4 Ways Nintendo Can Improve Switch to Prove Doubters Wrong

The Switch, Nintendo'south newest video game arrangement, merges dwelling house gaming comfort and portability to create a unique, heart-catching platform.

The nifty Joy-Con motion controllers foster the same casual-friendly gameplay that made the Wii a hit, while Switch's tablet-style design and side-grip controller slots improve Nintendo's Wii U vision. When yous consider Nintendo'southward say-so over the portable console marketplace, information technology's piece of cake to imagine Switch following suit and delivering some truly splendid games. Still, it's but every bit easy to be apprehensive about committing to the new console, especially with Switch launching in the wake of Wii U'south passing.

Leaving Switch'due south Fate Up to Chance

From the arrangement's tricky reveal trailer, to its painfully detailed presentation, it is clear that Nintendo wants its audience to know exactly what Switch is, and what it can do. A quick glance at professional gaming outlets, or community-focused sites and YouTube channels, reveal Switch unboxing videos, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Bomberman R reviews, and innumerable hot takes. Nintendo is pushing Switch in a big way, and it'due south using the growing trend of gaming channels and online personalities to push the system into the eyes of the masses.

One affair is certain: the Nintendo Switch launch is going to be big. Only will the system maintain a steady burn, or exist a mere flash in the pan? Switch could be a potent contender in electric current console marketplace, if Nintendo plays its cards right. But to make Switch more appealing to gamers sitting on the debate, Nintendo should consider tweaking and improving the following four issues.

Switch Needs Potent Third-Party Support

To ensure the Switch'southward longevity and success, Nintendo needs good third-party developer support. Yep, we've all seen the fancy graphic featuring dozens of developers on lath with the Switch. Sadly, this means very little, equally Wii U boasted similar partnerships prior to the arrangement's launch. Third-party Wii U back up dwindled a few months afterward the system was released, and companies like EA abandoned Wii U software development entirely.

The video game industry changes constantly, so we tin't know what games ultimately come up to fruition. But Nintendo needs to secure these partnerships to go along the Switch relevant. We know the organisation tin't compete with the hardware muscle that Sony and Microsoft accept to offer, so Nintendo must keep the Switch appealing with solid software options. Because Switch is a portable/home panel hybrid, one tin promise that the system's lineup of games mirrors that of the Nintendo DS and 3DS, which enjoyed excellent tertiary-party support throughout their lifetimes.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo does its player base of operations a solid by making the Switch region-costless. You tin purchase and play Switch games from anywhere in the world, exist they niche Japanese games or big-proper name multiplatform titles. Wii owners might remember Functioning Rainfall, a social media entrada that urged Nintendo to bring several Japanese-exclusive titles to North America and Europe. Games like Xenoblade Chronicles and The Final Story made their way to Western shores thanks to the movement, just it might not have been as much of an result had Wii not been region-locked.

The Switch is too getting a surge of indie games throughout the year; about sixty take been announced for Switch, including Yooka-Laylee, Pocket Rumble, Stardew Valley, Shovel Knight, and more. This is great news, as it gives Switch owners a tremendous amount of content to chew through in between big-proper name releases and exclusives. Just these games alone won't exist plenty to go along Switch adrift: it needs compelling software that goes beyond the indie scene. Third-party support from companies EA, Ubisoft, and Square-Enix, exist it multiplatform ports or exclusive games, is extremely of import for enticing potential would-be Switch buyers. Bayonetta 2 was a tremendous Wii U asset, after all. We tin can only wonder in excitement at what companies, such every bit Platinum Games, Capcom, and From Software, are cooking up for Switch.

Switch Needs Modern Online Functionality

The Nintendo Switch reveal came with the revelation of a new, online service to go with it. This service is free at launch, but will adopt a subscription model in autumn. While this may not audio very different from the services Sony and Microsoft provide, these companies accept several years more experience with subscription-based online services, likewise equally incentives to encourage gamers to commit. PlayStation Plus'due south free monthly game downloads and Microsoft's Games with Gold are prime number examples. A quick wait at the official Switch online service page suggests Nintendo has a few odd kinks to work out.

The most positive aspect of Nintendo's new service is the discounted offers on select games, which is a genuinely squeamish perk, given that Nintendo games don't usually drop in price. But that's about the but good thing to come from the announcement.

Nintendo Switch

1 glaring event is the baroque monthly game download, which lets subscribers download 1 NES or SNES classic title for free, for a month. The caveat, however, is that yous don't go to keep it after that calendar month is over. This is only worsened past the fact that these games are several generations old and easily obtained online via emulators. Sony and Microsoft both give you a selection of games to download and proceed and then long as you keep your subscription active. Sure, these monthly offerings aren't technically gratuitous either, but it's a nice perk, especially since yous're paying for online connectivity anyway.

What is perhaps even more bewildering is Nintendo's employ of a smartphone companion app for basic online features, such as party chat and game invites. We can merely speculate about why Nintendo has opted for a companion app rather than designing these features directly into the Switch'south interface. Nintendo'southward online approach is odd, and nosotros can only promise that the company learns much from the jump and summer online beta.

Switch Needs a Arranged Game

In that location is no doubt that Wii'due south delinquent success was due to the console's unique motion gimmicks and casual appeal. Withal, the silent hero in the Wii's tale of celebrity is Wii Sports, the quirky, party-oriented sports game that came packaged with the console in some regions. Wii Sports epitomized the Wii feel: it used simple motion controls to cracking issue, while also crystallizing exactly what Wii offered.

Nintendo Switch is a portable console with two highly specialized Joy-Con controllers that tin be paired together for use as a single classic controller or divvied up with a second actor for co-op or competition. Only the Switch doesn't come packaged with whatever game to take reward of the dynamic controllers or the console's mobility.

Nintendo Switch

1-2-Switch is a party game that utilizes the Switch'due south portability, also as the 2 Joy-Con controllers for competitive dueling and party-style challenges. This makes one-2-Switch the platonic candidate for a bundled game, but Nintendo has opted to sell the game separately and for $l, no less. The tremendous success of Wii Sports, even in regions where the game was non arranged with the system, is very likely coloring Nintendo'south determination to sell one-2-Switch independently. Still, the game's quirky humor, lightheaded mini games, and Switch-exclusive tech would be ameliorate suited as a arranged title rather than a standalone game.

The two-player functionality of the Joy Cons, too as their highly versatile motion and IR capabilities, alongside a pack-in game, would perfectly emulate the NES bundles of old: Information technology would exist a mod iteration of the NES Activeness Set bundle from the tardily 1980s.

Switch Needs More Memory

Nintendo Switch launches with 32GB of internal storage space for game information, simply nearly 7GB of that is taken up by the console'southward system software. This ways you lot could hands use up what little retention the Switch is packaged with on a single digital game download. Alternative bundles with larger storage chapters would be ideal for those gamers who adopt to buy their games digitally.

Nintendo is avoiding the atrocious cost gouging that PlayStation Vita owners suffer past making the Switch compatible with generic micro SDXC cards. As you may know, PlayStation Vita uses outrageously expensive proprietary Sony retentiveness cards to store game data. With Switch, even so, you can buy whatever size microSD card you similar to replace the system's default storage.

It's too of import to annotation that Switch uses cartridge-based software that doesn't need to be installed onto the system, dissimilar PlayStation four or Xbox One, which brand installations mandatory for digital and physical games alike. Memory is less of an issue if you buy concrete cartridges, and then you can just popular a new game into the Switch and play correct abroad.

The issue hither, notwithstanding, is that not anybody wants to buy a physical version of the game. Many gamers prefer ownership digital games, as they don't accept up real-world infinite and tin't be lost. Nintendo Switch'south game cartridges are tiny: smaller than a Nintendo 3DS cartridge. You can't fault buyers for wanting to go digital to avoid having to keep rails of these atomic, yet highly valuable games cards. Once again, an alternative bundle with greater storage options would be ideal going forward.

Plus, game saves are stored to system retentiveness. They're realitively small-scale files, simply add up over time. If Nintendo immune users to move save data from the organization retentivity to microSD cards, it would be a much welcomed improver.

Final Thoughts

Nintendo is no stranger to iterative organisation releases. The Switch'southward spartan launch may not impress everyone correct out of the gate, but I accept no doubt that a Palatial Edition is coming down the pipage, with a larger microSD memory card, a pack-in game, or both. We tin almost certainly wait something like information technology after this yr. Nintendo Switch has tremendous potential, and I sincerely hope that information technology delivers on all fronts, and that Nintendo improves its weak points in fourth dimension for the holiday season.