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

[SilverX]

For a lot of people it means they actually get to play the games. Handheld isn't only used on the go, especially by people who don't live alone.

Click to shrink...

Having to rely on such a feature as a means to get to play a game isn't "preferring" it. I do understand there are situations where the handheld's screen is the most available screen to play on in a household, but we are talking about portability being the "must play it on this platform" feature and for that there are just too many drawbacks to choose it over the option of playing it on a higher powered gaming device.

 

[BFIB]

I have Witcher 3 on PS4, PC, and Switch and beat it and both expansions on Switch.

It's a great console, my favorite of all time.

 

[Savii]

Great thread OP! I wish I could play every game on a portable, it's so comfy! Don't care at all about graphics, most games I like are AA and indie games. I also have a PS4 that I play occasionally, but I only have like threes games on it that are AAA.

 

[Bishop89]

Portability means nothing to me.

I only ever game at home, so I'd see no reason why I'd want a portable experience when I can just plant my ass on the couch and play on the big screen

 

[Soapbox Killer]

Even though I just bought a 65in 4K in anticipation of finding a PSeries X I find myself allured by the call of the portability. I dont care about resolution when I can play Doom on my couch while holding the baby. I so rarely get the chance in game as i have in the past that its a blessing to be able to AAA game on the go at all.

 

[AusGeno]

I love playing my favourite RPGs in bed. Games like Skyrim and Octopath are like curling up with a good book.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Don't care about the portability. I only use it docked, and only for the rare exclusive that appeals to me. Multiplats are always PS4 purchases for me. The Switch has been a pretty pointless gaming purchase for me tbh.

 

[Ze_Shoopuf]

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...

Yup me too.
I don't care about portability at all since I have it docked, but not going to lie after getting a PS5 the excruciating load times for Animal Crossing, Age of Calamity, and others makes gaming on the Switch feel like a chore.

 

[thecaseace]

For me there's no better platform than Switch for JRPGs or Indies. Particularly as these are two genres where the performance differences between Switch and other platforms is felt least.

 

[King of Cups]

I would've agreed before I got my home theater set up and the PS5. Now anything that's not a true Nintendo exclusive is rather disappointing.

 

[Abdiel]

I haven't taken my switch from its dock ever, and I haven't even used it since fire emblem. Portable mode is pointless for me.

 

[Valcrist]

My Switch stays forever docked and I only play exclusives.

Switch screen doesn't look that great either IMO.

 

[lairo]

You know you've got a good poll when results are so evenly divided. Portable is amazing, even if I barely use it the times when I do are wonderful.

 

[Red]

I've traditionally been a Nintendo/PC guy, and the Switch had pushed me to change my PC habits. I've come to enjoy playing Pc games streamed to my phone. The portability is too good to pass up.

 

[Kakadu18]

The Switch is my favorite gaming system ever. I've almost completely stopped playing on other consoles.
I can play on the toilet after all.

 

[Deleted member 55822]

Having only a Switch Lite for more than a year now. At first I thought I would miss the TV function more, but as time pass it cements my preference to portability. I can carry it to the workplace and play some games when I have free time or do some overtimes. It also mean I don't have to share my TV with my mom who likes to use it since she's over 50 now and can't see small thing (like on phone) very well. So she prefers using a TV to watch YouTube videos.

Plus, only having a laptop that's surprisingly good for works given its age/specs and my job field. (Graphic Designer) But not so great at modern gaming. And having a really limited space mean PC gaming is not very comfortable over long session. With the Switch I can just lay down and play Zelda all day long. Like what I just did this new year holidays.

 

[John Frost]

Don't care, I'm only buying exclusives and a few indies on this thing.

 

[KraytarJ]

At this point I've stopped willing buying anything on switch. If I only have access to it there then sure but otherwise switch is a no go these days.

 

[60fps]

I don't care about portability but still have to live with its downsides, that's what bugs me.

I would love to enjoy games like Zelda, Fire Emblem or Xenoblade at a framerate and resolution they deserve (read: 60fps & 1440p) and would happily pay extra for a home console Switch with up-to-date hardware, but no - it's 2021 and I'm stuck playing in 720p at 20fps with 30 seconds load times or whatnot.

If anything, I've been spoiled by the PS5's fantastic hardware. Crisp resolution, 60fps and nonexistent load times alone make games more fun to play, that doesn't even involve any advanced graphics, AI or physics features.

 

[Dr.Ifto]

I have moved away from using the switch with the joy cons completely. After 2 sets both with major drift I'm done. It's now only docked and I use the pro controller. It has been relegated to just exclusives now. My ps5 can play remotely so I can play that on my laptop when I go places with good wifi.

 

[Deleted member 24052]

The switch is such a great console, I love its design and use it in portable mode often. If I can get a game on Switch I usually will.

 

[Arttemis]

I chose the middle answer, but a more accurate response for me would be that I value portability in certain genres. Anything that could be a fun party game is great on the switch, especially with a travel dock (which I Kickstarted). Even in these situations, though, I don't use the Switch as a handheld, but an easily transportable console.

 

[MrBanballow]

Unless the game is an absolute train wreck, I'll take a Switch version 9 times out of 10. Being able to grab the system out of the dock and take it with me is great, IMO.

 

[New Donker]

I have a super high tolerance for Switch ports just so I can play them portably.

 

[Jerm411]

Unless the game is an absolute train wreck, I'll take a Switch version 9 times out of 10. Being able to grab the system out of the dock and take it with me is great, IMO.

Click to shrink...

Pretty much the same, esp. for indies....I only really buy or play indie games on my Switch any more and love it.

Makes waiting for some games, like Spelunky 2 for example, hard but it's usually worth it.

 

[blackw0lf48]

Yea so often I find myself lying on my bed playing the switch version of a game, even though my pc is right next to me and I could just plop down on the chair and play the pc version with a much larger screen. I'm just way too comfy lying in bed though.

 

[RelaxItsJustMe]

The only way I'm buying Switch ports are if they don't have half the frame rate and also look worse on top of it. I still can't believe something like Ys 8 or Trials of Mana can only run 30 fps on Switch and look worse to boot. If the supposed Switch pro can play these types of games on at least like console parity I'd buy both games on it.

After that it's a tossup between achievements/trophies and portability which to my surprise, portability actually often won.

There are exceptions to both of these rules in special cases. Usually if it has something special like crosssave where I can double dip and get both achievements and portability on the same save like Hades.

But generally it means I'm not buying the Switch version.

 

[JershJopstin]

Having to rely on such a feature as a means to get to play a game isn't "preferring" it. I do understand there are situations where the handheld's screen is the most available screen to play on in a household, but we are talking about portability being the "must play it on this platform" feature and for that there are just too many drawbacks to choose it over the option of playing it on a higher powered gaming device.

Click to shrink...

No, the convenience is all there is to it. A lot of people just can't regularly sit in front of a TV or monitor for that long - or don't want to.

If you're looking for something about portability that enhances the gameplay experience for people, you're missing the point.

 

[Deleted member 59109]

I play on TV 100% of the time so I can't say portability is a huge deal for me

 

[Strings]

I've come to realise that despite owning every handheld released since the GBC, I don't actually value portability all that much. Those systems just catered to my genre tastes.

 

[Kasai]

Its usually a trophy vs portability dilemma personally.

I like laying on my couch and playing, but I like trophies on my PS4.

 

[smileyforall220]

2k is my most played game because of switch. Can play a match while watching tv super quick

 

[Deleted member 11370]

Its usually a trophy vs portability dilemma personally.

I like laying on my couch and playing, but I like trophies on my PS4.

Click to shrink...

This is 100% why I love my Vita so much.

 

[TechnicPuppet]

I sat for hours yesterday playing Stardew Valley with my son. Me on XSX him on XSS remotely with his phone and a Kishi. It's an excellent experience. So portability can be there if you want it.

 

[EarlGreyHot]

I'm with you OP.

While ago I wanted to buy Warriors Orochi 4. The PS4 version of that game is far superior to the Switch version. Beter resolution, framerate and it was cheaper... But I still went with the Switch version. I love taking my games with me. Even when I stay in the house.

 

[Window]

The price gap is too wide for me to consider buying multiplatform games on the Switch. I really like the portability but I only use it around the house when not wanting to play on tv. I can just use remote play for that.

 

[Jolkien]

Portability brings nothing to me. Especially now since my work is permanent work from home so when it's quiet I just use my PS5. Most game I've played on my Switch just make me wish it was on better hardware.

Sadly I did not boot my Switch since March.

 

[Redcrayon]

Having to rely on such a feature as a means to get to play a game isn't "preferring" it. I do understand there are situations where the handheld's screen is the most available screen to play on in a household, but we are talking about portability being the "must play it on this platform" feature and for that there are just too many drawbacks to choose it over the option of playing it on a higher powered gaming device.

Click to shrink...

I think you're kinda missing the point here. If you're reducing it to 'if I have the choice of both, am sitting in my living room in front of the awesome home media centre I've spent loads on tailoring it just the way I want it as I spend loads of time there and have several hours to myself, why would I choose the low power device with small screen?' then fair enough, that's totally understandable, I was much the same in my 20s. I poured hundreds of hours into Skyrim on PS3 on a big telly in a way I wouldn't be able to do without a Switch now, but still picked it up again on the latter.

I prefer playing rpgs on Switch now as it's preferable to not playing at all, and also being chained to a screen in a specific room to play through a 50 hour+ game feels archaic to me these days when I want to be able to stop and start and sling it in my pocket/a drawer /a bag or whatever I have a few minutes to make progress without needing to sit in a specific place to do so, much as I do with other media. As a parent that does a lot of travelling, that hasn't sat in front of a tv for more than an hour in a decade and that doesn't have endless hours to myself in the living room any more, convenience trading off against a lower-powered device is a preferable way to get the most out of gaming hardware compared to an expensive home media centre that I would barely ever get the time to use. It's not about the hardware specifically making the game itself more enjoyable in the moment of play, it's making those moments available to fit into a busy day- I didn't trade two home consoles and a stack of unplayed games in because I enjoyed playing them less, but because I didn't enjoy seeing them sitting there unused. That's why I haven't even had a dedicated home console in years. Even lockdowns here haven't made me think about buying one again. It's not about preferring the hardware having created the ideal conditions, having the time and invested in being able to sit and play a game in a specific place for hours on a regular basis, it's that those conditions aren't available on a regular basis for everyone, and so a preference to have media available whenever people can fit it in isn't unusual in 2020, no matter how much some hobbyists think specs and high-end performance are everything to experience a game in it's most enjoyable state, because that's the hobby to them. I've been using portables for 30 years, they pretty much are the hobby to me these days (although I've used them more than home consoles ever since starting commuting 20 years ago), and having bigger titles running on them now (no matter how rough the ports, looking at you The Outer Worlds) is a compromise on stuff I care way less about to gain the things I do.

To me it's also less that the Switch is a specifically wonderful portable (although the choice of big RPGs combined with indies and monhun makes its games range feel tailored to me given the tech and market moving to everything being multiplat where possible) and more that it's the last one left standing at a point where you can finally get big expansive RPGs on one. Are they the best versions comparing only software to software? No, obviously there's a performance difference between a something the size of a tablet and a huge home console. But trying to excise the portable hardware factor when defining why someone might prefer the version you can play on portable hardware feels like missing the wood for the trees. It's like asking why anyone would possibly keep compressed music files on their phone and enjoy having it accessible all the time because they can listen to it more, when they could have an amazing hifi setup with pro headphones and a comfy chair at home, or why they would enjoy using the tv apps on a tablet when they've got a huge flat-screen in the living room.

 

[fourfourfun]

I ditched my PC in favour of Switch for the convenience. There were many other benefits other than portability, but the ability to quickly pick up the unit and play on a whim was a huge one. My PC was set up in my front room and playing a game involved reaching behind the TV stand, powering it on, grabbing the keyboard and trackpad, going through Windows, finding something I wanted to play. If I got interrupted by the family wanting to use the TV, I would have to go all the way and power off again. The spectre of that hanging over me more than often led me to superficially playing games.

On Switch, I pick up a controller, hold a button and very quickly I'm in a game. Somebody is on the TV, I can have it next to me and play there. I can play it AND watch TV. Or, if I'm upstairs doing bedtime and satisfying a "can you stay up here?" request, I can play it on my bed or hook it up to the spare dock upstairs.

Flexibility and everything about the machine is centred around quick convenience.

Obviously, in a world where I leave the house to go to work, having it on the train was great.

It isn't all lightness and joy in Switch world - it sincerely needs to address the ruggedness and connectivity of the joycons - but I'll take that atm as I'm actually playing games again.

For things that I cannot play on Switch, I'm monitoring cloud gaming. Once again, it is a solution that is completely centred around user experience. I had a try of Stadia on a laptop and the front end and speed to play aspect of it was great, way beyond GeForce Now. Only thing that keeps me from going in is that it doesn't work on a Fire Stick natively. But then we have Luna to come for that. (I tried Control, which was cool on Switch, but I like that these solutions have the neat controllers that reduce input lag)

 

[Prine]

Portability is not a feature I need or value.

 

[ryushe]

Portability is great but I think the real star of the show is the Switch's "rest mode."

Being able to jump right back into a game in seconds after putting the system to sleep is the most important feature for me.

 

[Niklel]

Portability is a nice option to have, but I am not ready to sacrifice both performance and graphics for this option.
So I pretty much only play Nintendo exclusive games on my switch.

+ Indie games are pretty good on Switch, because they usually don't demand a powerful hardware, have more simple graphics, mechanics, etc.

 

[WelshBluebird]

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

Click to shrink...

This basically.
I specifically bought my Switch to be able to play larger games whilst not infront of my TV as I tended to travel a fair bit to see gigs, to see football or just to see friends and family, so having the portability was amazing. I found myself double dipping into games I had already owned so I could actually spend the time in those worlds (The Witcher, Skyrim etc). But at least for now, those reasons for travelling are off the table so I am spending 90% of my free time infront of my TV so it really isn't an issue right now Later this year, hopefully it will be something I need to think about again!

 

[Kromeo]

Completely depends on the game, if its something even remotely higher end then I want to play it on theTV, if it's Disgaea or Stardew Valley I'll play it on the Switch

 

[Teepo671]

The portability is fine but it'll never be the reason I choose a game on the switch over another platform. It just means I might double dip and get a switch version later down the line.

 

[AniHawk]

if i have a switch version available to me, there's a good chance i'll give it a shot over any other version. i just bought the two ori games on switch over pc, for example, since i can lay back on the couch and play it handheld while a tv show runs in the background, or i can make it a tv game while i exercise. pre-pandemic, this was considerably more useful, as i would also travel internationally multiple times a year and having something for long plane trips that i could continue or finish at home was great.

 

[TheGhost]

I want my games to look good so the only thing i purchase for switch are the first party exclusives.
I dock way more often than hands free.
I only brought out on lunch break 3 or 4 times since I owned it.

 

[Unkindled]

Portability does nothing. Mainly game at home with my free time.

 

[LaoJim]

The problem is just that the switch just isn't portable for me. Portable would mean something I can put in my pocket. I need to get a bag for the switch and by that point I might as just take my laptop with its Steam library and other functionality and anyway I don't always want to take a bag with me and have to worry about losing valuable electronics. And given that it's non-portable, I might as well get the games cheaper with better performance on XBox/Playstation. Bought a Switch in preparation for SMT5 and Bayonetta 3. Haven't really been feeling much love for it so far. Also resent the fact that for the third time in three generations I'm expected to by a 'pro' controller to get the same level of comfort you get with the other consoles as standard. Also, Atlus put all SMT games and Etrian Dungeon on sale for 3DS weeks after I got my Switch. I hadn't actually played the 3DS much before that. Also had WiiU and have bought all the rereleased exclusives and BotW just before getting a Switch. Also don't like BotW.

 

[Supoman]

Ever since I got mine, I have maybe played only once or twice in handheld mode. Always prefer to play on a TV.