If Nintendo listens to some fans, the Switch 2 will lose its greatest strengths

earthpressnews

Many are speculating about the Switch 2. But MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann believes that if Nintendo listens to the calls of some fans, the Switch will lose one of its greatest strengths and the reason why people bought the Switch OLED years ago.

The Nintendo Switch is a regular companion in my everyday life. That’s one reason why I keep a close eye on leaks and rumors. And above all, certain requests from fans don’t really make me happy.

Because while some fans are calling for more power and a Switch 2 with the performance of an Xbox Series S, I want something completely different. Because one of the Switch’s greatest strengths is quickly forgotten.

More power, 4K, preferably a gaming PC or a Series S in mini format

What do fans want? If you look around on reddit or read other forums, you will find that many players have different opinions, but can also agree on certain points about what they want from a Switch 2 or Switch Pro:

  • Significantly more performance, preferably 4K. That’s what many fans are calling for. Some fans are simply fed up with playing Pokémon and the like in low-definition and 30 FPS.
  • Modern next-gen features such as ray tracing, DLSS and stable 120 FPS are also wishes of many fans.
  • Improved Joycons, for example with Hall-effect switches, are also being demanded by many fans.

    • But for me, all of this wishing loses a core strength of the Nintendo Switch, the reason I bought it in the first place: excellent portability and accessibility.

    There are over 400 USB sticks sticking out of walls in Germany – What is the “Dead Drops” project?

    More videos

    Autoplay

    Steam Deck, Rog Ally and Co – the Nintendo Switch beats them all in one point

    I have been playing on a number of gaming handhelds over the last few weeks and months. And all devices have several problems in common:

  • They are all big, heavy and bulky and all weigh more than half a kilo. The heavier the weight, the faster my hands and arms get tired.
  • Apart from the Asus ROG Ally X, all devices offer abysmal battery life. It usually runs out after 90 to 120 minutes.
  • I don’t find any modern handheld device to be particularly comfortable in the long run, which is also due to the general size of handheld devices. The powerful hardware and the corresponding cooling system have to be installed somewhere.

    • Even the Steam Deck, which is by far the game I play on the most these days, just gets too heavy for me after three or four hours. Then I switch to my PC and continue playing with a controller, which weighs a lot less and doesn’t normally need a charging cable.

    What is the strength of the Switch? The Switch OLED, on the other hand, is, in my opinion, almost perfect for on the go:

  • Very good battery life of 4.5 to 9 hours, depending on the game.
  • The Switch OLED weighs “only” 422 grams, other handhelds weigh between 600 and 800 grams, almost twice as much.
  • The Nintendo Switch is very comfortable in the long run, even for my large hands, with slightly larger third-party rubber grips for the Joycons.

    • What bothers me about the wishes for the Switch 2? My biggest problem with the increased performance that many people want: More power requires more energy and more power produces more waste heat.

    Nintendo would have to install stronger ventilation and a thicker battery. And I fear that this would make the Switch 2 just as bulky as the Steam Deck or other gaming handhelds.

    And a heavy, bulky Switch 2 would, in my opinion, lose exactly the strength that defines the Switch for me: namely that it is so light and comfortable that I can and want to play with it on the go.

    I really don’t need another hybrid PC or another Steam Deck for Switch games.

    The Switch’s target group is not professional gamers

    The crux of the exclusive games: Of course, Nintendo is aggressively pushing exclusive titles that can only be played on Nintendo consoles. But if you absolutely want high-end, you shouldn’t expect that from a game console that has consciously focused on families and children for years.

    We don’t need another device for professional gamers, but rather a game console aimed at casuals and simple consumers, such as families and children. Anyone who wants to play AAAA titles from Ubisoft or a God of War either has a powerful gaming PC, a PS5 or a Steam Deck at home. Or all of the devices mentioned.

    I don’t want or need another hybrid PC

    Where should the goal of the Switch 2 be? I want a light, handy game console that I can put in my backpack, that has a battery life of hours and that doesn’t become too uncomfortable even after several hours of use. And that’s exactly what the Switch offers and what I would also like from the next generation of Nintendo.

  • I don’t need a high-end device with 4K graphics, ray tracing or an oversized display.
  • It’s enough for me if the frame rates don’t drop in every city in the next Pokémon. I would also love to see Hall Effect switches in the Jocyons 2.0.
  • But I don’t want a third or fourth bloated hybrid PC on my desk.
  • I want an accessible console that I can continue to give to children and that isn’t overwhelmed by social features.
  • I want a console that is light and small and that I can still quickly throw into my luggage. The reason why I bought the Switch in the first place.
  • In addition, who of you would buy the Nintendo Switch 2 if it suddenly cost 800 euros like the PS5 Pro?

    • And I say and write that as someone who underestimated the Nintendo Switch for years and has now become an enthusiastic fan of the console. You can read why the Switch was my purchase of the year in 2022 on MeinMMO: I laughed at it – now the Nintendo Switch is my purchase of the year 2022

    mmod-game