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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Would you consider the Switch the NIntendo handheld equivelant to the PS4?

TheMisterManGuy on 04 September 2024
The Nintendo Switch is a massive hit at over 143 million units sold worldwide. With an engaging hybrid concept, versatile control and convince options, and a massive software library, the Switch not only re-established Nintendo as the king of dedicated portable game consoles, but a major force in all of gaming. But I think you can make a case that the successes of the Switch mirror a similar story for Sony and the PlayStation 4.

  • Both are systems that came off successful, but troubled platforms that only got good after a series of price cuts, hardware revisions, and quality exclusives (PlayStation 3 and Nintendo 3DS)
  • Both had a game developer as their lead architect, who helped bring a fresh perspective to console design (Mark Cerny for PS4, Yoshiaki Koizumi for Switch)
  • Both opted to use more standardized, and readily available components that were closer to PC development and more compatible with modern game engines and development tools, to make development much easier than their predecessors (x86 and Tegra X1)
  • Both systems opted to integrate first party game teams and third party publishers into the development process from the very beginning.
  • Both cut the excess bloat of their predecessors to focus on a more streamlined, social experience (Switch with its Tabletop mode and Joy-Con 2-player, and PS4 with its share button and posting features)
  • Both systems managed to repair most third party relations, and have gained tons of third party interest because of it (Switch returned to GBA/DS levels of support, while PS4 brought back PS1/PS2 levels)
  • Both have that one controller gimmick that went fairly underused and didn't seem to have much of a point (Switch's IR motion camera, and PS4's Lightbar)
  • Both systems bet heavily on indie games and developers, landing multiple big games and timed/console exclusives, becoming indie darlings.
  • Both were the most consistent and refined periods for their first party development (EPD and Worldwide Studios)

There were a few key differences though

  • The Switch not only re-established Nintendo's strength in portables, but also helped rescue Nintendo's historically struggling home console business after the Wii U was a bust. Meanwhile, Sony had effectively abandoned the Handheld market by killing the PlayStation Vita once the PS4 success started rolling in.
  • The Switch had the best first year on any game console, while the PS4 needed a good year or two to really get going.
  • Switch has sold a bit more than PS4 within the same amount of time.

But overall, you can make a strong case that the Switch did for Nintendo in dedicated portable consoles, what the PS4 did for Sony in major home consoles.


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Chrkeller on 04 September 2024

Interesting points, l will have to think about it more. For some reason I wasn't surprised by the success of the ps4, but was blown away by what the Switch accomplished. I was dead wrong about the switch. It sold 2x what I expected and become my second favorite platform of all time, only behind PC. Even little things I was dead wrong about. Mario with guns made me laugh, but here I'm with the opinion mario vs rabbids is one of the best strategy games in the last decade.

So I'm not sure why, but for me the ps4 met my expectations while the switch decimated my expectations.



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TheMisterManGuy on 04 September 2024
Chrkeller said:

Interesting points, l will have to think about it more. For some reason I wasn't surprised by the success of the ps4, but was blown away by what the Switch accomplished. I was dead wrong about the switch. It sold 2x what I expected and become my second favorite platform of all time, only behind PC. Even little things I was dead wrong about. Mario with guns made me laugh, but here I'm with the opinion mario vs rabbids is one of the best strategy games in the last decade.

So I'm not sure why, but for me the ps4 met my expectations while the switch decimated my expectations.

I feel like the Switch's success was more surprising to a lot of people for two reasons.

1. The dedicated handheld market was thrown into question amidst the rise of gaming on iOS and Android. Since your smartphone can play high quality games, why do you need a separate device just for gaming?, was the sentiment of many people. Plus, Handheld/Mobile gaming always had a bit more of a novelty factor in the West vs. Asian territories, making it less important compared to home consoles. So despite the 3DS' success, many questioned if Nintendo make a dedicated portable game console as big of a phenomenon as the Game Boy line or original DS again. Compared to Sony and the PS3, where despite its initial struggle and subsequent turnaround, home console gaming was still very strong in the west. So PS3's comeback leading into PS4's dominance was pretty much expected to a lot of gamers.

2. Wii U's failure was still fresh in everybody's mind, and with the exception of the Wii, it continued the historic trend of Nintendo home consoles selling less and less every generation, and loosing more and more developer support. Home console failures get more media attention in the west for the reasons listed above, that combined with the diminishing returns of Nintendo's home console sales (sans Wii), led a lot of people to believe the Switch wouldn't do much of anything to reverse that trend.

But you can look at the Switch's success one of two ways. The optimistic perspective is that Nintendo used its years of experience perfecting and innovating portable game consoles to save its dying home console business, by making the Switch a home console you can play anywhere. Or the pessimistic perspective, which is that Nintendo's last home console flopped so badly, they got out of that market, and instead decided to give its next handheld system a bunch of home console-ish features instead. Either view could be accurate. The Switch has the control scheme, games, and features similar to home consoles. But the actual hardware, and much of its third party support, has more in common with Nintendo's handheld systems than its home consoles.

Last edited by TheMisterManGuy - on 04 September 2024

Tico on 04 September 2024

History will not see the Switch as competition for the PS4, but for the PS5 instead.



Pinkie_pie on 04 September 2024
Tico said:

History will not see the Switch as competition for the PS4, but for the PS5 instead.

It was the Switch. Wii U was only there for 3 years against the PS4 and was no competition at all. Switch completed with the PS4 for longer and both were evenly matched during that period 



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JackHandy on 04 September 2024

I consider the Switch to be the handheld equivalent to the PS2. It's the king of handhelds, and the PS2 is the king of consoles.



Phenomajp13 on 04 September 2024
Pinkie_pie said:
Tico said:

History will not see the Switch as competition for the PS4, but for the PS5 instead.

It was the Switch. Wii U was only there for 3 years against the PS4 and was no competition at all. Switch completed with the PS4 for longer and both were evenly matched during that period 

2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 are the years Switch competed with PS4, while 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 are the years Switch competed with PS5. So really they are even and Switch competed smack dab in the middle. Crazy turn of events. Also, I presume the WiiU vs PS4 years are 2014, 2015, and 2016?



Wman1996 on 04 September 2024

Switch succeeded a handheld platform that struggled at first but was profitable in the long run. It also succeeded a big failure of a home console.
PS4 succeeded a home console that nearly destroyed the brand despite massive course corrections. PS3 may have sold a lot of consoles, but lost Sony billions of dollars in the process.
One of the similarities though that hasn't been mentioned is digital distribution. PS4 has the largest library of games to date for a PlayStation platform, and Switch has the most games for a Nintendo platform. This is largely due to the massive number of digital games from shovelware to indie gems.



Lifetime Sales Predictions 

Switch: 161 million (was 73 million, then 96 million, then 113 million, then 125 million, then 144 million, then 151 million, then 156 million)

PS5: 115 million (was 105 million) Xbox Series S/X: 48 million (was 60 million, then 67 million, then 57 million)

PS4: 120 mil (was 100 then 130 million, then 122 million) Xbox One: 51 mil (was 50 then 55 mil)

3DS: 75.5 mil (was 73, then 77 million)

"Let go your earthly tether, enter the void, empty and become wind." - Guru Laghima

haxxiy on 04 September 2024
JackHandy said:

I consider the Switch to be the handheld equivalent to the PS2. It's the king of handhelds, and the PS2 is the king of consoles.

599 US dollars Switch 2 confirmed.



 

 

 

 

 

TheMisterManGuy on 04 September 2024
JackHandy said:

I consider the Switch to be the handheld equivalent to the PS2. It's the king of handhelds, and the PS2 is the king of consoles.

A lot of people consider the DS to be the PS2 of Nintendo handhelds, and the 3DS to be the PS3. If we go sequentially, then that would logically line up with the Switch being the PS4 of Nintendo handhelds.