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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Over 3 years in, Switch is still missing basic features.

siebensus4 on 29 July 2020

I play with Ethernet since launch with an USB-Ethernet adapter on the dock. But an Ethernet port in the dock would be better, that's true.

Online friend invites have been patched to the Switch OS about a year ago, but almost no game uses it.

Every point OP has mentioned would be a massive upgrade, but I don't think we will see any of them with the current model. Maybe next gen.



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hinch on 29 July 2020
mZuzek said:
hinch said:

Not sure why you'd want to play Netflix on a Switch. Isn't max dock output resolution 1080P? A lot of multimedia apps are found on Smart TV's that can play 4K. And is basically available on all smartphones and tablets. Same with web browsing, who even uses that on consoles lol.

Because not everyone has a 4K TV. Not everyone has a smart TV to begin with. Some people have a smart 4K TV they watch Netflix on, but maybe their Switch is plugged into another TV and they wanna be able to easily watch it there too. Or they wanna watch something in bed, but they don't have a TV in their room. In fact, not everyone even has an internet connection good enough to watch Netflix at 4K, some not even enough for a consistent 1080p.

And furthermore... not everyone cares about those things, either. Some people will watch Netflix on a crappy internet outputting 480p on a crappy old TV and they don't care, because that's their means of watching stuff.

Yeah, just about everyone has some device they can run Netflix on. But for a lot of people, that device, that means they have of watching stuff, isn't very practical, sometimes it isn't practical at all. More devices that can run it is never a bad thing, especially if it's one as versatile as the Switch is.

I just find it a weird critique as its available just about everywhere. But fair enough I can see why someone would want it and it would easily be implemented.



Agente42 on 29 July 2020

Virtual console ( one u can transfer the games for the next console)

Hi-score good system

Good audio chat. 



Slownenberg on 29 July 2020
Wman1996 said:

Nintendo is my favorite video game publisher of all-time. They've had some very enjoyable consoles as well. I'm not merely here to spread doom and gloom. But Nintendo can use humbling and constructive criticism. We're over 3 years into the Switch's lifespan, and we still don't have basic features that were on the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U. That isn't even mentioning simple features from other consoles that could be included.

-No Internet Browser

-No Netflix

-No Activity Log like the 3DS or even Daily Log like the Wii U

-No Virtual Console

-No Themes

-No Folders

And then there are easy things they could add to a console with the specs of the Switch, but they don't.

-Achievement System

-Party Chat/Friend Invites

-Ethernet (on the dock at least)

I know a lot of you will say that you don't care about most, or any of these features. And that's fine. But there are tons of people who do care. I'll side with players who want things like this when it doesn't bother anyone else at all in the process. I shouldn't have to pull out my smartphone or laptop for chat and looking up strategies for games.

I never got the whole Netflix and other non-gaming apps on a video game system. Do you not have a smart phone, tablet, computer, or smart tv? Like seriously, how many ways can you already play your netflix? Unless you've sworn off all technology except the Switch this is not even remotely important and certainly not needed as a basic feature. Nintendo sticks to making a video game system, it isn't a multimedia system. So that takes care of the browser too, trying to use a browser on a video game system is awful, I remember trying it on the Wii and I was like why would anyone want to do this it is way easier to just have your laptop next to you (or these days your phone), I don't know why anyone would want that, unless again, you don't own any other kind of device.

I'll give you the activity log. Switch purposefully obscures the data to this over X hours thing. It's weird and doesn't make sense. Even the Parental Controls app or whatever that tracks the time better doesn't give useful information. So yes this is definitely a basic feature that is there but intentionally made less usable for some reason. It isn't like some terrible thing but its cool to see how long you've played games and its weird they intentionally give you rounded numbers instead of just giving you the number, and it'd be cool to see stats like monthly play time on each game and whatnot. Not a big deal but it'd be nice to have.

There is a virtual console, a better one, where you get to play every game for a very low yearly price instead of racking up high costs to get more than a handful of games. Soooo much better than the old VC. The only problem is that they are way behind on getting games on there - like it's been two years since it launched, how are GB, GBA and N64 not on there yet? So the new VC is way better but they are lazy in updating it so I'll give you a half-check on this.

Themes/Folders. meh. Some sort of folders would be nice, but unless you have like a hundred games you don't really need it, so it certainly isn't a basic feature missing. I have like 35 games and the current display of games is 100% convenient and usable, takes no time at all to find a game. Themes ok I get some people want to spruce up the background or whatever, but how much do you really care about the background of the screen where you pick the games. It's not like you're gonna be spending time on the menu screen thinking about how great it is that you can to pick a theme. I guess some people get off on this stuff but a basic feature it is not. It's more like a "that'd be kinda cool if" but completely non-important.

I never got the point of achievements. Is it to like display on your online profile in the system or something? Games already have achievements...playing through the game! I'm not against achievements but again I wouldn't call this a basic needed feature. I had a 360 for a bit and I vaguely remember achievements popping up or something and I was like ok, why do I care? Good games already have achievements built into the game naturally as things you get from playing.

Party chat/friend invites yes absolutely. Of everything you have listed yes 100% this is the one thing on this list that is a basic feature that is missing. This feature would actually improve the use of the system a lot, unlike the rest of these things.

Ethernet on the dock yeah ok I can see this for faster connection.



Podings on 30 July 2020
mZuzek said:
Podings said:
I very much enjoy the absence of several of those features.

"BUT HOW COULD IT HURT YOU THAT OTHERS HAD THE OPTION TO USE THEM?"

Same way it's already hurting me that others had the option of buying the Switch Lite. Now Nintendo are delaying all their games to make sure they don't require the use of the detachable JoyCon, as to not make new users feel cheated. My games are getting delayed and having features taken out, because others are given options.

This has to be one of the most selfish comments I've read here

Not any more selfish than someone labeling features they'd like, but weren't ever promised, as "missing".



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Barkley on 30 July 2020

Steam - Achievements
Uplay - Achievements
Origin - Achievements
GOG - Achievements
Epic Game Store - Achievements in testing
Stadia - Achievements
PlayStation - Achievements
Xbox - Achievements
Google Play - Achievements
Windows Phone - Achievements
Battle.net - Achievements

Nintendo - Errr....



Barkley on 30 July 2020
Hiku said:
Vodacixi said:
Trophies are plain stupid,

I like to be able to see which games I played and when. They're like a digital footprint. I can see when I started a game, and when I beat the final boss, or some other milestone.
Whenever there's a topic that asks "Games you've beaten in 2018?" etc, the first thing I do is look at my Trophies to recall.

Exactly, not only do they let other people see what games you've played and how far you got, they also let you see yourself. What games you played, when you played them, what you did in them. They're a very useful feature that literally every single gaming platform supports except Nintendo.

And yeah I wouldn't even have posted in the "games you've beaten in x year" threads without them, cause I definitley wouldn't remember without achivements.

And competition is natural, so competing to complete the most games and achieve the most in those games is also natural.

Last edited by Barkley - on 30 July 2020

Vodacixi on 30 July 2020
Hiku said:
Vodacixi said:
Trophies are plain stupid,

I like to be able to see which games I played and when. They're like a digital footprint. I can see when I started a game, and when I beat the final boss, or some other milestone.
Whenever there's a topic that asks "Games you've beaten in 2018?" etc, the first thing I do is look at my Trophies to recall.

Yeah, I know what trophies do. And I know that many people like to see those statistics. Trophies do nothing for me though. I don't need to keep track of any of the information you mention because 1: I don't play that many games a year to not remember them; and 2: It's not something I find useful to remember anyway.

Plus, I see trophies themselves as something that constantly remind me that I'm playing a videogame. They totally break the inmersion to me. They just feel like something OUT of the game instead of something from INSIDE the game. It's like having an annoying person next to me telling me what should I do in the game.

I don't find interesting comparing with other people either. "I have this trophy that only 5% of the players have". Ok I guess?

I don't know, I don't like them. I get why people like them and I respect it, but if Nintendo doesn't end up adding them it would be great for me.

PD: I should clarify that I'm "alone" on all of my gaming devices. I don't have any friends on them. So trophies provide even less uses to me xD



Barkley on 30 July 2020
Vodacixi said:
Hiku said:

I like to be able to see which games I played and when. They're like a digital footprint. I can see when I started a game, and when I beat the final boss, or some other milestone.
Whenever there's a topic that asks "Games you've beaten in 2018?" etc, the first thing I do is look at my Trophies to recall.

Yeah, I know what trophies do. And I know that many people like to see those statistics. Trophies do nothing for me though. I don't need to keep track of any of the information you mention because 1: I don't play that many games a year to not remember them; and 2: It's not something I find useful to remember anyway.

Plus, I see trophies themselves as something that constantly remind me that I'm playing a videogame. They totally break the inmersion to me. They just feel like something OUT of the game instead of something from INSIDE the game. It's like having an annoying person next to me telling me what should I do in the game.

I don't find interesting comparing with other people either. "I have this trophy that only 5% of the players have". Ok I guess?

I don't know, I don't like them. I get why people like them and I respect it, but if Nintendo doesn't end up adding them it would be great for me.

You know you can turn achivements display off.... if Nintendo add them properly.

So them adding it wouldn't affect people who don't want to see them in any way.



Vodacixi on 30 July 2020
Barkley said:
Vodacixi said:

Yeah, I know what trophies do. And I know that many people like to see those statistics. Trophies do nothing for me though. I don't need to keep track of any of the information you mention because 1: I don't play that many games a year to not remember them; and 2: It's not something I find useful to remember anyway.

Plus, I see trophies themselves as something that constantly remind me that I'm playing a videogame. They totally break the inmersion to me. They just feel like something OUT of the game instead of something from INSIDE the game. It's like having an annoying person next to me telling me what should I do in the game.

I don't find interesting comparing with other people either. "I have this trophy that only 5% of the players have". Ok I guess?

I don't know, I don't like them. I get why people like them and I respect it, but if Nintendo doesn't end up adding them it would be great for me.

You know you can turn achivements display off.... if Nintendo add them properly.

So them adding it wouldn't affect people who don't want to see them in any way.

I know. Still, their mere existance already reminds that they are something incredibly artificial. It's like the developers directly telling people what they should do to enjoy the game. So, while I can (and I do) turn them off, I don't like them anyway.

I'm not saying I would be pissed if they add them. I rather they don't, but they are not something I would be angry they add. I'm just saying that if they keep not having them it's fine to me.