A week with the Nintendo Switch
Like many, I have been playing with the Nintendo Switch for just over a week. In that time, I have quite enjoyed the console. But there have been a few issues with the hardware design that kind of put a damper on the fun. This is not meant to be a review in the sense of me saying whether the console is worth purchasing. Instead, I am using this space to document my initial observations and thoughts. We will see if they change over time.
Playing Games
During this time, I have played the Switch in all three modes: TV mode, handheld mode, and tabletop mode.
TV/Dock Mode
From a usability standpoint, TV mode works well. You can easily turn the console on from the Pro Controller. Alternatively you can boot the console from the power button on the top of the tablet. Interestingly though, that button is tiny. While well suited for a portable console as you do not want it turning on or off accidentally in your bag, for a stationary console it seems a bit odd.
Part of this I think resides with the flaws of the dock itself. While I am not specifically referring to the reports that the dock is scratching the tablet’s screen, and in some cases even bending it, those concerns are present. I am actually referring to the most basic of features the dock is missing. For example, why is there not a dedicated power button on the dock? There is a green LED power indicator, so I feel the dock would have been better with a large power button like traditional consoles. Speaking of LED indicators, the one that indicates the Switch is charging is a solid green. When you slip the console onto the dock to charge it, the screen momentarily illuminates (of which only a tiny portion is visible above the dock) and displays a battery indicator. But then it turns off. I believe an amber LED should have been on the dock or even the side of the tablet itself (on the edge near the green LED on the dock) since it is capable of being charged without the dock. Amber on should have meant charging (like most prior Nintendo handhelds), no light would mean the battery was full, and a solid green light would mean the console is on. Instead a single color LED (green) and pattern (solid or off) is trying to show all of those statuses.
Moreover, there is really not much hardware in the dock. No graphical boosts or Blast Processing. So why is video out of the tablet limited to using the dock? I would have loved to have seen video directly out of the tablet either using the USB C port or even adding an HDMI port. This would have made the console great for traveling as you could easily plug it into whatever TV you were near with basic cables. Instead now, most will likely choose to play on the built-in screen when traveling instead.
Moving beyond the dock, the console usually resides in a low power mode so it is pretty snappy to turn on. For the same reason, your last played game sits in a saved state till you return. While this is most advantageous for handheld mode, it is well appreciated compared to other modern consoles that take much longer to get running (even from their own low-power modes). Likewise, since games are cartridge based, they just run. No need for installs here.
Graphically, the Switch looks fine. Admittedly I have only played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild so my experiences are limited to that one title. But the game looks decent, especially when you accept that this is a portable console with the ability to connect it to your big screen. It will not likely blow you away, but it looks pretty good nonetheless. That said, I wonder how much the art style of the game aids the appearance of performance, and whether future titles will make the limitations more obvious. By contrast to the strong visuals, the framerate occasionally drops, which really experience considering the game is only 30 frames-per-second to begin with. (for the record, I have experienced slowdown in both TV and handheld mode, see infra).
Handheld Mode
This mode feels pretty good. The screen is a decent size, the controls (Joy-Cons) are comfortable, and it uses materials that feel more premium than recent past consoles. This mode is where it is clearest: this is a console for adults. With how delicate its accessories and even the tablet itself feel, this is not something you would want to frivolously give to children like may have been possible with prior Nintendo handhelds. Or even compare the Switch in handheld mode to the Wii U gamepad. One feels like a modern gaming device, and one feels like a “Fisher-Price toy” (credit to @CaptinChaos for the astute observation). Even Nintendo’s own promotional videos show adults on rooftops playing the console instead of kids or families like on other recent consoles.
Graphics while in handheld mode are fine as well. While the screen is not the best screen I have ever seen on a device, it fills its purpose well and looks decent too. While most complaints have only discussed framerate problems with Breath of the Wild in TV mode when the resolution runs a bit higher, I actually experienced some minor problems in handheld mode as well. It was really only when using one particular sword which caused sparks and other particle effects to appear that the console hit some major slowdown. By no means game breaking as it was very limited, but worth mentioning if only to balance out the assertions that frames only drop when the console is docked.
Tabletop Mode
This is perhaps the weakest of the three modes. In theory it is a fresh idea for a portable console. But in execution, I do not see it being used as often as the other two modes. To use tabletop mode, just flip out the kickstand built into the back of the console. But be careful, the kickstand is just a flimsy piece of plastic. Also be sure you do not accidentally bump the microSD card which is hidden behind the kickstand, but is fully exposed with the kickstand deployed. The good news is, you will rarely even want to use the kickstand as it puts the tablet at such a steep angle, around 68°, that “tabletop” mode is misleading. More realistically, you would need the device at just below eye level in order for the tablet to be at a comfortable viewing angle; not on a table for you to look down at.
Perhaps if you move back far enough, it would be sufficient. This would make some sense for those multiplayer games in which you would be forced to move back so you and the other player could both see the screen. But where this assumption falls short is that the screen is very small. Sure, it is fine in handheld mode when it is relatively close to your face. Compare though, being multiple feet away and at an angle to the side to account for the other player. I am not sure that will be comfortable for more involved multiplayer games.
Perhaps one solution to having people crowded around the display would have been for the Switch to feature a larger screen. While in handheld mode, the current size is fine for personal consumption. But when I had the console sitting next to my iPad recently, I realized how much better the experience would have been if the Switch had a larger screen.
Admittedly, there are a number of benefits to a small screen. Firstly, the smaller the screen, the more portable the console. However, the Switch while portable, is not really mobile. What I mean is, it is not a console I can just slip into my pocket while heading out to ride the subway. With the joy-cons attached, the device is quite long, and rather beefy too when you factor in the height of the thumbsticks. Plus, given how fragile the console feels, you are probably going to want to keep it inside some kind of case or sleeve, increasing the overall bulk. Thus, you will likely be stuck carrying some larger bag in order to account for the console’s size. As a result, if you already are going to have to carry a backpack or briefcase anyway, why not increase the screen size to make it more comfortable?
Other reasons the decision for a small screen may have made include: 1) to keep cost down; 2) for battery efficiency (though a larger body would mean a larger battery could fit, but then refer back to the first reason mentioned); and finally 3) because a larger screen would more clearly show the limitations of a 720p screen. I think this last point is perhaps the most persuasive as to why the small screen was chosen: games look good on it. And I get that. But as we joked on a recent episode of The B-Team Podcast, no one should be surprised when we see a Switch XL with a larger display in a year or two.
Another flaw with tabletop mode however is the inability to charge the console. As the USB Type C connector is on the bottom of the device, a cable cannot be inserted when the device is seated on a table. An easy solution would be if the tablet supported screen rotation. Then if you needed to charge the device, you could just flip it 180° and have the USB cable coming out of the top. This would not however allow for the kickstand to be used. But since you will likely have to be using your own separate stand to prop up the device at a more comfortable angle anyway, it might not matter. Unfortunately, the larger concern is then the headphone jack would be on the bottom. Though if you are using a third party stand anyway, there are plenty available that already make both the headphone and USB ports accessible while propping up the device, so this may be a moot issue.
Another alternative, and in my opinion better design, would have been to put the headphone jack on the bottom of the left joy-con. This would have allowed cables to only have to come out of one side of the device when charging and using headphones simultaneously (since Bluetooth headphones are not currently supported).
Having a headphone jack on the bottom of the joy-con would have also been beneficial if using the console in any mode where the joy-cons are detached as it would allow you to continue to use headphones wirelessly. This is something Sony included on the DualShock 4 controllers, and Microsoft more recently added to their Xbox One controllers. On a related note, unfortunately the Pro Controller also lacks a headphone port. Though had the left joy-con featured a headphone port, even if you were using the Pro Controller, it would have been easy enough to keep the single joy-con on your person. Though I suppose if you are going to be stuck carrying around an extra device just for game audio, knowing Nintendo they will include this feature via an app on your phone.
Other Hardware Observations
Controllers
Though I have already discussed suggestions I think would have made the controllers better, overall I think they arequite usable. I frankly wish there were a directional pad on the left joy-con instead of the directional buttons. The buttons themselves are fine, but not in place of a D-Pad. Though the Pro Controller has a very functional D-Pad, not all games (e.g. Blaster Master Zero as of this writing) have Pro Controller support at launch. As a result, your navigation options become more limited.
Turning to the joy-cons as a whole, I have heard many complaints. While I have not experienced any of the alleged sync issues personally (mostly because I have not used tabletop mode much because of the reasons discussed supra), I can speak a little to the size of the joy-cons. Yes, they are small. But I have not found them unusable. I think what stands out most is not the size per se, but rather that they have little weight to them. I am used to full size controllers, often with multiple AA batteries inside, so to switch to something with much less weight makes them feel inadequate. But in my experience actually using them to play games, the weight is something I quickly forget and have no issues with.
Though I have only done so briefly, I have also used each joy-con separately in the horizontal orientation (though without the shoulder button cover and wrist strap attachment). The left joy-con is fine for that. While not something I would want to play a full length game with, for games like Snipperclips, it is more than sufficient. Less acceptable though is the right joy-con where the thumbstick is more centered. While not unusable, I enjoyed this method of play less than the others. It is not so much the lack of symmetry to the left joy-con, but rather just an odd placement.
I cannot actually comment on the joy-con comfort grip (not to be confused with the sold separately charging grip), as I have not used it. But that alone I think speaks to the usability of the joy-cons (disconnected from any other parts) and the Pro Controller. On this note, I have not had any issues with the battery life of the joy-cons as they are almost always attached to my console (and charging) when it is connected to the dock.
The Pro Controller itself is great. A nice weight, good button layout, and overall very comfortable. Had the console launched with this as the included controller (and maybe the joy-cons not detachable — built into the tablet), I think it would have been a sweet value. My only complaint is that the battery is sealed — meaning it will eventually die. The DualShock 4 is the same way. User replaceable batteries are also something I have always really enjoyed about the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers. At least for convenience’s sake the Switch controller charges via USB C (just like the console). Speaking of battery life though, the Pro Controller has been good. I will have to see over the next few months if it holds up to the very impressive Pro Controller on the Wii U.
Cartridge Slot/Cover and Storage
The GameBoy did not have a flap covering the cartridge slot. The DS did not have a flap covering the cartridge slot. The 3DS does not have a flap covering the cartridge slow. Likewise, none of Nintendo’s prior home consoles have had flaps covering the cartridge slot (well the NES might be the exception but it is better described as a lid than a flap). So I am not sure why Nintendo decided to include a soft plastic flap covering the Switch’s cartridge slow.
This flap really seems to suggest it is not something that should be opened and closed on a regular basis. In other words, I would take this as Nintendo’s way of encouraging game downloads instead of cartridges. Then again, you would have thought larger internal storage would have been an option then. To be clear, I have no inherent issue using an SD card to expand storage, and likewise realize games can be redownloaded in the future when you need to make space on your system. But at the same time, given Nintendo’s track record with online services and downloads, I would prefer to keep copies of my games locally. At least the recent changes in their content policies are positive.
Closing Thoughts
Overall I have quite enjoyed my time with the Nintendo Switch so far, and look forward to playing more games on it in the future. I think the TV and handheld modes are where the console best shines, especially when paired with the Pro Controller. Perhaps the unique features of the joy-cons will be better utilized with games in the future. Hopefully too as more games are released they will be able to more efficiently use the hardware of the console to reduce framerate issues and improve overall playability.
