1. You’re Not Broke

Whilst being super reasonably priced at launch, the Switch sadly, unlike its rivals the PS4 and XBOX 1 hasn’t seen any price reductions in its 3 and a bit year lifespan, holding steady at $300 or £280. What the Switch lineup has seen, however, is the addition of the cheaper, handheld-only Switch lite costing a budget-friendly £200 or $200. The Switch Lite was definitely a great inclusion by Nintendo as, by removing extras like the dock and Joy-Cons that ship with the standard Switch, Nintendo was able to cut production cost without sacrificing the hardware or the internals of the console, so that it runs Switch games identically to its big brother in handheld mode. Meaning the Switch Lite is ideal for budget-orientated consumers who feel they wouldn’t be missing out by not being able to dock their Switch and play games on the TV, but don’t want to miss out on the growing stellar library of switch games, especially first-party exclusives that you can’t play anywhere else. When talking cost, it’s also worth bearing in mind that Switch games, especially those first-party Nintendo titles, are notoriously expensive as they hold close to their original value even years after being released. Multi-platform releases, so games released on the Switch as well as the PS4 and Xbox One are also almost always more expensive on the Switch a while after their release because of this. This is especially true for games ported to the Switch a few years after they’ve come out on other consoles, with The Witcher 3 being a prime example. These low depreciation rates in the value of Switch games may be a plus for you if you’re the type of person who sells their games after playing them, with Breath of the Wild used in good condition still going for around £35-40 on eBay as of 2020. It is, however, definitely worth bearing in mind that you’re likely to be spending a fair bit more on games for your Switch than for any other platform.

2. The stellar library of games, especially exclusives

BUT, some of those games that you’ll be buying might quite possibly be some of the best games you’ve ever played, owing to the switch’s stellar library. I could go on all day about the best games to play on the Switch but, for now, I’ll just roll off a few of the standouts. You can’t talk about the Switch without talking about the Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, the best Switch game in my eyes and one of the best ever made for any platform. Some more quickfire standouts include Super Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing New-horizons of course, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Dragon Quest xi, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening, Splatoon 2, Paper Mario: the Origami King, Astral Chain, Octopath Traveller, Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2 and so much more. All of these games with the exception of Dragon Quest are all Switch exclusives, meaning they’re only available on the Switch and not on any other platform. That means that the only way you can ever get to play some of the best games ever created is to buy a Switch and it’s hard to find a better reason for getting one than that.

3. You have a busy, on the go lifestyle

This is another major selling point for the Switch as its hybrid design enables players to seamlessly transition between playing at home on the big screen to portable play. And it’s this flexibility which means it can fit into your busy lifestyle better than any other console, ultimately allowing you to sink more hours into discovering those great games we’ve just talked about – and the more hours you spend gaming on your Switch the more you’re getting your money’s worth for purchasing it. For me personally, I’m heading up to university later this year which will see me travelling quite a bit from there to home and back again. Lugging a console like the PS4 around with me every time I make this journey just isn’t practical, forcing me to leave it at home, so that I’ll be missing out on valuable hours of gameplay and the latest releases. No such problem with the switch as not only can I just chuck it in my backpack every time I need to make the journey but I can also play some Animal Crossing during it. So, I know this is a situation quite unique to myself, but it just illustrates the flexibility that comes with the Switch’s hybrid design which will ultimately help it fit into your lifestyle the best out of any console, regardless of your situation. On a similar note, the Switch is super fast and accessible. It boots up quickly and menus are quick and easy to navigate, with the whole operating system, in general, being the most intuitive I’ve ever experienced on a console. It is bare-bones in its nature, but I value its simplicity and let’s be honest you’re buying a Switch to play games, you’re phone can do everything else and Nintendo was evidently very aware of this when developing the Switch and it’s for the best. I also can’t talk about the Switch without talking about sleep mode. Just the other day I was battling a Griffin in the Witcher 3 before I had to leave for work; when it came time to leave I just hit pause on the game, gave the power button a quick tap to put my Switch into sleep mode and off I went – no pausing and saving and exiting the game. When I picked up my Switch later to resume play I just hit the power button, unlocked it and I was straight back into the action – no rebooting, no loading screens, no time wasted – living the dream. The switch’s battery obviously does go down whilst it’s in sleep mode but it’s actually surprisingly efficient – and if it’s well charged before you turn it off then it can comfortably last for days at a time.

4. The Switch’s great local multiplayer functionality

Whilst the Switch’s online multiplayer and its cumbersome companion app has been disappointing for many players, proving to give a somewhat subpar experience compared to Playstation Plus and Xbox Live Gold, local multiplayer on Switch is a completely different story. The Switch is without a doubt the best console for co-op or competitive local multiplayer which itself is at the core of most of Nintendo’s first-party titles and not just an afterthought like seen on many other modern games. It’s evident that Nintendo are still firm believers in the joys of local multiplayer, whilst Sony and Microsoft focus less and less of their attention towards it. The Switch’s portability is a big factor here as well. Yes, you can connect your Switch to the TV and play split-screen when your mates are round but if you and your friends each have a switch then you can all play in handheld mode together in the same room and have the screen all to yourself while you team up in Luigi’s Mansion 3 or go head to head in Mario Kart – no pesky split-screening here.  Talking of games, there are too many to count with great multiplayer modes but some of mine and my friends’ favourites have to be 51 Worldwide Games, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, of course, Animal Crossing and Super Mario Party. And it’s this plethora of great multiplayer games which makes the Switch the multiplayer hero of probably any console to ever exist.

5. The selection of retro games available to Nintendo Switch Online members

Finally, if you grew up on NES and SNES titles then the switch could be the means through which you rediscover the joys of your childhood thanks to its growing collection of NES and SNES titles available to members of the Nintendo Online subscription service, costing $20 a year. Nintendo Switch Online members can enjoy a curated library of titles where you can compete (or cooperate) online with friends, share your screen, or virtually pass the controller, depending on the game. It’s a great chance to rediscover or discover for the first time some of the classic titles of yesteryear and the fact that they’re all included within Nintendo Switch Online free of any additional charge is a big win when you consider how reasonably priced the service actually is. The addition of both local and online multiplayer into many of these games gives them a modern touch that will keep you coming back if you discover any titles that hook you in. And if a certain game doesn’t, well it doesn’t matter, you didn’t directly pay for it and you can just go right on ahead and jump into another game – it’s just like selecting a show to watch on Netflix really. As of August 2020, there are 54 NES and 31 SNES games available, including classics such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Kart, Super Metroid and many more. Members will probably be subscribing to Nintendo Switch Online mainly to access in-game online multiplayer, but this library of retro NES and SNES games is a great little bonus to have and, from my experience, really does add a lot of value to the service.