When the first Switch came out I was like many of the haters. I said it was underpowered, there was no way it was going to get 60fps on most things. Its gimmicks make it overpriced. Things like that. I quickly found out though that the vast majority of Switch or Nintendo Fans don’t care about specs. I’ve Switched sides, get it? I’ve switched sides for this one because I think they’re right. I think it’s important to keep an open mind. I’ve been wrong before, nothing wrong with admitting that. I like to say “Be quick to share your thoughts, but be quicker to change them.” It’s much more important for me to be open hearted, minded, and kind than it is for me to be right.
Personally, I greatly dislike Nintendo as a company. But one thing they always do well is their games. I’ve never ceased to smile at a Nintendo game. Even if it were to chug to a power point’s pace I would still smile at the silliness, creativity, and fun. Nintendo isn’t the company for people who are power users though and that’s ok. Not everything has to be the most powerful system, games are supposed to be fun and that’s what matters to me. I don’t care if I can see every pore on Geralt’s ass cheek. Is it fun? Yes, ok me play. That’s what I thought this hobby was about.
Sure, as it looks right now, in terms of handhelds the Switch 2 is powerful. People like to say “Oh it’s only as powerful as a PS4”. I don’t think you get how good that really is for a portable system this thin. A portable system that is a little better than a PS4 might not be as powerful as a Series S (neither is the Steam Deck) but it’s not like the Series S even runs everything at 60FPS either. It’s not as powerful, but it is better than a PS4 still because it’s portable and also in benchmarks it did rate better than a PS4. That’s it, that is undeniable. A portable PS4 is better than a PS4. But Switch fans aren’t people who care about specs for a few reasons.
Before I get into those reasons, here are the specs:
Screen: VRR 120hz, 8 inch screen, 1920×1080, HDR10
CPU: Custom Nvidia Processor, Max Clock Speed 1.7GHz (higher than projected 1.1GHz)
GPU: Custom, 1.4GHz
Storage: 256GB Internal
Communications: Wi Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN Port on dock
Video: 4k Support 60 FPS, 120FPS at 1080p, HDR10
Audio: Has a headphone and supports stereo.
Mic: Built In, noise cancellation, echo cancellation, and auto gain
USB C: 2 USB C ports, bottom is for charging and dock connection, top is for accessories or charging in a more comfortable position for handheld mode.
MicroSD Slot: Supports up to 2TB, but must be microSD Express to hold game data
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Mouse Sensor, and a Brightness Sensor
Ideal Operating Environment: 41-95 Degrees Fahrenheit, 20-80% Humidity (watch out if you live in Alaska or Arizona)
Battery: 2-6.5 Hours, depending on game.
Charge Time: 3 Hours in sleep mode.
Weight: Just 1 Pound
Joycon Battery: 20 hours, 3.5 hour charge time
Even if the specs are slightly above average this makes it pretty competitive with the Steam Deck and other mobile PCs. The big difference here being that it doesn’t run Windows and will actually be in stores. So, even though these are good specs, why don’t Nintendo Fans care about them?
1. They Aren’t Playing Multiplatform Titles
It’s a pretty well known fact that people who are playing on Nintendo systems aren’t buying very many 3rd Party games. People who buy Nintendo Systems, play Nintendo Games. It makes sense. If I wanted to play Call of Duty I’d play it on my PS4, Xbox Series S, or PC, same goes for any other multiplatform title. Nintendo is a system full of system sellers. Absolutely any Nintendo game is a system seller. People will buy it just to play the next Mario, Splatoon, Pokemon, Zelda, Warioware, Mario Party, Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Fire Emblem, Kirby, etcetera. All of these game franchises are good enough to buy a Nintendo System for, even more so when you have all of them.
2. They Care About Aesthetics
For some the Nintendo Console is like an iPhone. People who buy iPhones aren’t buying them because they’re good phones. They’re buying them because of the social status associated with them. I’ve met women who won’t date men if they use Android because it’s a poor man’s phone. Even though Samsung often costs the same. They don’t care that Android is more open and has more user control. Some Nintendo users can be the same way, it’s about the optics for them. Nintendo fans are willing to pay more just for the aesthetics of ownership which might sound dumb. But this is the entire basis of the Console Wars. Ownership in America is a major part of many people’s identities because we live in a culture where we think ownership means accomplishment.
3. “Everyone Has One”
I would be lying if I didn’t say this was one of the reasons I’m buying a Switch 2. It’s a bit of fear of missing out, or being alienated. But it’s also a bit of me not wanting to be left out of the conversation. I know all of my friends will have a PC, but I also know even more people have a Switch. I want to keep my options for who I play with. You can mock me for this but this is also a major reason why you play your specific systems. You want to be able to play the same thing as your friends. Wow, it’s like we’re all people and like community and being with other people we like. Thas crazy.
4. Steam Decks Aren’t Main Stream
The common argument I see is “Why don’t you get a Steam Deck?” Uhhhh because I don’t want one? I already have a gaming PC, and I have a handheld that can use Moonlight. So I can already stream my PC to my handheld. Why would I want to buy another gaming system to play the same games I have when I can buy a new one that has games my PC doesn’t? I also like to have my games physical, I like to have a shelf full of games to show off.
You might be typing “Lol they want physical but the games are all going to be keycards.” As I’ve said you giant dweeb, I’m not buying my Switch 2 to play third party. Third Party is primarily going to be keycards. Nintendo already said their games won’t be. Even then, if they only have keycards I won’t buy them. The keycards are just a safety net for third party companies scared of not getting sales on their physical games. So they put them on keycards and people don’t buy them because they’re not physical. Companies are dumb y’all. Also if you want to talk specs, the Steam Deck isn’t 1080p.
The big thing about Steam Decks though is that they simply aren’t mainstream. These aren’t for everybody, they’re incredibly niche devices. They’re not even available in stores. I can walk into a store on launch and put a Switch 2 in my cart and play with it the same day. A Steam Deck I have to order and wait for. I’m a millennial but I’m telling you, the major of Gen Z don’t like to wait for things. I’ve seen consumer reports saying that Malls are thriving thanks to Gen Z because they don’t want to wait for Amazon 2 Day Shipping. Mobile PCs get even more niche when you start getting into brands like ROG and Ayn. These aren’t for the average person, Nintendo is.
Besides Nintendo fans have an investment in the Nintendo Architecture. They bought Switch 1 games, they have a Switch Online subscription. They want to stay on a Nintendo system. They’re not like me, I’m built different, dumpy some might say. That’s a good thing right? I heard people like big dumpies. Anyway, I want as many game consoles as possible. Also they don’t want a project. A Nintendo Fan wants to turn on the system, pop in the game, and play. They don’t want to mess with setting and they don’t need Windows.
5. They Aren’t Tech Savvy
This is going to sound mean. Let’s rip the band aid though. The average Nintendo Fan doesn’t know anything about specs. Nintendo fans aren’t stupid, knowledge isn’t measured by a single metric. I’m just saying you don’t know what a Tera is let alone why she is being flopped. Simply, talking specs doesn’t matter with them because it’s not even a factor for why they want the console.
6. This Isn’t Their Only System
This might sound like blasphemy to the PC people but PC doesn’t have everything. Some of us PC gamers still want a Nintendo. As a PC gamer my second system is always going to be a Nintendo system. That’s for one simple reason. Nintendo doesn’t port their games to PC. Xbox has practically no exclusives left, is there a single Xbox game that isn’t also on PC? Playstation might not port everything but they still port more than Nintendo. As for Nintendo, outside of Mario Teaches Typing and emulation, I have never seen a Nintendo game on PC.
7. Loyalty
I’m 34,000 years old so I’ve played a lot of different games systems. But I can honestly say, I’ve never missed out on a Nintendo system. The games are just that good for me. I started with the Gameboy Color and Pokemon Red and since then I’ve bought every Nintendo console. I still don’t consider myself a fan of Nintendo or it’s hardware, but I’m definitely a fan of the games. I haven’t missed a single Pokemon core entry, nor have I missed a Party of the Mario variety. Aside from Jamboree, I don’t plan on that changing. I’ve played NES, I own an SNES, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance SP, multiple DSi, 2DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, Switch, Gamecube, and soon a Switch 2.
8. Specs Don’t Provide A Full Picture
Specs only make up a fraction of the whole picture. There are other factors that play into whether it runs games well or how well it runs them. It can be up to optimization. It’s why games like No More Heroes 3 runs bad on the Switch but Nintendo first party titles ran fine. In terms of benchmarks the Switch 2 is only slightly behind the Steam Deck. But there are systems out there with amazing specs that still struggle to run games that in theory should be fine. Like the Series S version of No More Heroes 3 runs just as badly even though the Series S is more powerful than the Switch 2 and Steam Deck combined. There could be any number of reasons why that is. I’m guessing it’s because Suda51 was slacking on the port and didn’t care whether his game was in a playable state.
Even then, the info we have on the Switch 2 and its benchmarks doesn’t come from a Switch 2. It comes from a YouTuber who got a supposed mainboard that he got on a Chinese auction site. He got it for just a couple hundred dollars, if it were legit do you think it’d be that cheap? That person who sold that board was selling potentially the scoop of the year and he only wanted 150 bucks? Come on. There are so many levels of this that are questionable. Also he got a nonfunctioning board and reverse engineered it. Even weirder, they compared it to a similar laptop set up and made it run worse to simulate it. For supposedly caring about the specs, why are you even quoting this information? None of this seems reliable. Nintendo hasn’t confirmed the processor because it’s custom so this benchmark comes from guesses. You won’t have legit tests until the damn thing is out. Are you gullible or just desperate?
Sure it’s worse than a Series S, but who is saying it’s as good as one? We can see that it’s worse in gameplay videos. Still better than last gen, and also portable. Comparing it to home consoles isn’t a fair or logical comparison. It doesn’t need to be better or on par with the Series S, because it’s portable. To be as powerful as the Series S or PS5 it would need to be as big and then it wouldn’t be portable. No one buying the Switch 2 is buying it thinking it’s as good as a Series S or PS5. I have a Series S and I know it’s not going to be that strong.
9. Graphics Aren’t The Most Important Thing
Style is. I don’t need my games to be hyper realistic. I don’t need to see pores. I need to have fun. Life sucks, and I really don’t get why people are so dedicated to trying to make it harder for others? For me, graphics are better when they’re stylized. When they have a vibe or an aesthetic. Genuinely, I mean this, you can quote me. “A lower resolution game that is stylistic looks better than AAA hyper realistic games.” I like cartoony, bright, and fun. Modern games with amazing graphics can still be fun, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I think Helldivers 2’s graphics are overkill and I liked the original better. To me, this doesn’t spark joy the same way this does.
10. You’re Annoying
One big reason, and this won’t apply to all Nintendo haters, but a solid chunk of you are socially inept and are bad at convincing people of anything. A lot of you lack empathy and decorum. You’re mean, and you associate a person’s likes with their intelligence. You treat Nintendo Fans like they’re stupid, you call them names, you act like you’re better, and you won’t settle for anything less than everyone agreeing with you. You’re a miserable and insufferable person that will only be happy when others are as despondent as yourself. Some of you are genuinely exhausting to talk to and you only have negative things to say all the time. You are physically taxing to be around, and on the internet that aspect of your personality is dialed up to 11. That’s because you have the protection of anonymity, most of you wouldn’t talk to a person in real life the way you do on the net. So who the fuck would want to listen to someone like that? Try being nice you miserable sack of moldy wet gym socks. If you’re someone who has already typed a mean comment without even watching the video, this one was about you.
You’re just so painfully draining to talk to. It’s really simple, if you’re an ass hole people don’t want to listen to you. This whole “gotcha”, “I told you so”, and always having to be right mentality is just, unattractive. I really don’t know how else to say it. It makes you look bad in so many possible ways. It’s terminally alone behavior.
That’s it for the list, it’s nothing crazy. The haters probably could have figured it out if they weren’t busy Tweet arguing all day. Thanks for reading, make sure to check out my YouTube Channel sometime. Both the blog and the YouTube have exclusives so both are worth checking out. I’ll see you later! BYEEEE.
