I don’t understand the Nintendo Switch. How many do I need for a family of gamers?
They are a personal device like a gameboy.
There is a TV version for party games.
The games may or may not be shareable, even with the physical games.
Assume the ideal usage is during screen time on a weekend.
I have been avoiding buying one as I don’t understand them. Thinking of getting them soon.
I assume one OLED for the family and then a portable per person, then one copy of each game per device.
How is this affordable?
Yes, they can be a personal device like a game boy, but they can also be a shared device.
The regular Nintendo Switch (and I think the OLED one) can be played handheld or docked (aka. plugged into the TV). I’d recommend this version.
The Nintendo Switch Lite cannot be plugged into the TV, and is also harder to play multiplayer with other people in the same room. So avoid the “Lite”.
The controllers on the regular Nintendo Switch are removable. This means that you can buy a console and have two controllers for some games. Some games require more buttons, so each player would need a pair, but some simpler games like Mario Kart or Mario Party can be played with just one half (aka. Joy-Con).
The games are generally sharable between consoles and within consoles.
Between consoles: The cartridges will work no matter how many consoles you swap it between. Only the console with the game inserted will be able to play the game. However, the saved games (progression in a game) are usually saved to a console, not the cartridge.
(The same holds true for digital games only if the account that bought the game is connected to a console. Accounts can be connected to multiple consoles. An account can only be logged in to one console at a time, so ALL digitally-owned games on that account are locked to one console at a time…but if they aren’t logged in, then the another console can log in and play the digital games. So no multiplayer, but taking turns playing the digital game on different consoles. Saves might be shared here, though)
Within consoles: Almost every game allows each profile on the console to have their own saved game. So you could buy one Pokemon game, and up to 8 people can have save files for that game. Depending on the game, they may not be able to play simultaneously (e.g. trading), but they can all have their own save files with their own progression.
So, what you suggested is overkill. Here’s my advice:
If you want family game time, you just need…
This will allow everyone to play single-screen multiplayer games on your TV together. Note that most games allow up to 4 players at once. More is rare.
Or, if you’ve got older kids who want their own individual games that they’ll play independently at the same time, it gets more complicated. But here’s what I’d suggest.
Having extra consoles is rarely necessary to play games together. The only time they’d need It is if they’re playing games online together and the game doesn’t offer split-screen. Maybe Fortnite? But then they can take turns, unless you really want to buy separate consoles, lol
Please ask any follow up questions you have. I’d be glad to help clarify anything! Typing this up was surprisingly fun, lol
Back in my day I had to share a single console with my siblings. We had to take turns playing single-player games. This can be fine, and can even be a bonding activity. I’m not sure if it’s “ideal”, but nothing is. Most likely your kids will outgrow the Switch soon anyway, or they could not even like it to start with, so don’t go overboard buying them each a console. You can decide in the future to buy more if you want, but the new Nintendo device is also on the way, so that’s something to think about.
That makes sense! I was picturing a scenario where each kid was begging for a Switch.
If there are two kids who each want to play their own games independently (or niche cases like they really want to trade Pokemon together or play games online together that can’t be played with couch co-op), then having multiple devices would be important. Of course, it depends on where the budget is, lol
Buying two SNES consoles would be crazy. Buying two Game Boys probably happened in some households.
Yeah, good point. The Switch isn’t just a console. I guess that’s probably why it’s portable; to sell one for each child. We did each have our own Game Boy in my household, mostly I think to make road trips less hell.
This is excellent advice 🙂
The only part I might disagree with is this:
Obviously only if the budget allows, but if your kids are at the age where they’ll take their Switch when they visit friends or family, then the version with detachable controllers is probably better.
The Switch has a built in kick stand, and some games, like Mario Kart, let you disconnect the controllers and have one each for a two player game. It’s handy for keeping the kids quiet for a bit, and you don’t need to carry loads of stuff.
If the kids regularly go somewhere, like your parents perhaps, you can buy an extra dock to plug into the TV there, and the non lite Switch can use it in exactly the same way as the one at home. There’s nothing special about the dock, it essentially just connects the Switch to the TV.
It’s a great little console with some fun, if sometimes expensive games. I play mine probably as much as my kid plays theirs 🙂
Great addition! I was trying to keep budget in mind, but truthfully, I don’t know the price difference.
It’d be good for OP to know the different capabilities of what the Lite vs. the other consoles can/can’t do. But I think my comment was long enough as it is! Haha
I personally stick to only physical games since they cost the same, but are stored on the cartridge, meaning I don’t have to upgrade my switch’s measly 32GB of storage.
The Switch is an insane device to me. It’s been underpowered before it launched, but 32GB storage? I had flash drives twice that size when the Switch came out. What the fuck?
I also prefer physical games. I have very few digital games on my Switch – only for massive digital-only sales, or for games that had limited physical runs that I missed. Or when I didn’t know a game had a physical release, lol
Some people prefer digital games, and I get it. Especially with kids who might break, lose, or “trade” physical games.
This was an amazing and informative answer. Thank you.