Were the 3DS and Wii U better than Switch?

[burninmylight]

curl-6 said:

burninmylight said:

If you look at each console's library in a vacuum, then yeah, the Wii had the superior library. If you look at them in a cumulative way that works like it does in the real world, the Wii U is objectively better because it supports every single Wii disc, every single Wii input method, and gave you full access to the Wii Virtual Console and WiiWare. And then you throw the Wii U games on top.

People don't experience games objectively though; entertainment is an inherently subjective thing, and by the time the Wii U came out those games were no longer fresh and new but been-there-done-that, which makes them of lesser value for most.

The Wii offered more new and exciting experiences than the Wii U did.

If it's true that people don't experience games objectively, then that means that people don't always automatically place less value on games from previous generations. So for someone who had to miss out on entire generations of consoles, having one that has access to that entire library of a previous generation's library is a huge deal. For a lot of folks, that's a big selling point of a console.

On a personal level, I missed the entire DS generation, so a big reason I took the plunge on the 3DS was to have access to that entire library as well. When I bought my friend's PS3, I was thinking just as much about all of those PS1 and PS2 gems I spent decades standing on the outside looking in on as I was any games that were modern for the time.

Even now, look at these forums or message boards where the Switch 2 comes up and how important backwards compatibility is for most people. It's not just about not having to juggle devices, it's about feeling like your gaming console is the most complete and accessible machine ever.