Is the Nintendo Switch Worth It? – 2022 Review

Nintendo Switch has had a fantastic five years. Throughout its existence, it has consistently topped the rankings as the most purchased console month after month.

It’s a significant improvement over the Wii U’s failure. However, with the advent of ninth-generation consoles, the gaming sector continues to move forward, and the Switch is beginning to show its age.

Many people who haven’t yet purchased a Nintendo Switch may be wondering if it’s worth it.

Today, we tackle that question by examining the situation of the Nintendo Switch in 2022 and determining whether or not this acclaimed device is indeed worth the hype.

Is it worth getting a Nintendo Switch in 2022?

The Nintendo Switch is a unique gaming system. It lacks many of the features we’ve come to anticipate from our gaming consoles.

Streaming services are unavailable on the Switch, internet functionality is limited, and the Switch’s power limits have become increasingly handicapping as the gaming landscape evolves.

Despite its flaws, I can’t help but admire this brilliant console. Nintendo is in the business of making fantastic games, and it’s doing well. In 2022, the Nintendo Switch is a no-brainer.

I’d even go so far as to argue that now, in the year 2022, is the perfect time to buy a Nintendo Switch. Purchasing a Switch today gives you access to a five-year backlog of first-party Nintendo games, many of which are among the best games released in the last decade.

From Mario to Fire Emblem to Animal Crossing, almost every Nintendo IP has gotten a game this generation. Even Metroid Dread was pulled out from its nearly 20-year burial and turned out to be one of the best games I’ve ever played on the Nintendo Switch.

Overview of the Nintendo Switch’s Features

The Nintendo Switch is a one-of-a-kind piece of technology, as it is the first and only hybrid console on the market. One that never ceases to amaze me with how simple it is to use.

The Nintendo Switch user interface is simple and intuitive. Snap-in the joy-cons to carry it with you on the road, or dock it to play your game on the TV right away. Effortless, seamless, and reachable. With a no-nonsense approach to UI, everything from the home screen to the settings menu is meant to be simple to access. You don’t have to go through three menus to get to your games collection. Something that other consoles might learn a lot from.

The Switch’s console-quality experience in a portable size factor makes it a unique piece of technology.

The PS Vita and Nintendo DS, Switch’s predecessors, attempted to capture console-quality games on a mobile device. Still, the results were always a watered-down version of their more robust console counterparts.

The Nintendo Switch is a truly portable gaming console.

When I originally got my Switch, I didn’t believe I’d use it for anything other than taking bathroom breaks. I’m carrying the Switch around with me these days.

Yes, I’m the man who’s sitting by the pool playing Zelda. Yes, in Smash Bros., I will 1v1 you. No, I don’t play with stuff that is attached to me.

However, the Switch has significant flaws, including a lack of capabilities puzzling for a device that was only debuted in 2017. Despite having such a creative and forward-thinking concept for a system, anything that isn’t directly related to playing video games on the Switch feels stuck in 2006.

Do you want Netflix or HBO Max as streaming services?

YouTube and Hulu are the finest Nintendo have to offer.

Let’s see, how about a web browser?

Nope.

What about custom themes?

Nah.

Achievements or trophies?

Look in a different direction, mate.

Okay, how about a built-in voice chat system for chatting about Mario Kart?

“You have a phone, don’t you?” Nintendo asks.

What makes the Nintendo Switch more worthwhile than buying a PlayStation or Xbox when it lacks so many capabilities compared to current systems, and even when compared to Nintendo’s past platforms?

The Switch is a game console that avoids the clamour of being a multimedia machine, as Xbox and PlayStation try to portray themselves. If the last five years have taught us anything, it’s that when Nintendo goes all-in on gaming, it becomes a veritable powerhouse of great titles.

What Games Is Worth Purchasing on the Nintendo Switch?

This generation, Nintendo’s first-party lineup of games, has been one of the greatest since the GameCube generation.

Anyone who buys a Switch will find a game they enjoy. Nintendo provides a game for every gamer, from Mario’s easy platforming joy to the enigmatic and tough Metroid series. Let’s look at what I think to be one of the best console game lineups ever.

The following are the Top 10 Nintendo Switch Games of All Time, according to Metacritic:

1. Breath of the Wild (The Legend of Zelda) – 97

2. Super Mario Odyssey (97 points)

3. The Fata Morgana House – 96

Tetris Effect: Connected – 4 out of 5 stars

5. Hades (93 points)

Original SIn II – 93. Divinity: Original SIn II – 93.

7. Ori and the Wisps’ Will – 93.

8. Undertale (93 points)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is ranked 9th out of 93 games.

Celeste is number ten on the list, with a score of 92.

Mario, Zelda, and Smash Bros. are all in the top ten on Metacritic, and rightfully so, they’re incredible titles that are worth the price of a Switch alone. It’s also worth noting that none of the games in this top ten list gets a score lower than 90.

You’ll have to browse down to number 23 on Metacritic’s list of the Best Switch Video Games of All Time to find the first title with an 89. This is a remarkable achievement for a console that lacks titles like GTA, God of War, Red Dead Redemption, and Halo.

However, there is a common thread running through the finest Switch titles, and it is one of Switch’s greatest assets. Indie games are what they’re called.

The Nintendo Switch is by far the ideal platform for playing independent games because of its inherent pick-up-and-put-down nature, which fits so well with the current slew of short-burst gaming indie releases. It combines the spirit of the Nintendo DS or GameBoy with the processing capability of a console.

And, in the tradition of the Nintendo DS, there are a few changes to the Switch to consider before purchasing one.

Which Nintendo Switch Should You Buy?

Model 1 of the Nintendo Switch

At $299, the Switch’s cheapest model, the original, offers the best value. If you don’t care about the OLED screen and want the versatility of a console and a portable mode, this is the Switch for you. Everyone has become enamoured with the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch Lite is a simplified version of the Nintendo Switch.

The Switch Lite is now the best bang-for-your-buck console on the market, with its only disadvantage being the lack of connectivity to a TV screen. And don’t get your hopes up that you’ll be able to connect it to a separate dock; the Switch LIte lacks the necessary hardware to connect to a television.

On the other hand, the Switch Lite is a terrific budget choice as a dedicated handheld console that can still play the whole Switch library on the road with a considerably more substantial feeling console thanks to the all-in-one design. In addition, the Lite comes in a variety of colour options. Get the Switch Lite if you’re a portable gamer seeking something to fill the void left by the Nintendo DS.

OLED Nintendo Switch

If you’re a gamer looking for the greatest handheld experience available as well as the most feature-rich Switch on the market, the OLED variant is for you. While the OLED model has no performance advantages over the base or lite models, the new 7-inch OLED display is stunning.

Aside from the screen change, the console’s build quality has improved noticeably, with a built-in ethernet port, improved speakers, and a very spiffy white and black colour scheme.

This is the best Switch model right now, and it’s only $50 more than the base model, which starts at $349. I’m a renowned OLED fan, so I leapt at the chance to check out this console, and it’s well worth the $50 extra.

Is it a New Switch on the Horizon?

Nintendo has kept its internal initiatives and intentions for future platforms a closely guarded secret. According to a Nintendo investor announcement dated September 2021, the company’s next system will be released in 20XX.

Cheeky. While a new system is unlikely to be unveiled this year, Nintendo must have something in the works for the future. Let’s look at Nintendo’s present market situation to determine if a new console is closer than the company claims.

Let’s face it. The Nintendo Switch is getting a little stale.

The Switch will be six years old in 2023, and it will be entering its final chapters; nonetheless, we can already feel its age. Third-party games such as Shin Megami Tensei V and Dragon Quest Builders 2 are testing the Nintendo Switch’s capabilities.

Even little indie games like Disco Elysium are having trouble running on the Switch these days. Some miracle ports are still coming out on the Switch, with Dying Light being one of them. However, due to a general increase in graphically quality that the Nintendo Switch’s power limits can’t keep up with, most titles are now cloud-streaming based rather than natively. This is an unpleasant situation for gamers who primarily play on their Switch.

In the absence of a more powerful system from Nintendo, an unexpected firm has launched a Switch Pro of sorts, which is sure to raise some heads.

Step into the Steam Deck.

For the past five years, Nintendo has occupied the apex of the hybrid console market. No other firm has ever had the RND that a large corporation like Nintendo has to make such a high-quality product until Valve announced the Steam Deck, which uses the latest AMD RDNA2 architecture used in the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.

The Stream Deck, according to Valve, is essentially a PC in a portable physical size, with an upcoming dock that will offer it Switch-like hybrid functionality. The Stream Deck is a powerful piece of handheld technology that carries the weight of more than two decades of gaming in its pocket, with the entire Steam library available to play right away.

Not to mention the possibility for emulation. This is the non-Nintendo Switch Pro we’ve been waiting for, and Nintendo will have to answer soon.

What will be the tone of that response? Only time will tell if this is true. But, for the time being, we can say that excitement for the Stream Deck is great in a market that Nintendo previously held as their own, and I’m confident that Nintendo will not relinquish their throne so easily and swiftly.

Last Thoughts

Even after five years, it’s vital to remember that the Nintendo Switch is still going strong. While there are reasons to believe that Nintendo is working on something new, 2022 will be a pivotal year for the console. Kirby, Splatoon, Bayonetta, Mario + Rabbids, and the long-awaited sequel to Breath of the Wild will be available for Switch in 2022.

Keep an eye out for the Nintendo Directs this year since there will certainly be some surprises.

There are a lot of games to play on Switch, and there are many more on the way. So, if you haven’t already purchased a Switch, what are you waiting for? Get one now.