Portability or Power?

[Shiken]

So I recently made a thread about the pricing of Switch games compared to PS4 game, and the topic kind of blew up.  So then I got to thinking, the subject at hand would make an excellent poll.  This is not to turn into a flame war, it is mainly directed at those of us that have both a Switch and a home console or this gen.  If you only have one or the other, you are still welcome to join in.  But offer something constructive as to why you picked one console as opposed to having both.  Your input is still very valuable, as long as we all stay civil on the topic.

 

On on hand, you have portability.  The Switch allows you to play not only at home on your TV, but also on the go.  When it comes to portable consoles, the Switch is the cream of the crop and nothing else can currently compare to its power and performance.  On the TV however, you still get better performance and visual quality than last gen consoles, but it will not look as nice as current gen base consoles.  The trade off is the ease to play the games natively and seamlessly one way or the other without sacrifice.  Some ports come late at full retail, leaving you with a more expensive option when you finally get the game.  Some will not come at all.

 

However we are at the point now where as long as you do not need most 3rd party games right away, you still have something to play.  That is the important part after all.  I played Disgeae 5 on the Switch  and I enjoyed it no less than when I would have when it was released on the PS4.  Same goes for Dragonball Xenoverse 2 and DOOM.  Furthermore Nintendo has more quality first party IPs in the works than any ither console maker.  They may not all suit your tastes, but you have more 1st party options with Nintendo than you do with Sony for example (despite Sony having an amazing line up of its own).

 

On the other side of the coin, you may see a game for 30 bucks less on PS4 and question why you are buuing the Switch version.  The other home consoles get all 3rd party games and the ones that do go to Switch will still leave you with noticeable performance and visual advantages on PS4 and X1.  Many times you will get those games first and often cheaper by the time the Switch version comes out.  Furthmore many 3rd party games do not go to Switch, leveling the field when looking at Nintendo's first party advantages.

 

So what is more important to you as a gamer, the portability of the Switch, or the power and price of dedicated consoles?

 

For me, I tend to enjoy both.  However, despite my most recent topic regarding the price of late Switch ports, I lean towards portability.  I have recently bought Dragonball FighterZ and found that while I do have time to play at home, I can maximize my time on the go as well.  I tried to utilize remote play with the VITA, and it was hit or miss.  Sometimes Horizon ran great, other times it was glitchy youtube quality at best.  In the end I decided I may double dip when the Switch version comes out as my on the go experience is so much better on the Switch.

 

So with all of the savings from my PS4 purchases, sometimes being able to play more of these games is worth the extra cash.  For me, I have a reason to own both and still play my PS4 frequently.  However, as with DOOM, getting the Switch port instead never left me feeling like I was playing anything other than a current gen shooter and enjoyed it no less than I would on my PS4.  It really depends on if I have any travel lined up (right now I do) and what best suits my situation.  More times than not however, portability edges it out.  Not only can I maximize playtime, but certain random events can even impede my normal playtime on the PS4 as it is tied to the TV.  With the Switch however, I never lose time regardless of what pops up.

 

So what about you all?  I am curious to see just how many people prefer one way ir the other.

Last edited by Shiken - on 21 July 2018