What part of the Nintendo Switch do you find to be the most disappointing?

[Alolan_Apples]

As the Nintendo Switch era is coming to an end, it’s time to review how it went over the last seven years. The very idea behind it is the best since sliced bread, it’s Nintendo’s most successful home console, it had a strong start in terms of popular opinions, and has done a lot for Nintendo and its fans. However, it also drawn a lot of disappointments. Examples include (but not limited to):

• There’s still no background themes for the Switch besides Basic Black and Basic White.
• The emulation and other issues regarding the retro console apps on Nintendo Switch Online.
• Pokémon games no longer support every single Pokémon species up to date, while having other problems like bad story (SwSh) and technical issues (SV).
• Almost everything we discussed in the ACNH Rant Thread (such as how money-making has been nerfed).

It can be hardware-related, software-related, or even management-related, but what you think is the biggest disappointment related to the Nintendo Switch and its games?

 

[nightglow]

The biggest disappointment of the Nintendo Switch to me, are Nintendo Developed games not running that well on Switch. I didn't expect a powerful console, I never do with Nintendo, but I expect their games made for their console to run better than they did on Switch. It felt like it got worse through time when scaling back on the games could have helped when they were in development and they were testing them, or they could have provided a stronger console to handle the games they were pushing out better.
Second was the Joycon Drift situation and how that was handled by the company and courts and the results of that. I say courts due to more than one case happening because of it.
Third was the Nintendo Online Service and how poorly that was handled.
I listed three because they were close to me, but the first is still the biggest for me and it shouldn't have happened at all impo.

 

[Corrie]

Its lack of power is the main issue. Why do I have to look up reviews to see if a game will run properly in 2024?

Also the joycons being curved to fit your hand would've been more comfortable to hold for prolonged periods of time.

 

[Alolan_Apples]

I have a lot to list (such as how Nintendo did very little to improve Super Mario 64 on SM3DAS and how we didn’t get DK64 at launch of the N64 app), but here are my top three disappointments:

• The lack of clothing customization in Scarlet/Violet. While the clothing customization feature in Pokémon Let’s Go is a joke, it’s reasonable since the game is based on didn’t have clothing customization. But the fact that Scarlet/Violet didn’t have proper clothing customization is unreasonable.
• The Early Bird and Night Owl Ordinances in ACNH are a complete joke. They only extended the shop hours by one hour. You can’t even say “some is better than none” to justify this decision. It’s either you have three extra hours, or don’t have any extra hours at all.
• Another ACNH one, but they removed tropical fruits and traditional series furniture. And when the ACNH 2.0 update came, they never came back.

 

[Xara]

How frequently and easily joy-con/stick drift happens, if that counts. My switch lite was already experiencing joy-stick drift within my first week of using it, but I didn’t think to take it back to the store and exchange it for a different one since I wasn’t expecting my brand new console to be experiencing issues already, and thought it was just a temporary issue that would fix itself.

It gradually got worse over the next 2 years, to the point that my lite was pretty much unusable. The $90+ CAD it cost to send it to Nintendo to have it repaired was cheaper than the $260+ it’d cost to buy a whole new console, so I ended up doing that. The whole process went smoothly and my lite hasn’t had any issues since, but I’m always worried about it happening again. I think it’s ridiculous how frequent this issue is, and how some consoles even come with drift. I’m not sure what causes it if it’s not strictly tied to console misuse or wear down, but I hope whatever console comes next doesn’t experience the same issue.

I’m also not the biggest fan of NSO, especially with having to pay for it, but I don’t see Nintendo going back to free online play again.

 

[S.J.]

I haven't been disappointed with my Switch experience. The console itself has been positive in all aspects for me. Playing games docked has been good, but I've really enjoyed that most games I've played I can play equally well handheld, which is my preference. I also really like the weight of the regular Switch console, the size of the screen, the way the Joy-Con's clip in and out, and the colour varieties for the Joy-Cons.

I've been fortunate enough to not experience any drift in any of my Joy-Cons, nor on my Lite, but I appreciate that's an issue some people have faced!

If I had to choose something, it would definitely be that it's not the most powerful console, though I was never expecting it to be. Overall, all of the games I've wanted to play on it have played well. It's my preferred console to play games on, but when given the option between buying a game that's released on multiple consoles, it's always a consideration. Ultimately, it's still my preferred console.

 

[Croconaw]

The Nintendo Switch being released seven years ago makes me feel super old. It doesn't feel like it's been that long at all.

I personally only have a Switch Lite. I wish there were more background themes. I personally use Switch Black, but I feel like there should be more options. I also would like to upload my own picture to use as a Switch icon, as you can on XBOX and PS. I have a Series X, and I have my own uploaded image as a profile picture. I understand it would be hard to moderate, but the other big gaming companies allow you to use your own image. XBOX personally reviews it and uploads the picture once it's approved, but that takes no more than five minutes most of the time. I can't imagine it would be that difficult.

 

[Halloqueen]

My personal biggest disappointment with regards to the Switch is how they handle retro games. The Wii and Wii U, and the 3DS to a bit of a lesser extent, all had big Virtual Console libraries featuring games from various consoles that you could purchase individually if you were so inclined. There was a lot of good stuff to choose from. Now, on the Switch, Nintendo caters a much smaller group of specific games that you can play and even then a lot of those are locked behind the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass. You're expected to pay more now for a worse service with a more limited selection and that doesn't even cover all of the old consoles you could choose from before.

The whole Joy-Con drift issue is also a joke, but I've at least been pretty unaffected by it to a large extent due to my preference to play the Switch docked to the television while using a Pro Controller. I did have to replace my first Pro Controller that I got back in 2018 after the right stick developed drift last year, but I got a good 4 1/2 years or so out of it, which is more than can seemingly be said for Joy-Cons. I've avoided Joy-Con use as much as possible, only using them to use the Home button in the first month I had the Switch before getting the Pro Controller for Christmas, for Super Mario Party once, and for Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! (which I barely touched and only got so I could make a save file so I could have a way to farm Mews in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl.) Finally, while on the topic of Joy-Cons, I've sort of wanted the purple and orange pair since they came out just because they're a couple of my favorite colors, but that price point for such shoddily made controllers is ridiculous so I'll never actually grab them.

 

[Chris]

The lack of an achievement system.

 

[BetsySundrop]

The joycons! Impossible to play with a single joycon (and i have small hands), and they just feel so awkward. My hands cramp up when i try.

Yesterday I was playing pikmin 4, but the house TVs were occupied. I ended up propping up the switch in front of me and using the pro controller to play. The joycons are just not well done.

 

[danmokun]

they just feel so awkward. My hands cramp up when i try.

Yeah, the Joycons are doo-doo. They do not bring joy. They do not live up to their name. I need to strap them to some teddy bears or something to get some sort of ergonomic grip. Isn't there a Nintendo Switch and/or PS3 controller that looks like a Dragon Quest Slime? As bizarre as it looks, I hear it's quite comfortable to hold. Maybe Nintendo can make a Switch Pro Controller that looks like Mario's nose or a Boo.

 

[Yoshi155]

Compared to the Wii U, the Virtual Console is a downgrade. That had NES, SNES, GBA, N64, and DS games, while the Switch only has NES, SNES, GBA, GB and N64 games… actually, that is kind of close to the amount of systems the Wii U can emulate. But still, on the Wii U, you don’t have to pay for a subscription.

The other main issue I have with the Switch is something involving a lot of games. So basically, they’ll release a game lacking a lot of content at launch, then later, update the game with patches by giving it content that should have always been there. Think of a first party Switch game that was updated after launch, and if it wasn’t a new IP, try to think of things added in updates that were already there in the game right before it. Not all games do this, but still, it’s something I don’t like about the console.

 

[rocketspruggs]

The joy-con drift issue, it does not spark joy.
The same goes for the fact that there are only two themes available for the Nintendo Switch, light and dark.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

That there’s no app to play music. It’d be nice to be able to listen to music on the Switch much like how it was done on the DSi and 3DS/2DS.

 

[Holla]

It’s not exactly a Nintendo Switch only problem I’m sure but I pretty much exclusively play on Nintendo consoles and I didn’t feel this way about 3DS games or anything prior.

Games today in general just don’t seem as good anymore. There’s a few exceptions but in general games feel rushed, unpolished, riddled with glitches and poor performance, and lacking the charm they used to have. For example a few of my favourite series are Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Harvest Moon (now Story of Seasons), and Fire Emblem. While I’ve played and still like the new games in those series they all feel lacklustre compared to those older in the series. My favourites list of each series would 100% put their most recent games at the bottom or near the very bottom of the list.

Heck I’ve even found myself pulling out my 3DS recently with new sparked interest in it cause the games on it just feel better to me. Yes I still play Switch fairly often but it’s mostly to jump on for some Salmon Run or events in Splatoon 3 (which is one of the few games that does feel good to me on Switch, at least compared to those older in the series. Disconnections in certain modes are still common though sadly). Anything else I play on Switch is very sporadic cause I’m just not as into it.

 

[danmokun]

>inb4 somebody mentions the game cartridges tasting nasty. Gone are the days of ejecting your DS cartridges out of the system and popping it in your mouth for a warm treat. The DS has that unmistakable dark, oaky flavor... the 3DS had a light, elegant creaminess... and the Switch? That stuff tastes repulsive! I'm in the mood for a vintage... maybe I'll nibble on a GameBoy cartridge...

 

[Cress]

Probably not the most disappointing, but it's still weird and nobody else seems to mention it.

This power button on the home menu doesn't actually turn the console off. It just puts it into sleep mode. If you want to actually turn the console off you have to get up, walk over to the Switch, hold down the power button for 5 seconds, go to the power options menu, and then select turn off in there. This is the most inconvenient console to turn off that I'd ever have to deal with ;_;

 

[Zane]

-I also wish the Switch got themes like the 3DS had

-Lack of Virtual Console, locking the legacy content that is available behind NSO so you can never actually own any of it

-Having to buy a subscription to play online. I know every other game company does it and blah blah, still disappointing.

-Scarlet and Violet are objectively the worst Pokémon games ever made and I get sad every time I look at them lol they feel like a blemish on the Switch library which is otherwise packed with greats

I’m probably about to jinx the hell out of myself saying this but I’ve never actually had a problem with joy con drift..

 

[rosetti]

The other main issue I have with the Switch is something involving a lot of games. So basically, they’ll release a game lacking a lot of content at launch, then later, update the game with patches by giving it content that should have always been there. Think of a first party Switch game that was updated after launch, and if it wasn’t a new IP, try to think of things added in updates that were already there in the game right before it. Not all games do this, but still, it’s something I don’t like about the console.

THIS!!! Although I have certainly got my monies worth out of my switch, I am SO over nintendy games being released unfinished. When looking at what I’ve played the most, the majority of games are available on pc/ other consoles like sdv or skyrim, I really don’t see myself investing in their next console unless changes are made (or if they release a new decent animal crossing game on it)

I also agree with the majority of what others have said, I have had 2 sets of joycons drift, I miss the home menu themes and level of customisation (I rly thought joycons would be like the new 3ds plates), the NSO sucks (feel like I’m paying for a downgrade??) and a lot of Wii features like the music, different community channels, fun free things which will probably never make a return

 

[TheThomas5252]

The lack of themes like the 3DS had, I don’t like how the menu feels so empty