Who's getting the Nintendo Switch 2?

[Aazealh]

We keep talking about it in the chat, so let's make a general thread to talk about the new Switch 2 that's coming out on June 5. Personally I'm LOCKED IN, already preordered mine for DAY ONE.

And at a "cheap" price too, because as I had predicted, retailers aren't respecting the MSRP.

 

[Patrick]

Maybe a couple years down the line I will. I didn't get a switch till 3 years after it came out.

From the cost, the games, and the fact that I just don't play videogames much anymore gives me almost no incentive to buy it. I don't know. Maybe if Dragon Quest 12 is a switch 2 exclusive or if Pokemon comes out it may incentive me to buy one.

EDIT: Sorry to add. Nintendo just delayed the pre-ordereds cause of the Tarrifs. Thanks Trump

 

[Aazealh]

if Pokemon comes out it may incentive me to buy one.

I feel pretty confident saying one or more Pokémon games will come out on this new console within the next two years.

Regarding the pricing, it's not as bad as early reports made it look, at least where I live. I wrote about it in the chat, but I preordered the standard Switch 2 pack for 440€ and Mario Kart World (physical) for 70€. That's 50€ less than what had been announced (30€ less for the console, 20€ less for the game). Donkey Kong Bananza (physical) is being sold by retailers for 60€, which is also 20€ less than the MSRP. The Switch 2 + MK World (digital) bundle is priced at 499€, just 10€ cheaper.

So concretely, assuming these prices reflect the new normal for this console, it means Nintendo has aligned its prices with Microsoft and Sony, which was to be expected. They had missed the previous increase to 70€ because the Switch had a long life. Now their first party games will likely be either 60€ or 70€, but not cheaper.

Aside from that, there's the issue of pricing physical games higher than digital ones. It feels like a move to push customers towards digital, where devs get 100% of the profits instead of having to share them (not to mention the cost of the card, box and shipping). I can understand the principle, but it's disappointing.

That said, while I don't know how it is in other countries, in France it will be mitigated by the price-cutting retailers have been engaging in for years (see above). Over here a lot of Switch game are priced 45 to 50€ at launch on Amazon and in various other stores and hypermarket chains. I know Nintendo has had an ongoing beef for years with certain companies about it, because it means buying a physical game is often 10€ or even 15€ cheaper than buying it digitally from the Nintendo Store... It makes no sense.

So it might be a way to force retailers to sell at more "normal" prices that align with those from the console's native game store. Of course, as I mentioned at the beginning, retailers are now selling the games at a 20€ discount compared to the MSRP, so they aren't deterred. I assume they're cutting their margins to the bone in order to do so. Fine by me!

At the end of the day, the real prices I get to pay fit my expectations (60-70€) and that's all I care about.

 

[Patrick]

At the end of the day, the real prices I get to pay fit my expectations (60-70€) and that's all I care about.

Won't argue with you there Aaz. If you feel like the price is worth it to you then go ahead.

I think this thing is about to shoot up more in price (I'm from the US) It's just bad timing all around for this thing. I think I'm just gonna wait this out and get it in a few years.

Gen 10 is most likely releasing next year, so we'll see how that ends up turning out.

 

[Aazealh]

I think this thing is about to shoot up more in price (I'm from the US) It's just bad timing all around for this thing. I think I'm just gonna wait this out and get it in a few years.

Yeah in the USA the tariffs are complicating things in the short term, but the same goes for all electronics (and a lot more stuff still). Hopefully that'll get rolled back...

Gen 10 is most likely releasing next year, so we'll see how that ends up turning out.

You think so? Seems early. It feels like not a lot of major titles have been released on current gen consoles to me. Not sure what a new generation would bring to the table at this point.

 

[Walter]

That was the best presentation they’ve done that I can remember (as far back as the cursed 2006 E3). A lot of surprises, a lot of news they were able to keep under wraps for years. Some impressions point by point:

GameChat
There was so much curiosity around the C-BUTTON that when we learned it’s just an in game chat function, I was like: “Oh, now we can play like we could back in 2001 on the Xbox!” It’s notable though, because Nintendo has historically been wary of enabling these features. So welcome to the future!

Console
I like the addition of HDR and ability to select up to 4k in games like Metroid Prime 4. Sucks that battery life is still looking like 2h for most games. But I almost never play portably, so whatever.

Backwards Compatibility
This is an unexciting but important feature, given the scope of the Switch 1 library. What we’ve learned in the past two days is that there is no direct hardware solution for playing Switch 1 games. Instead they have a hybrid of emulation and hardware compatibility. It sounds like not every game is going to work 100% perfectly. First party games work fine, but third party may not.

Having a Mouse
When this was teased in the first trailer, I didn’t quite believe it. The implementation looks a little awkward to me, turning the joy con on its side and using it on a flat surface, none of that sounds very conducive to couch gaming, which is how I plan my switch. So when they showed it off with Metroid prime 4, I was like: Well crap. I better find something flat for my couch pretty soon! Though this does feel to me like a feature that won’t be widely implemented in the future. just an option for certain games.

Mario Kart World
Going into the show, I definitely did not expect to say that I was excited for the new Mario kart. But I gotta hand it to them, they built excitement because they’re doing some cool looking new stuff with the series. They’re obviously modeling it off of Forza Horizon, which allows you to explore a big map and join live races with other people. The treehouse team showed off a lot of it yesterday and the bits that I saw looked really fun. Looking forward to playing it on launch day.

Donkey Kong Bananza
I was really holding out for a new 3D Mario, but this will do. It looks like DK Odyssey, in fact that’s what I thought it was at first. But it’s clearly a whole new thing and as long as it’s as well designed as those first party, Mario games then I’m on fucking board. It is interesting that it’s coming out one month after lunch, but I’m assuming that’s so that Mario kart world gets its time in the sunlight and they don’t cannibalize each other‘s attentions.

The Duskbloods
As Aazealh said in the chat, he joked that this would be blood-borne too as soon as the trailer started, and I was like, yeah right that would be too crazy. Welp. That does seem more or less what it is to me. But what we learned after the show was this would be a Miyazaki directed game, but it would be multiplayer focused. and with that news went about half of my enthusiasm for it. That’s too bad, I don’t give a shit about multiplayer, and I definitely don’t have time to team up regularly with people. I play these games in short, 30-minute bursts whenever I have a chance to between meetings. But it does look promising, if a little thin. So I’m holding out hopes that it’s a great game.

 

[mathstruggler]

I've hardly had more trust on a game developer going into a console generation than with Nintendo right now.

I grew up with the Switch. I remember that launch period vividly and sinking into each game. And just when you thought the console was on its way out they hit you with games like Metroid Dread, Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Wonder. They even remade my favorite game, Super Mario RPG—so well that I now prefer it to the original. The creative spirit they exhibit now would have been unimaginable in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when re-releases like Majora's Mask on the 3DS left me disappointed. With their Switch-era game output, they aimed for fan service and well, they got me.

So yes, I will eventually get a Switch 2. Haven't bothered with Sony or Microsoft since I started gaming on PC, but I have to get it. Mario Kart World is already looking fantastic. That new Donkey Kong already prime to be one of my favorite games ever. They've just got it.

They're not perfect, see their stance on fan projects and game preservation, but companies like Rockstar and Sony are much, much, worse in that regard. I think the internet has amassed a giant hate boner for Nintendo. No one cried for the Little Big Planet 3 servers (15+ years of user generated levels), but they sure rioted over Mario Maker (from 2015 on a dead platform) shutting down. In the end, they're the last company to still believe in physical media, healthy development cycles and cooperative social experiences. The simple act of purchasing one of their games, inserting a tangible game cart, and playing it means everything to me.

 

[Aazealh]

That was the best presentation they’ve done that I can remember (as far back as the cursed 2006 E3).

I have to agree with that. Following your example, I'd say the most memorable things for me were:

Performance seems higher than I had anticipated, at least on paper. The 1080p HDR screen is a big deal to me since I mostly play in portable mode, and the ability to display 4K at 60 fps in TV mode is also appreciated as that makes it more future-proof. It's also still as thin despite being larger, so nothing like its chunky copycats.

Backwards compatibility was expected and I feel like it won't be much of an issue even for third party games. It even works with games like Ring Fit Adventure if you have v1 Joy-Cons, which I wasn't expecting. This is reassuring to me because I have a moderately big library of Switch 1 games, many being digital, with a bunch of them I still have yet to play. Enhanced Switch 1 Games are a cool option too. I'll probably pay to upgrade the Zelda games in addition to Metroid Prime 4.

Donkey Kong Bananza really piqued my interest in a way I wouldn't have expected. Haven't been as interested in the character since the original DK Country. I love that it seems centered around his strength, with him literally punching through sheer rock. Seems quite unique and not just a reskinned Mario game.

Regarding Mario Kart World, I haven't played a MK game since the Nintendo DS and this feels like the right time to jump back in. And while the Game Chat feature isn't something I'll necessary use a lot, it feels like it'd be perfect to play... Mario Kart. Smart move, Nintendo. Between these two games, Metroid Prime 4, a bunch of indies (Deltarune, Hades II, Split Fiction, Silksong...) and my backlog, I'm set until the holidays. I also wouldn't mind replaying a few GC games, from Killer7 and Eternal Darkness to Viewtiful Joe or the original Luigi's Mansion.

The Duskbloods still feels like a pretty huge deal to me, even though the multiplayer aspect means it's a lot less compelling. From Miyazaki's interview, it's clear he's trying his hand at something very new. Feels like it's halfway between Overwatch and Destiny, but with a lot of tweaks and tricks that'll make it quite unique. Combined with ports like Elden Ring, FF7R, Cyberpunk 2077 or the Star Wars game, it seems like Nintendo is sending a strong message to third party publishers.

I don't know how much I'll use the mouse controls, because if a game's made for KB&M, I'll typically play it on PC. Still a very useful option to have that I'm grateful for. The thing that really caught my eye however is the new Pro Controller. I never bothered buying the first one, I just played with the default Joy-Con attachment thing, but I'm going to pull the trigger this time. It looks really neat.

 

[Walter]

The thing that really caught my eye however is the new Pro Controller

Oh wow! I use it exclusively, but as you know, I never play portably. If you used it docked as often as I do, you’d have gotten it already. It’s a big upgrade for how it feels in your hand not having to hit those tiny ass buttons on the joycon.

 

[Patrick]

You think so? Seems early. It feels like not a lot of major titles have been released on current gen consoles to me. Not sure what a new generation would bring to the table at this point.

We've gotten a new gen every 3 years since the franchise began with this year being the exception (which I think was due to how poorly Scarlet and Violet ran.)

 

[Aazealh]

Oh wow! I use it exclusively, but as you know, I never play portably. If you used it docked as often as I do, you’d have gotten it already. It’s a big upgrade for how it feels in your hand not having to hit those tiny ass buttons on the joycon.

I hesitated at one point but a mix of the Joy-Cons being good enough, me trying to be frugal and the Switch 2 being "almost there" dissuaded me. Now I'm ready!

We've gotten a new gen every 3 years since the franchise began with this year being the exception (which I think was due to how poorly Scarlet and Violet ran.)

Oh you meant Pokémon games, sorry I thought you were talking about the next Sony/Microsoft consoles. Yeah I agree next year makes sense.

 

[Paul Charles]

Maybe I’ll sell Switch and get second one, depending on how much I will get for it.

 

[Lawliet]

I may wait a little bit as well. I got my Switch late (2021) and I feel like I haven't squeezed every drop out of it yet.

All this may change if they reveal the next Zelda, however. BotW and TotK were wonderful. If I only played those two and never touched the Switch again, I wouldn't be regretful. So if the next one exceeds them, I don't know if I will resist a day one purchase (of the new Zelda I mean, not the Switch 2).

 

[Phonon89]

I wouldn’t expect a new Zelda for another 2-3 years minimum.

I’ll probably wait till 2026 to get it since the only game they announced I want to try this year would be kirby air riders.

I can get delta rune and Metroid still on switch 1.

 

[Aazealh]

I wouldn’t expect a new Zelda for another 2-3 years minimum.

Yeah it feels like 2027 would be the year for it. I'm expecting the next mainline Mario much sooner, maybe for Christmas this year.

I’ll probably wait till 2026 to get it since the only game they announced I want to try this year would be kirby air riders.

It's a testament to Nintendo's build quality that my Switch still works fine, but after 8 years I really can't wait to upgrade. Speaking of Air Riders though, I'm surprised they're releasing it the same year as Mario Kart World. I know they're not exactly the same genre but... they still kind of are. I'm curious how Sakurai differentiated it.

 

[Phonon89]

It's a testament to Nintendo's build quality that my Switch still works fine, but after 8 years I really can't wait to upgrade. Speaking of Air Riders though, I'm surprised they're releasing it the same year as Mario Kart World. I know they're not exactly the same genre but... they still kind of are. I'm curious how Sakurai differentiated it.

I have no doubt he cooked something to differentiate it from Mario kart world. The city trial mode in the first one was pretty novel at the time. Kind of a proto version of the mini game in smash bros DS where you collect power ups before facing each other. I’m also just happy he’s doing something different besides a new smash game for now.

 

[Aazealh]

I’m also just happy he’s doing something different besides a new smash game for now.

Sure. I wouldn't mind more novel IPs and game designs from him overall. And I'd like a port of Kid Icarus too, since I could not tolerate the 3DS controls and didn't play more than 20 minutes of it.

 

[Keratos]

Pre-order secured
Every choice I had was above the 500 Euro price that most EU countries had, so I just had to pick my poison here.
But when we're talking about paying 500+ for something, if its between 535 or 550 compared to the 570 thats on most sites, its just a matter of convenience at this point.

 

[Beelzebud]

The thing that really caught my eye however is the new Pro Controller. I never bothered buying the first one, I just played with the default Joy-Con attachment thing, but I'm going to pull the trigger this time. It looks really neat.

I'm curious about what caught your attention here, that did not for the Switch 1 Pro Controller. Or as you said it's mor a situational decision to not buy it back then?

 

[Aazealh]

I'm curious about what caught your attention here, that did not for the Switch 1 Pro Controller. Or as you said it's mor a situational decision to not buy it back then?

I appreciate the improvements (ergonomics, new buttons, etc.) but it's more a question of timing. I didn't get the first one in 2017 because it was just a convenience, not a necessity. Eventually, a few years ago, I started feeling like it'd be nice to have, but by then I was already waiting for the Switch 2. So now is the time.

 

[Dar_Klink]

I'll grab it when Duskbloods comes out even though the multi-player aspect of it dampens my excitement a bit.

Other stuff looks cool but as my life is now(and in the near future) I always have a computer hooked up to my nice TV and a wireless keyboard/mouse for couch and bed play and I can wait to play the 1st party stuff and exclusives around when Duskbloods comes out.

 

[Patrick]

Well, with the price + pre orders announced, and the fact that I'm gonna be trading In a lot of stuff into Gamestop, I think I'm gonna cave and get this day 1.

Can't wait to play Trails in the Sky and Kirby Air riders later in the year.

 

[Walter]

Yeah, I'm definitely pre-ordering it (starting April 24 in the US). Pretty confident I can snipe one. That being said, the only game Im looking forward to at launch is Mario Kart World. Most of my excitement is on DK Bananza.

 

[Arthur Higgsbury]

I probably won't be. The Nintendo franchise I cared about the most was always Pokemon, and I kinda stopped caring after SV released. Metroid Prime 4 looks cool though, I might be interested depending on how good the reception is. I really need to play 2 and 3 first though.

 

[Walter]

I really need to play 2 and 3 first though.

Probably, but the Phazon stuff was wrapped up in 3, so 4 should be something new. I think it’s likely we’ll get Prime 2 on the Switch 2’s recently announced GameCube emulator, if not a full remaster like Prime 1 got. 3 relies on Wii controls so I’m not sure how or if they’ll ever adapt that to modern controls.