I'm afraid I've been spoiled by the Switch's portability

[Lant_War]

So, having had my Switch for a month now, I've pretty much gotten used to it now. So once the novelty of a new console wore off, I went back to my PS4 to check out the christmas sales on the PS Store since those are usually pretty good but... you see, browsing through all of these games, there's one big issue: I'll be limited to playing where my TV is. It sounds dumb, it's how gaming's always worked outside of handhelds and while it's true my TV is garbage games still look really nice on it; it didn't truly hit me until I tried the CTR trial on NSO where I suddenly was playing the exact same game I'd played for hundreds of hours on PS4 on the go, wherever I wanted. The graphical downgrade is significant, yes, but in my opinion the freedom gained is worth it.

Then you have other games, mainly indie games, where graphically the versions are identical so in that case going for the Switch version seems like a no-brainer for me. The lack of achievements / trophies kinda sucks for the people that want them and it's true that the Switch's controls aren't really the most comfortable, but again, the freedom is worth it. The only case I can think of where I wouldn't want to grab the Switch version is if a port was unplayable-level broken, but thankfully those don't really seem to be that common.

Of course, this is just me. How much do you value portability when it comes to choosing the platform you'll play a game on?

 

[RadzPrower]

Pre-pandemic, I'd have agreed with you. These days I've got more time free for sitting in front of my TV or PC, so I find myself not playing Switch as much these days and almost never in handheld.

 

[Deleted member 21709]

The UI (no folders), lack of achievements (I am not someone that chases them but I think they add a nice meta) and the awful to use eShop has stopped me from buying a lot of games of non-exclusives on Switch.

 

[mnk]

I don't know why I hate being tied down to a TV so much, but I rarely ever play my PS4 (or the PS3 before it). I'll always take the Switch port, or wait if I think a Switch port will happen. But now I have a decent gaming laptop, so I'll probably start being more open to PC versions depending on a game's Switch performance.

 

[Lant_War]

The UI (no folders), lack of achievements (I am not someone that chases them but I think they add a nice meta) and the awful to use eShop has stopped me from buying a lot of games of non-exclusives on Switch.

Click to shrink...

Yeah the OS on the Switch is definitely barebones. I don't mind since it's super snappy but some level of customization for the homescreen would be nice at least.

 

[CloseTalker]

If visuals aren't compromised or a big factor, I'll go Switch 100% of the time. 80% of my indies are bought on Switch (with the other 20% being Game Pass titles). But i'd never play something like DOOM or The Witcher on Switch just because it's portable.

 

[nekkid]

Did you mean to post this in the Gaming graveyard?

 

[Lant_War]

Did you mean to post this in the Gaming graveyard?

Click to shrink...

I don't see why they even let you post threads on hangouts tbh

 

[RadzPrower]

Yeah the OS on the Switch is definitely barebones. I don't mind since it's super snappy but some level of customization for the homescreen would be nice at least.

Click to shrink...

For a predominantly handheld, it's actually what I prefer. Just power on and go.

 

[Brix]

It's good. But the power gap suffers. My pc and PS5 are way stronger for example. I can play everything at 60fps. Even botw on an emulator can at 4K 60fps.

 

[MavFan619]

I only really play exclusives on Switch. Which I love but I'm not playing Overwatch at 720p or something just because it's portable.

 

[DiceyRobot]

I've had my Switch for a little over a year now and still have yet to dock it in TV mode. Portability is just too damn convenient. I've also been busy with the birth of my daughter, so sitting down in front of a TV for an extended period of time is just not really a feasible thing anymore lol. So yes, I'm very appreciative of the Switch.

 

[Deleted member 4869]

Voted for I don't care at all.

I hate playing on tiny screens and to constantly worry about battery life cutting my playthroughs short. I also don't play games outside my home.

My Switch has not left its dock a single time since I bought it. Not once.

I didn't bought my OLED TV to play on a tiny screen. Portability is completely irrelevant to me.

 

[John Omaha]

Depends on the genre. I wouldn't play a fighting game seriously on a portable. If it's a high-end game with a focus on twitch reactions, I'd rather play on a platform that can maintain a consistent framerate. For everything else, yeah, I tend to go for the convenience of portability.

 

[Helix]

I played almost all of Breath of the Wild on my commute to my University. it was the best few months of my life and it was the most fun I had during a commute and it's all thanks to the switch's portability.

 

[Glio]

I tried Slay the Spire on Game Pass and got bored within half an hour. I bought it this Christmas and I've been playing it on Switch for over twenty hours now.

For certain games and genres, portability is key.

 

[Ehoavash]

My switch screen is cracked so I only play dock only

So not at all I guess

Only reason I buy some titles on switch now cause if it's( first party nintendo ) indie exclusive ( hades ) which sucks with Joycons

get a pro controller and never go back

 

[Pineapple]

I have been primairly a handheld gamer my entire life, so yeah I will often wait for games to hit Switch to play them there. I still play elsewhere for other system's exclusives and such.

 

[Transistor]

Portability is the Switch's defining factor. Hell, I barely even use mine in the dock anymore.

 

[Mana Latte]

I used to always have a handheld whether the DS family or Sony's offering. With the Switch I just kinda fell off handheld gaming and anymore I just prefer to have the best version of console games. Not a knock at the system just isn't for me anymore

 

[Hutchie]

Mostly go for switch version due to portability. Would go ps4 for fighting games though

 

[Deleted member 9241]

I realized many years ago that I simply am not a portable gamer. I want big screens and big sound. The bigger the better!

If I am not sitting down in front of my PC or TV, I'm doing something else that 100% is not video game related. Perhaps my opinion would change if I had a long commute or something like that. Honestly, I'd probably still rather not.

 

[HardRojo]

Portability is only a factor if the game runs virtually identically on a Switch and another platform. Games like Phoenix Wright Trilogy and the MegaMan Collections (Classic, X and Zero/ZX) for example. With that said, I ended up playing the PW Trilogy on docked mode most of the time so I should've just gone with the PS4 version for some easy trophies...
Other than that, I give 0 shits about portability, I hardly even use my Switch as a handheld.

 

[Glio]

Precisely with the pandemic, I have found myself on more occasions playing on handheld even if I do not leave home. For example, a family member or roommate is watching a quiz on living room television and you don't want to take it off to start playing. You can lie on the couch playing Switch until the TV is free.

 

[AfropunkNyc]

Own a PC, Switch and PS4. The Switch stayed portable, cause personally that's all it was good at. The PC was my main guy for my gaming experience. Once i ran through the exclusives on the ps4, which was a handful the guy basically collected dust. I came to the realization i only needed the Switch and my PC so i sold off the PS4 pro. The Switch covers handheld gaming very well, to a point where i already labeled it as the best handheld of all time IMO.

 

[AgeEighty]

For anything that's available on it, I will tend to choose the Switch version for that portability.

It's funny: Switch is the first console that has almost all my favorite games of all time on it. Not just stuff like FFVII, FFIX, Okami, SF Collection, BioShock Collection, and various others, but also all my Nintendo faves. All on one console for the first time. So I tend to want to collect as much as possible on there, even leaving aside the portability factor.

 

[Aostia82]

I play WAY MORE thanks to Switch hybrid nature

 

[turbobrick]

Being portable makes me more likely to play a game, because its easy to pick up and down throughout the day. Since I got my Switch I've stopped buying PS or Xbox games all together. Though I still play PC a lot, but those are mostly FPS games. Games like RPG's I will vastly prefer a portable platform

 

[Deleted member 49438]

I mostly play it for the exclusives, but certain types of games I prefer the portability aspect (puzzle, VN, side scrollers, some JRPGs & retro games). That said, for example, when Persona 5 Strikers comes out I'll probably get it on Steam because it's a warriors style game & it'll definitely run significantly better on my PC. So it varies.

 

[Martin]

I love playing games on my switch. Portability is only reason I managed to finish games like Witcher 3, Xenoblade 2 and was able to put many hours into Overwatch, Zelda and Smash Bros.
Even when not having time to play, with the switch I somehow find some time to just put in some minutes.
So yeah, if the performance is okay I'm always choosing the switch version!

 

[ryushe]

Yep. I've been this way since 2017 after playing BotW and I'm likely gonna be this way for the foreseeable future.

I'm playing through 13 Sentinels now and I know I would've been done with it weeks ago if I weren't tethered to a console.

 

[NotLiquid]

Switch's entire main gimmick has really had a ripple effect on my subconscious gaming habits. Three years ago I was shocked how a game like Breath of the Wild could run in a very uncompromised state on the Switch's portable screen (and to some extent I'm still wow'ed by more detailed games that manage to do the same), much like many console gimmicks I was wow'ed by the novelty, but these days going for it as an option whenever available is basically an instinct. I really just want more games on it for the sake of portability. Even in pandemic times I just like chilling on the couch with a game while some movie or show is on.

 

[Distantmantra]

The UI (no folders), lack of achievements (I am not someone that chases them but I think they add a nice meta) and the awful to use eShop has stopped me from buying a lot of games of non-exclusives on Switch.

Click to shrink...

My daughter got a Switch for Christmas and I've bought myself a couple games for it. I was playing Bayonetta 2 last night and the lack of Trophies was actually kind of nice. I didn't think about them or obsess over them like I do sometimes on the PS4. I was just thinking about playing the game.

The complete lack of online communication is horrible and Nintendo should be called out for it on a daily basis, though.

 

[Deleted member 11370]

I love portability. My 2DS XL, DSi (XL) and PS Vita are played regularly, almost as much as my PS4 (now PS5).

That being said... I just don't care about the Switch as a handheld. I find it offers a lackluster console experience and a middling handheld experience. It's the worst of both worlds for me. I'd rather play on 100% dedicated hardware these days. I find they offer the best version of the games designed for them, without compromises to make them run on handheld and docked modes m

 

[Deleted member 37928]

What makes me want to dock the Switch is mostly because it's uncomfortable to play in portable mode. I either hunch over or lay down raising my arms and neither is a good option for me. And I know it's possible to use the little stand on the back and play with a controller sitting straight, but then it really feels like I could just as well sit in front of the tv.

 

[Eggiem]

Voted for I don't care at all.

I hate playing on tiny screens and to constantly worry about battery life cutting my playthroughs short. I also don't play games outside my home.

My Switch has not left its dock a single time since I bought it. Not once.

I didn't bought my OLED TV to play on a tiny screen. Portability is completely irrelevant to me.

Click to shrink...

I know that feeling. Its because OLED TVs spoil every other display. I'm in the market for a new gaming monitor but only a 48inch OLED seems reasonable. Maybe I just go for the LG 65inch this year and use my 55inch B7 as a wall mounted monitor.

 

[dragonflys545]

I only get exclusive titles on the Switch. Portability is non-existent since my joy-cons started drifting.

 

[Loud Wrong]

Means little to nothing to me. My Switch is just to play games made by Nintendo.

 

[Precious Tritium]

Choosing between other consoles and switch for indie games I'll usually choose the switch.

Though it makes it easier to find time to play, I often find myself playing in handheld mode without sound while half watching something on tv with family. So missed quite a bit of voice acting and music while playing Hades.

 

[silva1991]

I had 4 portable systems in my life not including phones. I can count the number of times i used them to play outside in my two hands let alone only the Switch(i took it outside 3-4 times at best since 2017). I just don't enjoy playing outside of home. so yeah voted I don't care.

 

[rdaneel72]

Had to work this morning, running acct statements on a digital press. Nothing to do but fill the paper trays when they empty out and clear the occasional paper jam. The rest of the time I am sitting in my office listening to football game on the internet.

But with my Switch I can visit my AC town, or grind for gil in FFX to get Yojimbo, or knock out some G-rank quests in MHGU. Made the shift go quickly.

Switch is all I own and all I need.

 

[mopinks]

portability is very, very important to me

the Switch is a godsend

 

[BassForever]

I buy more games then I otherwise would because they're on switch

 

[RedOnePunch]

Yeah when I was commuting it was great. Now I just get it on PC where I can play games at high frame rates.

 

[Why would you do that?]

That poll is soooo even, it's a very nice poll.

For me, I get my games on PC if there's a performance difference greater than a small one (e.g. Doom Eternal) but otherwise I'll get it on Switch (e.g. Tales of Vesperia).



And then there's FUSER. I really want it but didn't buy it yet because I can't decide if I want it on Switch (convenience) or PC (performance, though it doesn't matter too much, and possible mod support). I think I'm going to have to wait until it gets cheap enough, then buy it on both. I don't know, that game totally broke me...

 

[Kresnik]

This pretty much describes how I felt getting my first Vita in 2012. I had written off portable consoles because I felt like I much preferred gaming on a TV etc. But the portability was just so good, and there was so many games that I was enjoying on it that I never really went back to home console gaming - indies/Japanese titles are certainly better on it, but even some of the AAA games were up to snuff as well.

It made me kick myself that I'd never bothered with the PSP back in the day, because I'd bet I'd have loved it (noisy UMD's aside).

I'm glad more people are discovering this with Switch.

 

[K Samedi]

Yeah it's hard to go back to a stationary console. I barely could play ps4 games and kind of got bored of gaming until I bought a Switch. Now I game around an hour or 2 daily. I'll probably still buy a PS5 eventually for a few exclusives but I'll stick with the Switch as long as it lasts.

 

[FTF]

The switch is great, but I play it 99% of the time on my tv.

 

[Mama Robotnik]

Completely understand where the OP is coming from.

My Switch hasn't been in its dock for literally years. The immediacy of play in portable form - for substantial titles like Zelda, The Witcher and massive indies - is just a game changer for me.

The Split Pad Pro is a wonderful thing by the way, if you find the default joycons uncomfortable or suffer from drift. I got one for cheap, plugged it in, was wowed, and never unplugged them again.

 

[undefined]

Portable mode is just too comfy