Were the 3DS and Wii U better than Switch?

[Wman1996]

curl-6 said:

It was such a bummer in the 8th gen when a cool game was announced and then it was like "oh, it's for 3DS" when I'd much rather play it on a big screen, in HD graphics, with a comfortable controller and proper speakers. Even when the games were good, I just wished they were on a console instead.

Plus, having to buy two separate systems just to access everything was a major pain in the arse.

And that's the beauty of the Switch unifying the two; you can play either as a console or a handheld, depending on your preference, and you don't miss out on anything.

The money saved on hardware is huge. 

Let me break down my experience (unadjusted for inflation) 

I got a 3DS at launch which was $250. Thankfully, Nintendo already course-corrected in September by slashing 3DS to $170. Hey, at least I got the Ambassador games.

I got a Wii U after the price cut and when a retailer had it $50 off. So, I got a Wii U 32 GB for $250 (no games included, but that's a great price for Wii U in 2014).

That's $500 (pre-tax) right there. Now compare that to Switch which was $300 for one hybrid system with a superior library to date than 3DS and Wii U combined. I did thankfully get an employee discount at the store I was working at during 2017 so I got Switch for about $270 pre-tax.

Many Nintendo fans such as I want to buy pretty much every new system they come out with. It was a godsend to only buy one with Switch, and the next system is all but guaranteed to be a hybrid as well.

Yeah, 3DS and Wii U did have free online. Additionally, virtually every 3DS game capped at $40, and plenty were $30 or $35. But I'll take many new releases Switch games at $60 (or at least $40-$50) over having to play on two systems. 

Last edited by Wman1996 - on 01 February 2024