The past two weeks were pretty big for Nintendo, as the company formally announced not one, but two new consoles that will officially join the Switch family. Well, if you consider the refresh model a new console, that is. But whatever your stance on this refresh is, there’s no mistaking that there is a lot of buzz for these new Switch models.
I would, for a second, like to play Devil’s advocate and list some reasons why you should wait a bit before getting these new consoles, especially for anyone who’s already got a Nintendo Switch. Of course, as these are all my opinions, take everything with a grain of salt – plus some considerations as to why you may be better off holding on to your original Switch instead.
You could get a longer battery life with a battery pack
This one goes for those who are considering getting the new Switch model that boasts a longer battery life than the original one. This new model owes this longevity from a new Tegra chip while still keeping the old 4310 mAH battery around, which is pretty cool right? Yes, it is, but when you think about it, why should you spend another $300 when you can play for longer with a much cheaper option.
Battery packs do exist, and they can increase your playing time by nearly three times, as they can carry up to 10000 mAH of juice. If you don’t really care for appearances at all, the Switch can be charged with a regular mobile phone power bank, which can boast bigger capacities like 20000 mAH. Sure, they’re bulkier, but they’re an incredibly cheap option if you want to play for more than three to four hours at a time.
Unless new benchmarks appear and showcase that this new Tegra chip also boosts actual CPU performance up by a decent margin, pushing more frames into games, then there is no actual reason to get this new Switch model unless you don’t have one in the first place. You’re better off buying accessories and new games, and with that $300 you save you can get a lot of them.
The original Switch is already a handheld – despite what some people might say
The Switch Lite was announced as something to be aimed solely at handheld gamers who are always on the go. However, even if you’re the target market for this, if you already own a Switch there’s very little reason to go out and buy a Switch Lite. First off, the Switch is already a handheld console. Sure, it’s a bit bulkier, and the idea of a single Switch unit that’s significantly smaller may appeal to Switch owners, but it absolutely makes no sense to buy one given that you can already do most of the things the Switch Lite does with the original Switch.
Even if the original Switch has a bigger footprint and a shorter battery life, you can already eliminate the latter with just reading what was mentioned above. I have seen a lot of people saying that they might get the Switch Lite because it’s an actual handheld, and that the original Switch is a bad handheld. To that I say, to each his own, but whether you like it or not the Switch is a handheld console – and a $200 price tag on a new console that claims that it’s the one that’s supposed to be for handheld gamers is not justified if you already own a Switch.
Stick drift is still a thing, and it can present a bigger problem on the Switch Lite
I’m sure you’re already aware of a class-action lawsuit being prepared against Nintendo for the case of stick drift in Joy-Cons. Now for people who own a regular Switch, there’s a relatively easy solution – just go out and buy a new pair. Now, this does not make stick drift okay in any form, and Nintendo should be rightfully called out for shoddy products, but it’s great that there are options like these if ever you lose your controller.
With the Switch Lite, what would your options be should stick drift ever present itself? Can you replace the controllers like you would on a regular Switch? It’s probably this that turned me off from the idea from the start, given the amount of problems the Switch’s Joy-cons have. Granted, the manufacturing for the controls on the Switch Lite may differ from the Switch’s Joy-cons, but it would be absolutely better to just observe and wait for a bit to see if there are any problems that present themselves during the console’s initial launch on September 20. In fact, I would just wait until a second iteration is out, which brings me to my next point.
These new models feel like half-baked refreshes with nothing really innovative to bring to the table
For people who are looking to get their first Nintendo Switch, I would absolutely recommend getting the new Switch – the Switch Lite, not so much, but if you see the appeal in cutting down a lot of the functionality of the regular Switch just so you can get a smaller handheld, then by all means get one. If you, however, already own a regular Switch, then it may just be better to skip both of these and just wait some more.
While nothing is set in stone, we can already gather that there will be a new Switch console in the future. It’s going to get better specs, and it will be a true upgrade in every sense of the word. These two models offer very little in terms of what they bring to the table, and they should only be considered if you don’t already own a Switch. At least save your money for when the true successor comes, which could offer you a better bang for your money, and even then, you should still weigh what that new model (or models) can offer you in terms of performance.
Despite the problems, the most glaring one being the Joy-con drift, I think that the original Switch is still a good console that can still hold up to that new model or even the Switch Lite. If you’re out to make a bang for your buck, think before you spend and stay a bit longer with your older model for a year or two. It may end up being a good investment for when the actual upgrades come to the Nintendo Switch.
