upgrades these devices have undergone in recent years. 

Of course, it’s suggested to look at your needs, and desires and measure them against the available options before purchasing any new console. Additionally, your budget could also play a role in the process, as some consoles can offer you a great gaming experience, but this might come at a higher price. 

While some may talk to in-store experts, or perhaps test-drive a Switch beforehand, reading some of the latest comments and reviews on Reddit will give you an unbiased opinion on how millions of gamers have managed to make the Switch work according to their needs. 

After scrolling through Reddit for a couple of minutes, you soon start to realize that the Switch is still a popular console, regardless of some of its shortcomings. 

Upgrades to some games, and the ergonomics are what draws in most of these Redditors to purchase the Switch at $299.00 per unit. While other models such as the Lite are priced at $199.99, it only offers a fraction of the enhanced gaming participation the Switch has, yet it’s managed to sell over 13 million units since its launch in 2019. 

The state-of-the-art Nintendo Switch OLED is a third-generation hybrid console. Comments on the console’s design and improved graphics on Reddit and other gaming platforms clearly show there is still strong support for the aging game console.

The OLED has a 7-inch screen, has a built-in wire LAN port, can be adjusted to the perfect angle to improve the gaming experience, and offers a three in one mode. The OLED makes it easier to convert the home-based gaming experience into a portable system. But with better features and capabilities, users will need to adjust their budgets accordingly, as the OLED is currently priced at $349.99. 

Yet, these consoles can become expensive as new models and upgrades are released each year, if you’re not a hard-core gamer, then perhaps spending a bit less on your gaming set-up might just be the budget-friendly solution many have been looking for. 

The Drawbacks Of The Nintendo Switch

It’s been known for quite some time that although it has some of the best indie title games, and makes hybrid gaming more enjoyable, there are certain drawbacks to the Nintendo Switch devices.

Unfortunately, the console has a handful of frustrating flaws, which has seen many rather switch over to traditional gaming consoles, even if it comes at the cost of their convenience and at a higher expense. 

For starters, although you have access to more than a year’s worth of gaming on the system, you will, later on, need to subscribe to the Nintendo Online Service, which is priced at $3.99 per month, or $19.99 per year. It does however give you access to a few great gaming titles, but it's mostly designed to enable online multiplayer functionality. 

The resolution of the LCD screen can only reach a maximum of 1080p when connected to a television. Other than that, the screen only offers 720p resolution, whereas you’ll notice with the PS4 Pro and Xbox One consoles, these can reach 4K resolution. 

Performance and graphics have been coined as one of the biggest obstacles the Switch has, and even with the OLED you still might not completely be satisfied with the high-resolution screen.

Transferring games from the online service or internet-cloud storage are limited to only a few games, and this functionality can only work if you have an active subscription account. 

Accessories also come at additional cost, as the Nintendo Switch has been notorious for its short-lived battery life, lasting between three to six hours. For players who want to charge their device while playing, an optional charging grip at $30.00 will give you more hours of fun while plugged in. 

There is however an upgraded battery pack that can last four to ten hours, and some gamers also make use of an external battery pack which defeats the purpose of having a handheld device. 

Some gamers have also mentioned that although the console is just slightly thicker than a tablet, or even the thickest smartphone, its portability still feels a bit bulky. Joy-Cons can easily be removed and replaced when purchasing new attachments from third-party companies such as Bionik and Nyko which have become the best-rated alternatives. 

The Switch, just like other consoles, is home to some drawbacks, but there have been improvements in recent years. Although many anticipated that the Switch OLED would be the solution they were hoping for, the market was left a bit disappointed in the outcomes, as not much of the previous issues were properly addressed. 

Considering these setbacks Nintendo has yet to improve, it’s still a powerful hybrid console and Nintendo did not hold back on the user experience, even if the device has some shortcomings. 

Should You Get A Nintendo Switch In 2022?

Looking through the magnitude of reviews currently available on the internet, and reading what some Redditors have to say about the console, I would say that the Switch is definitely worth getting if you’re not a hard-core gamer. 

User experience and price point simply don’t compare to other popular consoles, and Nintendo has spent a great deal of time and resources on creating a device that is user-friendly, portable, and can easily connect with additional accessories. 

You also have the ability to enjoy a handful of celebrated indie titles, which has been one of the biggest selling points for the Switch. A selected few of these games are simply more enjoyable on the Switch than on other consoles. 

There’s also the fact that Nintendo has designed three individual consoles, all catering to consumer-specific needs. From the Lite to the OLED, whatever you’re looking for in an advanced hybrid gaming experience, Nintendo is willing to actively cater to a larger market, from veteran hard-core gamers to novice players. 

While many may feel the hype around the Nintendo Switch is set to fade away in the coming months, even as the company has yet to make any mention of new consoles that will be released, the Switch is one of the most enjoyable hybrid gaming experiences. 

From price, user experience, and of course the gaming titles you have access to, Nintendo managed to captivate gamers and consumers with a simple, yet sophisticated console designed for any level player. 

To finish up, makers and designers have for years been looking at how Nintendo has come from creating the infamous Game Boy, to finally launching an all-in-one gaming experience with the Switch. And considering these massive improvements over the last few decades, I’d suggest the Switch has not yet seen its best years