Let's make this clear: Do Switch owners buy third party games?

[JCal]

I buy 3rd party exclusives and 3rd party games that perform about equally across the 3 consoles. If the Switch version is worse than the rest, I'm not interested. I also don't buy any partial download ports. Therefore, I skip a lot of Switch ports.

This year- DMC3 Switch, yep. Mega Man Zero Collection, yep. Bioshock Collection, nope.

 

[HououinKyouma]

It's become my primary Indie system over the PS4 at this point. For most 3rd party games though, I'm still going PS4.

 

[RoboitoAM]

I only buy third party stuff if it performs well and looks good for me. So, no, hardly ever.

 

[ShadowFox08]

I only have a switch. I have mostly 1st party, but plenty of third party as well. Switch is anemic on aaa western ports

 

[Reinhardt Schneider]

Eeeeeeeeehhhh yes, yes i do, both digital and physical, both indie and AAA. If it doesn't run or looks like Ark it has a place in my library, and if it has cross save, i'll double-dip

 

[metsallica]

I have well over 500 Switch games with a healthy mixture of indies, first-party, and third-party (if we feel the need to differentiate). If the port is solid and I'm interested, I will forgo all other versions to buy for Switch because I value the potability. This is despite owning a One X, PS4 Pro, a semi-adequate gaming PC, and with intentions on picking up a PS5/Series X shortly.

That was mostly due to extensive travel which the pandemic has destroyed, but I haven't changed my habits nor do I plan to after the next-gen consoles release. False hope? Maybe.

 

[Primate Ryan]

I bought a couple of hundred games for my Switch and most of them are relatively cheap eShop games, indies or otherwise.

I own most of Nintendo's new output as well and a couple of their ports.

Big publisher, third-party stuff? A couple of games, but I don't like spending money on games by Ubisoft, EA, Activision and their ilk.

 

[justiceiro]

I think the consensus is that you want to buy the best version of a game. Nintendo exclusives are obviously that. Indie games are cheap and don't push graphical fidelity, so it's "perfect for switch". Port of last gen games fits too. But current gen ports are often full price, and no matter the ability of the devs behind the port, it's the version with the most compromises. So in these cases, most people advise against buying it, or only the ones that game in commute only end up playing it.

 

[Astraea]

I buy mostly first party games, but do have a few third party games like Rune Factory, and some indie titles.

I don't own much on the Switch, though.
Fire Emblem
Pokemon Go Eevee
Xenoblade 2
Rune Factory 4 Special
Graveyard Keeper
Zelda Link's Awakening
Fault Milestone One

A lot of low spec indies I buy on PC and play on my Surface. I don't bring my Switch anywhere unless it's a friend's place.

 

[Tavernade]

Specifically for physical games, I think the only third party game I own is Wolfenstein II. And Mario + Rabbids if that counts.

That said, I own 15+ digital third party/indie games. I've also been heavily into my backstock recently, so outside of Control and Kingdom Hearts 3, I didn't really buy any AAA releases at all outside of Nintendo's stuff for the past two years.

 

[manzoman96]

The only third party games I have are digial. All of my physical games are first party.

 

[Yasumi]

Only about 10% of my Switch library is first party. Really not a fan of Nintendo games.

 

[TechMetalRules]

I voted first and third, but I buy a ton of indies as well, which I figured would count as third party, but I guess not according to the options.

 

[The 8-Bit Raider]

Roughly 90% of my 130 games are third party on the Switch. A grand majority of these are indies which are great for playing on the go i.e. Binding of Isaac, Enter the Breach, Slay the Spire, Shovel Knight, etc

Graphically intensive third party games are reserved for my PS4 and PC i.e. Observer, Alien Isolation, Doom, etc.

Edit: Given my age and limited time between responsibilities, the Switch has become my go to platform do to it's streamlined and no fuss approach to gaming. The OS is fast and games update extremely fast. The PS4 and PC just take too much time to boot and update when i get the chance to play. Sure, it's maybe a minute or two longer to start a game but I barley have 10 minutes o free time as is.

 

[Pargon]

Looking purely at the numbers, it's a 50/50 split - which actually surprised me, as I thought I had more indies than Nintendo-published games.
But the only reason I own a Switch is first-party games. Every indie title I own is one that I already have on PC, and either wanted to revisit or wanted a portable version.
Unfortunately that doesn't always work out as I hoped, as many of these games don't play well in handheld mode. Either the UI is too small, or the performance is bad.
I was really looking forward to revisiting Gone Home on the Switch recently, but had to abandon it because the frame rate made me badly motion sick.
I don't really like using the Joy-Cons to play games much either. It's a very disappointing system for me.

 

[Dremorak]

My switch is my main console at this point, which I haven't been able to say about a Nintendo console since the gamecube, and that was mostly because I could only afford one console lol

 

[Glio]

I have many more first party games than third party games, but if the port is good in a game and I think I will have an added value for playing on a handheld, I buy it on Switch.

Like, South Park, Starlink, Diablo 3, Tales of Vesperia ...

 

[Why would you do that?]

If it's an inferior port, I'll probably get it on PC.

If not (e.g. Puyo Puyo Tetris, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection, to name a few), or if it's barely inferior or otherwise a very acceptable port (e.g. Tales of Vesperia) I'll most likely get it on Switch.

 

[What-ok]

1st 3rd and Indy. There is so much to choose from and there are great titles for every category.

 

[CaviarMeths]

Did a count. Of a total 135 games I own for Switch:

7 are first party
38 are 3rd party
90 are indie

Line between indie and 3rd party can be pretty blurry these days so those last two numbers could be off.

Side note, 14 of those 38 3rd party games are Square Enix alone. I have literally double as many SE games as Nintendo games on Switch.

 

[makonero]

Mostly 1st and Indies honestly. 3rd party efforts are often weak and compromised and much cheaper elsewhere.

 

[Donniewahlberg]

Rough count but I've got about 25 first party games and 53 third party so I guess, yes? At least for me.

 

[BarryFishFinger]

Bit of everything for me. Currently playing Animal Crossing, Oceanhorn, Doom 3 and Mother Russia Bleeds. A nice mixture.

I'd buy a load more games if they weren't so fucking expensive Nintendo.

 

[Mr Swine]

Roughly 60% of my switch games are third Party.

 

[NotLiquid]

Unless a Switch version of a game is basically unplayable, I will likely buy it on there. About half of my Switch games are third party titles.

 

[VanDoughnut]

I buy Capcom games and Konami ports on Switch. Katamari. Indies like Hollow Knight and Thumper. But probably the majority of the games are first party, I mostly have a Switch for the exclusives. And ports I would like to have portable.

Games like Mortal Kombat I would just buy on PS4 cause I don't like the compromise on Switch.

 

[Chie Satonaka91]

I buy pretty much all 3rd party games on Switch in addition to the 1st party stuff. If a game skips Switch, I may buy on PC at a big discount at some point. I'm much more frugal on PC stuff. Stuff that skips Nintendo I tend to forget about/not care about. Never owned an Xbox and I've moved on from Playstation.

 

[Khanimus]

I did a library count the other day. I have like 120+ games registered in my Switch library. First Party ain't dominating that number.

 

[Chimpzy]

I do a bit of everything. First party, third party, indies. Roughly one third each.

 

[JudgmentJay]

I love my Switch, but it's for first-party games only. Mine never leaves the dock and I have a powerful PC so it makes no sense to voluntarily play the worst-looking version of a game.

 

[Jamix012]

Your poll does not have the option for what I think would be the most popular response:

I mostly buy exclusives on switch with the occasional multiplatform game

 

[Ushojax]

I don't buy lesser ports of PS4 games, no. But third party games that are developed for the Switch, absolutely.

 

[KraytarJ]

Pretty much only third party exclusives. Otherwise I'll pick up most third party stuff elsewhere.

 

[T002 Tyrant]

I'd rather wait over a year for a Switch version than day one on another platform.

 

[The Turbanator]

The only third-party games I'd really care for on Switch are longform games that are stylized enough that they wouldn't run/look like shit on the console (like TW3).

Persona 4G or 5R would've been perfect for this but instead we got whatever the hell Strikers is supposed to be.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

I mostly buy Switch exclusives. the only 3rd party games I own are the following: Puyo Puyo Tetris, Taiko no Tatsujin: DnF, DMC3: SE(Exclusive).

I have a PC for everything else.

 

[Bradford]

I only buy exclusives. So there are a few I have, I think, but very few.

Everything multiplat I buy on PC.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Most of my Switch games are either Nintendo published or indie but I've got some stuff from Capcom, Bethesda, etc.

Click to shrink...

3rd party, if they port them I will buy.

 

[Wulfric]

I buy both but mostly own the Switch for Nintendo titles.

The 3rd party games I bought were Spyro and Final Fantasy X HD/XII Zodiac Age.

 

[Pocky4Th3Win]

Wait I can play non Nintendo games on the switch?

/S

Honestly most of my switch games are Nintendo exclusive with a few small indie games I like.

 

[Reddaye]

I only buy a few third parties on Switch. Mostly because I'm not sure enough about my purchases carrying over to future Nintendo consoles, and that's becoming more and more of an important thing to me. I don't really want to invest much in any ecosystem that's just gonna get dropped in a generation or two.

Maybe I'm just weird though.

 

[toad02]

98% of my switch games are indies.
The other 2% is nintendo.

 

[ikaben]

Uhm, lets see:
First party:
BoTW
Smash
FE
RFA
Mario Kart

Third Party:
Grim Fandango Remastered
Witcher3
FFVII
FFVIII
DragonBall Fighterz
Dragon Ball Xenoverse2
RocketLeague
Civ6
Skyrim

Indies:
Escapist2
StardewValley
DeathSquared
Overcooked
Banner Saga

*
Mario+Rabids
FE:Warriors

However, most of third parties I've bought were heavily discounted.

 

[Z-Brownie]

hardly play third party since they are way to downgraded and i prefer to play on my one x

just remembered i have doom on switch, but it's the only one

 

[retroman]

I don't have a single Nintendo-published game. Most of my games are either indie or retro releases.

So, stuff like:
Arcade Archives
Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection
Blazing Chrome
Capcom Beat 'em Up Bundle
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
Contra Anniversary Collection
Cuphead
Cursed Castilla
Gunlord X
Fight 'n Rage
Huntdown
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
Mother Russia Bleeds
Namco Museum
Sega Ages
Sega Mega Drive Classics
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection
Sonic Mania Plus
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Streets of Rage 4
The Messenger
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap
etc.

 

[Hippopuncher12]

Yes, just not on my Switch lol. I'm sure a lot of people do for the handheld aspect but for someone like me that couldn't give poop about that part of it and use it as a dock only system, I am 100% never buying a Switch version of a multiplat. Now if it's a 3rd party exclusive? Sure, of course.

 

[Liam Allen-Miller]

Asking this here isn't going to get any sort of usable data. Consumers here are not the type to not have awareness of other games on Nintendo platforms.

 

[Flame Lord]

If it's available on another console, I'm 99% sure to get it there over Switch.

 

[Brix]

I buy both 1st and 3rd party.

 

[Clear]

Total game time I would say that 3rd party is 90% and 10% for nintendo games.

The portability and the ability to go on the TV are the big selling points. If sony or microsoft did it better I would jump to that.