The Nintendo Switch was a modern take on the classic Nintendo console design. With its release in 2017 and in a mist of a console war between Xbox and PlayStation, Nintendo did quite well for themselves. The colorful and easy setup of the console was directed for children as most Nintendo franchises are. But the innovation of the switch which made it stand out was its portability, using the same bases as pass consoles like the 3DS but mixing it with the power of a PlayStation. Plus with the draw of major game titles like Mario, Pokemon, and Zelda, the switch was a success for its first few years of its existence. After Xbox and PlayStation came out with their own new models which built upon existing problems and made it better, Nintendo wasn’t too far behind to cash in on the latest models of consoles.
In the summer of 2025 the Nintendo Switch 2 was released to many fans disappointment, there were upsides that were spoken about before launch but many fans seemed as if the Nintendo Switch 2 was merely a quality of life update and not something that deserved to be called a full fledged sequel. The major changes were the larger screen, higher frame quality, and updates to the joycons. This with a $500 plus price, it just doesn’t seem worth the price.
“I loved playing on the original Switch, but when I saw the price of the second one I knew there’s no possible way I’ll spend that much,” Mac Bailey (10) said.
To compare to the price of the original Nintendo Switch, the original was $300. A $200 price increase for minimal change and no games with the purchase just seems outrageous. But despite the price and modest hardware improvements the Nintendo Switch 2 is the highest selling console in all of the US in the first 3 months of release. But many would argue that other consoles would be a better investment to their money and time.
For those who prefer to play their games on a personal computer but aren’t wanting to spend more money to buy new games, there is the Steam Deck. Produced by the Valve Corporation; creators of portal and half-life, the steam deck is a handheld console similar to the Nintendo Switch 2 but able to connect to a user’s entire steam library.
“It already has a cheaper price point, it has an OLED screen and better specifications than anything I buy on here goes to my PC and vice versa,” Oliver Leeker (12) said. However with the steam deck, it has a limited battery life when it comes to playing certain high resolution games which also leads to potentially poor resolution, and it doesn’t have any exclusive releases; unlike the Nintendo Switch which exclusively runs new and old Nintendo titles.
The first major release of the Nintendo Switch 2 was Mario Kart World. Mario Kart World came out to a great deal of success, for a few weeks of release the Nintendo Switch 2 was what everyone was talking about. Within four days, the Nintendo Switch 2 sold 3.5 million units. The Switch 2 became the fastest selling Nintendo console to date. But one flaw people seem to agree with most of the Nintendo systems is the longevity of games. Is it worth $60-70 for about 20 hours of story? Mario Kart World did add more to the classic rules of Mario Kart, it was a fresh addition. Adding larger races, and an open world with vast worlds to drive in. But most fans after a while felt it was vast, but very barren. When games from PlayStation and Xbox are the same price, best graphics, and game of the year worthy story, is it really worth it?
The most recent major release of the Switch 2 was Pokemon Legends ZA. The entry is more of a spinoff of the mainline, tossing the linear top down format for a more open world version of the game. But the release and build up was nothing short of messy. A week before the release, the entire game was leaked. This included game files and designs, many people were able to hack the entire game for free, you never saw people playing on their phones. Legends ZA was the most expensive game in the series, but had one of the worst possible releases. The graphics and lack of open world exploration was deemed a disappointment by many fans and critics alike. They showed some positive changes in the classic turn based fights, but seeing 2D textures in a $70 game on a $500 just doesn’t seem as the price is worth it.
With the next major release being Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, fans are losing hope as to why they should splash the cash for a lackluster experience. Fans believe that a multibillion dollar company should be able to produce the highest quality products for the consumers but it seems Nintendo isn’t currently worried about the state of the players.
