Nintendo Switch: the ideal travel system
Find the Nintendo Switch on Amazon at the best price.
When I was a kid, I liked to play videos, whether it was on a console, I had several, or on a computer.
I (almost) completely stopped as soon as I started my professional life. I had no time, no television, a computer on Linux then Mac (where games aren’t legion, …).
Recently, I missed it and I took advantage of our trip to France to buy a used Xbox, play it the month we were in France before selling it because an Xbox is obviously not compatible with our nomadic lifestyle
I’m so unfamiliar with video games that I didn’t even know about the Nintendo Switch, I discovered it by chance in a guesthouse in Canada. I was seduced by the concept and bought one, and it’s great!
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console
The Nintendo Switch is the very first hybrid console, it can be used both as a portable game console and as a home console.
It has three different modes of use
1/ The portable mode
In this mode, you play simply by holding the console in your hand. Ideal when you are on the move (bus, subway, plane, …) or when you want to play a little bit in bed before going to bed.
2/ The tabletop mode
In this mode, the console can be placed on the table by holding it with a small integrated tab. This mode can be interesting when you are outside with friends, you can play with several people.
I’ve never experienced this mode before and I’m not very convinced, the tab doesn’t allow to adjust the angle of the console which is quite high.
3/ The “television” mode
Thanks to the dock and the HDMI cable (supplied), you can switch from using your laptop to watching TV in an instant. Without rebooting your console, without stopping your game, it’s really well thought out.
The only small problem is that the dock provided by Nintendo is quite bulky and reduces the portability of the whole system, but third party companies have developed much less bulky solutions. I talked about the alternative dock I bought here.
An alternative doc (on the left) is ideal for traveling with limited space.
The controllers are really well thought out
The joystick system (Joy-con) is really clever.
You can also use it in three different ways
1/ Attached to the console
This is the most classic mode when using the console in portable mode.
2/ Connected to a joystick
You can detach the Joy-con from the console and hang it on a controller (supplied). This way you have a controller with a very good grip. Ideal when you play on TV.
3/ In “two joysticks” mode
If you want to play with two people, each Joy-con can become an individual controller. The controllers get really small and depending on the games, you will be limited because of the reduced number of buttons, but for games like Mario Kart, it won’t be a problem.
The Joy-Con are really a condensed technology: bluetooth, vibrating, motion sensors (which allow to have games like the Nintendo Wii), …
Graphic quality at the rendezvous
I haven’t played many games yet but I’m pleasantly surprised by the graphics quality. I think it’s unheard of for a handheld console.
If you compare it to a home console, you obviously remain underneath it impossible to compete with the latest PlayStation or Xbox by reducing the size of the device so much.
As an example, the graphics engine used on Fifa 19 (Switch version) is the same as the one used on Fifa 16 (console version). The Nintendo Switch isn’t powerful enough to handle the graphics engine used from Fifa 17.
This is one of the criticisms that often comes up concerning the Switch: a graphic quality that would be a few years late but you have to know what you want
For my part, the nomadic aspect is paramount and I am perfectly comfortable with these compromises to the graphic quality. If you absolutely want to have the latest graphics, this is certainly not the right console.
Autonomy
Even if Nintendo announced a maximum autonomy of 6 hours, the reality is more around 3 hours.
I find it enough, rarely (never?) playing more than 3 hours in a row. For the biggest players who have long moves, it may be a bit tight.
External batteries are available to recharge the console and greatly extend the operating time.
An airplane mode is available, which surely allows to save some percentages of batteries.
I haven’t tested yet but it is surely also possible to recharge the console with the USB port that we have more and more often in planes, buses, …
A very correct weight
The weight of the console is 300 grams, 400 grams with the Joy-Cons
If we add all the elements (cover, power supply, cables, …) we should be around 800 grams.
However, the original dock, which weighs 300 grams and takes up a lot of space, needs to be replaced.
We are far from the 3 or 4 kg of Xbox or PlayStation without their accessories.
This makes the Nintendo Switch a truly nomadic system. Everything fits in a case like this one (except the power supply, essential if you want to use the dock and the plastic support to plug the Joy-Cons.
More and more games
The commercial success of the Nintendo Switch is encouraging more and more publishers to create games for the Switch or to port an existing game
What is quite encouraging is that everyone is getting on board: both big publishers and small independent studios.
More than 1500 games are already available and this will increase.
All the games can be bought in a dematerialized way via the Nintendo E-shop which allows you to buy via credit card or Paypal. You will have to be patient because there are often many GB to download behind.
The best-known games can also be purchased as cartridges in stores. This is interesting because it allows you to buy second-hand games at a reduced price
Please note, however, that buying a game in cartridge form does not guarantee that there will be nothing to download. It is good to know if you are in an area with a slow internet connection.
Essential accessories
Here are the accessories that I bought that I think are essential:
- A tempered protective glass pane that will protect your screen. Some people have reported that inserting the console into the original dock could scratch the screen… Avoid this problem by protecting it as soon as possible. I bought the glass at the same time as the console in the store, I don’t have a model to recommend. Count between 9$CA and 13$CA
- An SD card. This is almost mandatory because the capacity of the console is only 32 GB. A few GB are already occupied by the system and as the games are more and more greedy in downloading, saving, … it is very insufficient. Nintendo recommends using at least one UHS-I (Ultra High Speed Phase I) SD card with a reading speed of at least 60 MB/s. I bought this 128GB SD card which I am very happy with (reading speed 170MB/s)
- A transport bag for travel. I bought this one which I am also very happy with and which is very cheap.
- A nomad dock. A dock is essential to play the console in TV mode and the original dock is too bulky to be easily transportable. I bought the Javontec dock which is tiny, fits in my carrying case and works perfectly.
Conclusion
The Nintendo Switch is really the ideal system for frequent travelers like me who haven’t given up playing video games from time to time. I highly recommend it!
