
While the Nintendo Switch may prove to be the company’s biggest hit so far, the gaming console’s shortcomings might seriously hinder the sales.
Nintendo announced it is going to roll out the Nintendo Switch hybrid console starting with March 3rd, 2017. While some users jump at the news, after being forced to put up with the Wii U for so long, others believe Nintendo’s efforts to catch some attention are not sufficient.
The major problem with the 6.2-inch hybrid device is the price. The company has set a starting price of no less than $299. While for some, this does not mean too much, when you start to take into account the accessories, this adds up to too much. For example, a charging Joy-Con Grip sells for $30. If you want to use a Pro Controller for when the device is paired with the TV, you have to get another $70 out of the pocket. So, the price for a gaming Nintendo Switch console, one game, and a Pro Controller starts at $460 plus tax.
Talking about games, users that think they will have their pick from an unending pile of games, they couldn’t be more wrong. Until Super Mario Odyssey launches in late 2017, Nintendo Switch’s most compelling title is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Not much choice there. To make it even worse, games are not included in the Switch’s packaging, and a bundle of mini-games costs about $50.
In terms of third-party support, Nintendo seems to be all on its own, even though Skyrim seems like a nice addition to the Nintendo Switch, the title is already half a decade old. While the upcoming gaming console seems to be packed with only old games, there are very few new third-party titles coming to the Switch this year. Major first-person shooters are also pretty much out of the question unless Activision or Electronic Arts have some surprises in store for the Switch users.
Asking users to pay, yet again, extra for online service, as Nintendo intends to do after the first month of free online service expires, cannot, under any circumstance, benefit the company any way you look at it. Microsoft did it first, then Sony with its PS4, and now Nintendo jumped the bandwagon as well.
Lastly, let’s say users will purchase all the games that are coming to Nintendo’s console. Even though, the device comes with the possibility of expanded memory, building in only 32 Gb of internal storage space seems like one of the company’s biggest mistakes. Good news is the users can expand said memory with an additional 128 microSD card. Bad news, they have to pay, yes, again, $40 for it.
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