Switch 2 Isn't Targeting People Who Want 'High-Performance Hardware', Like PS5 Pro

I buy Nintendo consoles to play Mario and the likes.

For everything else I have my PS5

So why price it above the PS5, heading towards Pro prices? So many grey areas with extra costs here and you can store just 3 games the size of Cyberpunk internally and 3 more on the largest express SD card.

Nintendo have never been about power, their focus is on their own games and are more about the pure fun factor and family aspect.

Personally for third party games I will stick to my PS5 for the better visuals and performance whilst the switch 2 will just be an exclusives machine.

Switch 2 is competing with all of the other devices that people can play Mario Kart World and Zelda games on, that's about it.

And if you want to compare it to Steamdeck and the others portables the screen is pretty good w/ 1080p HDR and 120 fps at a similar price.

For me personally the screen is too good as I have to pay for it but I'd never use it. Andvw/ Switch 2 at $445 w/ that screen I'm guessing they could drop it and the battery and shave $100 off the price.

Then we could compare it to PS5, where it would lose embarrassingly so. Which is why Nintendo got out of the home console market and only makes tablets w/ over priced docks for tvout. My $350 iPad casts games to tv just fine wirelessly, no dingle or dock, just a smart TV.🤷‍♂️

@splinters

It's only slightly more than the all digital PS5 it's still considerably less than the disc drive version and not even in the same universe as the PS5 Pro price

The Switch 2 isn't an all digital console so the fairer thing is to compare it to the standard PS5 at £479 (Switch 2 is £395)

Yeah, it's targeting people with money loads of money to spare

@splinters It is more modern hardware. And portable. And it seems the OG Switch will coexist with it as a cheap alternative presumably compatible with at least 50% of Nintendo's new releases.

We can question the pricing and power from a business perspective. But the price makes plenty of sense. Also feel like this argument ignores the PS5 Pro, which it seems like plenty on this site happily bought, was $700.

The relationship between Nintendo and the customers feels more like a toxic one .At this point you're only staying for the addictive food that he makes!

So why $80 base games? Surely only games utilizing the current/best hardware should cost so much, right?

Sounds like BS. Nothing they showed looked graphically close to Demon's Souls Remake yet they want to charge $80 for their new Mario Kart...which is costs more than the DS Remake which goes for $69.99 at full price.

It's not targeting high end hardware but charging the same as.

@UltimateOtaku91 This has been my strategy, too. Might ditch Xbox to help pay for Switch 2!

Then why are they charging for games as if they are AAA standard and cost 300m?

It’s proved priced the higher performance ones with higher prices all around. This statement makes no sense because gaming on a PS5 is cheaper than a Switch 2 by far. Who’s everyone? The the extra ram scare them off?

I figured that was the case when I saw that the games they were showing off were running at sub 30 fps

@Member_the_game PS5 Astro Bot package (disc drive version of console) is £429.99 at Argos. Exact same price as Switch 2 with Mario Kart.

Is this honestly news? Nintendo haven't played the power game for years now...

@ButterySmooth30FPS You may as well, with Playstation 5 and Switch 2 you're pretty much sorted for all the biggest games, even new ones from Microsoft.

@Dimey

Correct

That is a limited time deal though, on a console that's in its 5th year on the market, I was comparing to the usual standard pricing

Nintendo is doing to gamers what Elon Musk did to people who bought the Cybertruck. The way Elon was so sure of himself that he knew he could sell the ugliest monstrosity to people just because the name, Nintendo knows all they have to do is slap their logo on the box, not change a thing, and people will pay whatever they ask.

@Member_the_game
To play with a dedicated controller (the pro controller) with a memory card (even 512gb total isn't that much) it's £530 without a game, and you have to pay for the tech demo unlike Sony's free Astrobot Playroom. These are not like for like consoles/scenarios, but the Nintendo option is no longer the affordable one...and I have owned every Nintendo console and handheld since the N64 and Gameboy. This might be the first I miss out on.

Im happy with the console itself but not with the pricing of the games. to have them more expesive than a PS5 game.... just wrong, Breath of the wild has stayed the same price the whole life of the switch....
then theres the Switch 2 tour game which should be free with the console like astros playroom was. kinda like they are seeing what they can get away with.

@UltimateOtaku91 Yep, new (and some old) exclusives coming to PS5 and what's already on Switch and Xbox but not PS5 will be upgraded on Switch 2.

@splinters

I've managed to pre order myself the Mario Kart World bundle for £429 which I thought was quite reasonable.

I've never bought or needed a Pro controller with any previous consoles so I can definitely live without one of them.

The storage may be an issue further down the line but I've found Nintendo are particularly good at reducing their files sizes so that 256gb will stretch further than you might expect.

All just my opinion of course but I honestly believe the price for the Console is a fair one.

The price of the games however...... well let's just say that's a different discussion lol

I do plan to get the Switch 2 later on but like the Switch it will be a exclusive machine. There's no way I would buy multiplat games on it, why would I pay the same (or more!) to have the lesser of all three consoles.

@Member_the_game
Each to their own, I may well get one in time. The storage concerns me as Cyberpunk is on a 64gb cart. If new games get to that size, and you can only get 256 cards at the moment, a lot of my collection of games (and new ones) won't be stored on the console 😔

@Majin_Deicide Game prices aren't really tied to how graphically impressive a game is or what hardware it's running on. The jump from $60 to $70 was long overdue, from an inflationary perspective, and since the jump from $60 to $70, high inflation in the 2020s has completely wiped out any tangible gains that first $10 increase would have had for companies. $80 seems about right for what AAA games should cost nowadays.

For context, a game that cost $60 in 2005, when games jumped from $50 to $60, would cost $100 in today's money. We're actually getting games cheaper than we did in the PS3 generation.

With the power of a PS4 Pro, and the fact that games are STILL releasing on that system. I am concerned most new 3rd party games will be targeting PS4 Pro like performance so it can run on both Switch 2 and PS5/6.

Especially with the market so volatile I'm sure companies will push for biggest exposure.

@splinters

I'd tried to convince myself that I wasn't getting one, well not straight away at least but as soon as I saw Mario Kart was a launch title I couldn't resist.

As I mentioned in my first post on this thread, I'll only really be using it for Nintendo exclusive games (everything else I want I'll probably get on Playstation).

So whilst I'm not entirely happy with the price of the Switch 2 games.... I'll only be buying a select few that I really want.

If Elden Ring runs at minimum 40 fps, this will be the way for me to play this gem for the first time!

@rjejr Once you add on controllers to your iPad you're paying the same as the Switch 2, you're not playing new Mario games, and you have a clunker of a handheld. Can you Airplay at 120 FPS? Not sure.

@splinters It's not heading toward Pro pricing at all. It's $499 with a game. The Pro is $700 without a game. Also, when looking at the base PS5 models, you're comparing a 2-in-1 hybrid system with a standalone home console that would require a Portal to have somewhat close to the same functionality. There are tradeoffs in value. They add additional value with mouse functionality. Call it a gimmick if you want but it counts for something. The pricing is fine compared to the competition.

We also have to acknowledge that regardless of specs, the Nintendo is brand new. The PS5 has been out for going on 5 years and has seen a price reduction as the console has matured.

Nintendo doesn't typically do price reductions on console because the original Switch sold like hotcakes. We'll see how their model holds at this pricing with the state of the industry.

@AhmadSumadi I mean, basically every aspect of the console has been changed but keep on drumming.

A lot of people here acting like inflation isn’t a thing. And it’s a purely greed “screw the fans “ move. Price increases in gaming was inevitable. A lot has changed price wise of basically everything since switch 1 was launched.

@Member_the_game You've pretty much summed it up. Nintendo consoles are for their exclusive franchises: Bayonetta, Famicom Detective Club, Fire Emblem, Metroid, Pokemon, Splatoon, Zelda, etc...

@Member_the_game

£430 for disc based PS5 with Astro bot. Amazon, and Argos

Nintendo are taking the piss, people have to stop drinking Nintendo cool ade

Despite my reservations about the presentation I’m slowly realising that I’ll be one of the many re-playing Breath of the Wild at 60fps in a couple of months.

@kcarnes9051 Yeah. I guess you're taking my "they changed nothing" to be specific (and you have no reason not to). It's still underpowered, it's still using SD cards and has tiny storage, and there's almost no upgrade to battery life. But yes, the games prices very much got an "upgrade". Anyway, I sound like a hater so I'll stop now.

@Anthony_Daniels

You are correct, but remember that's a limited time deal on a console that's in its 5th year on the market

The normal standard price without a game is £479.... let's not try to pretend otherwise

Feel like I must be missing something obvious when people keep comparing the price with the PS5 and suggesting why would you buy a Switch 2 when you can get a PS5 at the same price or cheaper.

It's like comparing apples and pears!

The Switch 2 is primarily for handheld, portable gaming. To do that with the PS5, you need to spend another £200 for a device (with an inferior screen) that you have to stream the games to.

Yet their hardware software and subscription stuff is as if they are targettinf this group

They don't seem to be targeting me. That's for sure

They're still king of the hill. Why would they change the strategy?

@AhmadSumadi The FPS, the resolution, the joysticks, the internal storage size, overall built quality, color scheme, screen size, controller connections, mouse control, social features, etc.

All changed. All improved.

And, yes, inflation has changed, too. Hence price increases. Welcome to reality.

The Switch 2's storage is 8 times larger than the original.

The console was ALWAYS going to be underpowered compared to a PS5, as Nintendo focuses on other qualities to their system. This was known.

SD cards make perfect sense for a handheld console. Lol. And they're not the same as the original. The original use MicroSD cards. This uses Micro SD Express cards. Which allows for much faster data transfers, for faster loading and installing. ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT.

Sure, the battery isn't great. That's just about the only negative compared to the original Switch.

@Challenger-UK
The Dock is maybe going to do some extra lifting to achieve those specs on a 4k display?

They should be sued for mis marketing 4k 60 lmao on game cube games????

It's weaker than a steam deck LMAO 75 Pound games ahahah

@Member_the_game

And let's not pretend that the switch 2 is not massively overpriced with its LCD screen. The vita has OLED 15 years ago

Nor are their ports of ancient games worth the £75 they're charging.

They're even charging for a tech demo, it's like Nintendo fans are on looney pills!
If this was Sony or Microsoft would be the biggest witch hunt of our time , but Nintendo can sell out of date chicken soup for £50 and it's lauded as greatness

@Anthony_Daniels

It's weaker than a steam deck LOL

Money grabbing *****

@UltimateOtaku91

Nintendo has historically had some pretty powerful consoles like the N64 and GameCube which were more powerful than the PS1 and PS2 respectively. Because of Sony, Nintendo doesn't make powerful consoles anymore.

@Anthony_Daniels Their products sell like hotcakes at a high price because more people love their product than anyone else. Turns out you can demand a high price when lots and lots of people are clamoring for your product.

My Switch has always been the secondary console on my desk. Switch 2 will likely be the same, used primarily for Nintendo exclusive titles like Xenoblade and Zelda, while continuing to buy cross-platform titles on PS5 Pro.

Uhh seems like high performance is literally the selling point for the Switch 2. It's battery life is taking a big hit and the price is going way up all in the name of better performance.

I'm happy with the power but my kids want the Mario

Nintendo are making exclusives that vary greatly in genre, rarely ask for mtx and are almost always released in a complete state.

Most other AAA developers make up their costs with mtx and cut corners.

I'll take gameplay over graphics anyday. Nintendo have been nominated for 7 of the last 10 goty awards.

People screaming that the games aren't worth it if they aren't graphical monstrosities are entitled and have lost the core of gaming as a medium

For me the plus is all the benefits of switch with more power. I don’t need it to be a dedicated TV console. Just more powerful because it’s been 8 years. (Honestly the switch pipeline is still massive so I am holding off on S2 simply because I have too much to play…and want a Zelda edition). The point of Switch 2 is to give Nintendo more power to work with while allowing 3rd parties to have a system they can optimize their games to run on with some downgrades so Nintendo owners get a larger library. And for multiplat users the Nintendo exclusives draw them into buying a secondary system. Same as with switch.

Switch is probably Nintendo’s largest game library. And a big part of that is 3rd party returning to the ecosystem. Games that I had to buy an xbox and PS for I don’t have to now. Which is why my series x and ps5 libraries are a fraction of my xbone and PS4 libraries. Nintendo is simply aiming differently.

It’s more profitable to be “second” as you don’t have to spend money on bleeding edge tech and yet you don’t also have to blow your R&D on being quirky to attract users. Switch is honestly their least “quirky” console as all they did was combine their handheld and console departments internally and translated it to hardware. Everything else was lifted from a previous Nintendo console (they straight up stated that during the Switch reveal all those years ago.). Switch 2 is simply improving and iterating the formula.

No, but they are targeting big wallets. 😂

doubtful. cyberpunk runs on the base ps4 as well... and very poorly at that. performance wise, switch 2 is comparable to a base ps4 — perhaps slightly more powerful but weaker than a ps4 pro according to DF estimates. switch 2 will absolutely not run games at 4k other than the most primitive indie games. current gen AAA games won't run well on switch 2 unless a ton of effort and resources are poured into the ports. even the base ps5 struggles to hold up steady framerates due to poor optimization with many titles. switch 2 will be no diferent, except there will only be a handful of current gen titles that make it over. so... this is switch 1 all over again and there is no need to get too excited.

They're Targeting wallets not gamers

@splinters Handheld/portable technology is always more expensive. Look at laptops vs desktops. Plus Nintendo is unfortunately releasing at the same time as Trumps tariffs which analysts have said would've forced them to price the Switch 2 with the tariffs in mind

@AhmadSumadi So, I woke my kids up early and we watched the Switch 2 Direct. We have about seven Nintendo consoles, I have a Powerglove tattoo, I've owned every console since the NES, when I was four. If anything, you'd figure we would be the brainwashed Nintendo fans that buy everything, regardless. Welp, after getting more information, we decided we are not interested. If anything, I've seen more people clowning on Nintendo and the Switch 2 after the Direct and prices. So what is your "Nintendo is above reproach," BS narrative you keep regurgitating on here? Plenty of my friends and Nintendo fans are pointing out Nintendo 's hubris. It really makes it look like you've been waiting for Nintendo to slip up or something, which is weird.

@LikelySatan OK, so… After all the shady stuff Nintendo has been doing you’ve finally reached your breaking point. That’s good. Because Nintendo is just as guilty as every other console maker. Thing is, the gaming industry being viewed so negatively right now by gamers that even Nintendo can’t get a pass. You said it yourself, you’ve owned every Nintendo console to date. That’s fine. Aside from GameCube I’ve also owned every single Nintendo console. So I’ve not always viewed Nintendo negatively.

As far as Nintendo being “above reproach”. I stand by what I’ve said. Because, before this Switch 2 pricing debacle that’s exactly what Nintendo has been! Think about the things the other console makers far knocked for and think about how Nintendo seems to just skate by on those same things. Pricing? Number of new IPs? Poor hardware? The list can go on.

I’m not saying Nintendo is a bad company. I’m saying Nintendo is just like every other company. I’m happy that you and a lot of others are finally seeing it.