After the era of the Internet explosion, the world has entered the digital age. With advancements in science and technology, mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular and compact to meet the needs of modern humans, such as communication and entertainment, especially gaming.
In addition to smartphones, other popular mobile gaming devices include handheld game consoles. According to Wikipedia, a handheld game console is "a small-sized, portable gaming device with an independent screen, integrated controller, and speakers." Currently, the handheld gaming market is thriving with prominent products such as the Legion Go, ASUS ROG Ally, and especially the Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo Switch was first launched on March 3, 2017, and its second version was released on September 20, 2019, creating a "buzz" in the gaming community. Recently, the Nintendo Switch 2 is rumored to be launching soon. This article will assess whether, after 5 years, the Nintendo Switch is still a "great deal" worth buying for oneself or as a gift for friends during the 2024 holiday season.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT NINTENDO SWITCH:
Weight: 3.15 pounds (approximately 390 grams)
Screen size: 6.2 inches, resolution: 4K
CPU: ARM Cortex-A57 & ARM Cortex-A53
GPU: Nvidia GM20B
Internal memory: 64GB
Included accessories:
Neon Red & Neon Blue Joy-Con (a signature feature of Nintendo Switch compared to other brands)
1 x Switch Dock
1 x Joy-Con Wrist Straps
1 x Joy-Con Grip
1 x High-Speed HDMI Cable
1 x AC Adapter
Features, battery life, and display quality:
Features:
With a weight of just around 3.15 pounds (approximately 390 grams), holding the Nintendo Switch provides a much more comfortable and lighter experience compared to playing games on an iPad.
The Nintendo Switch is equipped with an operating system completely different from other brands. Specifically, other brands build gaming consoles that function more like handheld computers, where you have to wait for the operating system to load before playing a game. But with the Nintendo Switch, all you need to do is press the power button, and then press another button to continue where you left off. To put it simply, gaming consoles from other brands are like cars with engines that need to warm up before you can drive, while the Nintendo Switch is like a bicycle—just hop on and go. This makes it perfect for those who like to use short breaks to play games without worrying about the device overheating or running in the background.
Battery Life:
While other brands are racing to improve configurations, the trade-off has been battery life. However, Nintendo has always followed its own path. The goal of the Nintendo Switch isn’t to chase the latest gaming trends but to focus on retro gaming and light, family-friendly games, along with an exclusive game library.
Perhaps due to this approach, despite being equipped with a battery of only about 4300mAh, the device can still last up to 6 hours of gameplay.
Display Quality: As mentioned earlier, Nintendo’s focus is not on chasing high-end specifications but on providing a gaming experience suitable for families. Therefore, the display quality is only average, so don’t expect it to compare with other consoles like the PS4, PS5, or Xbox.
3. IN CONCLUSION, is the Nintendo Switch still worth buying?
The answer is yes, it still holds value and is worth purchasing for the following reasons:
Compact and convenient for portability.
Despite being released many years ago (7 years since the first version), Nintendo continues to support the Switch with updates (such as the OLED screen version).
A large community of Nintendo users, and accessories are easily available.
Finally, a unique feature is that games for the Nintendo Switch can be purchased directly from the store (like the App Store or Google Play Store) OR you can buy physical game cards, which also have collectible value.
FUN FACT: Nintendo Switch game cards have a bitter coating to prevent children or pets from swallowing them. 🙂
You can check out the products via the following links:
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