Nintendo had a great run with the Switch. It was totally another Wii. But it seems that for the next few years, they’ll have a bit of a WiiU to deal with. It won’t be as bad, I think, but it won’t...
Nintendo had a great run with the Switch. It was totally another Wii. But it seems that for the next few years, they’ll have a bit of a WiiU to deal with. It won’t be as bad, I think, but it won’t be great. They already had a bit of a false start:
Overpriced console.
Overpriced accessories.
Overpriced games.
Gimmicks no one will cares about.
And now, potentially issues with stick drift again.
Time to vote with our wallets folks. There’s always Steam.
I think it’ll do fine. The only hitch is the tariffs, but they apply broadly to everything and I suspect Nintendo will eat much of the cost to their margin to ensure they hit target price points....
I think it’ll do fine. The only hitch is the tariffs, but they apply broadly to everything and I suspect Nintendo will eat much of the cost to their margin to ensure they hit target price points.
To be frank, literally all of these were complaints levied against the original switch.
the first switch wasnt competing against a steamdeck thats cheaper and already has your entire library tho. the only target audience that i can see here is grandparents in ten months and people...
the first switch wasnt competing against a steamdeck thats cheaper and already has your entire library tho. the only target audience that i can see here is grandparents in ten months and people who are already deeply walled into nintendo. that feels like stagnation at best.
The steam deck isn’t meaningful competition. You can see just by the sales numbers. It wasn’t affecting switch sales and it’s not affecting switch 2 sales. I’m planning on buying one[Switch 2] and...
The steam deck isn’t meaningful competition. You can see just by the sales numbers. It wasn’t affecting switch sales and it’s not affecting switch 2 sales.
I’m planning on buying one[Switch 2] and I played so few switch games last year my Nintendo year in review page refused to load for lack of data.
lol well of course theres a difference in sales numbers. one of them have been released for eight years already, and is a flagship console from a 40year long console making king. the other is an...
lol well of course theres a difference in sales numbers. one of them have been released for eight years already, and is a flagship console from a 40year long console making king. the other is an online marketplace that copied them because theyve been disappointing consumers.
i mean that the pendulum is swinging, not that the demo crew is done with their job.
The Switch 2 is only "competing" against the Steam Deck for a small percentage of users. I love my Deck but IIRC they've sold fewer units than the Wii U. It's very much a niche platform.
The Switch 2 is only "competing" against the Steam Deck for a small percentage of users. I love my Deck but IIRC they've sold fewer units than the Wii U. It's very much a niche platform.
Yeah, probably, but overall a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers the Switch 2 will move. Wouldn't be shocked to see it outsell the Deck's lifetime sales by EOY.
Yeah, probably, but overall a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers the Switch 2 will move. Wouldn't be shocked to see it outsell the Deck's lifetime sales by EOY.
More like the Steam Deck isn't even meaningful competition against the Switch, an older and much less powerful device. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that the Steam Deck will scratch the...
More like the Steam Deck isn't even meaningful competition against the Switch, an older and much less powerful device. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that the Steam Deck will scratch the sales of Switch 2.
The Switch has sold over 150 million units, while the Steam Deck hasn't even scratched half of the Wii U's 13.5 million units.
Back when the Switch launched, it had the same sort of comments, which had "no wireless, less space than a Nomad" energy then and still do this time.
The steamdeck is not a meaningful competitor at the moment. I love my steamdeck, I think it's a great concept, I love linux, and I think most people should consider it over other options like the...
The steamdeck is not a meaningful competitor at the moment.
I love my steamdeck, I think it's a great concept, I love linux, and I think most people should consider it over other options like the switch 2... I can't see it causing issues for Nintendo.
There are a few issues with the steamdeck. Nobody knows it exists, it's not in physical stores so you need a steam account just to buy it, and non tech people are confused as to what it is.
Regarding your argument about using your existing library; many of Nintendo's customers probably don't even know what Steam is. A surprising amount of people don't even have computers at home.
Yeah. I have both and for all their similarities (some of which are very deliberate by Valve), something about them feels different and I'm not sure they're as comparable as everyone thinks. Best...
Yeah. I have both and for all their similarities (some of which are very deliberate by Valve), something about them feels different and I'm not sure they're as comparable as everyone thinks.
Best way I can think to describe it, the Steam Deck was made for Steam users and serious gamers first, with Switch players as a bonus demographic. It feels like it's not really directly trying to compete with the Switch the way that consoles compete with each other, but it does capitalize on the Switch to try to get some Nintendo players to try it. Case in point, there's a system-wide setting to swap the ABXY buttons to match the Switch configuration.
Nintendo meanwhile just... Doesn't care about competition, really. They found their own, solid niche in the gaming sphere and they won't topple anytime soon. A lot of parents and grandparents still call all consoles "Nintendo", and they're the one where you can buy physical games as gifts for your kids and grandkids. They have some of the most iconic gaming IPs of all as exclusives, and a reputation for solid first-party games (which means a lot given how iffy game performance has become these days), guaranteeing a degree of loyalty.
Heck, if they were released at the same time, I still would've gotten the Switch first. I had a minimal Steam library and zero games for the Switch since it had no backwards compatibility, but I am an eternal fan of Pokémon and Animal Crossing. Just those two IPs made the Switch a safe bet because I knew I'd play those, and once I had the console I'd naturally grow the library with other games made for it.
In comparison, the Steam Deck was a gamble for me. I initially worried it was a frivolous purchase because I barely touched it for the first few months due to my severely limited Steam library. Nowadays it's even odds on which I'll take on vacations, and I definitely get more Steam games than Switch thanks to Fanatical bundles. But it's also easier to ask for Switch games over Steam gift cards when my mom asks for Christmas or birthday gifts.
Also, your point about store availability is relevant here: my parents got me my Switch as a surprise when I got my wisdom teeth pulled. Steam has basically no physical presence in comparison, I don't think I even consistently see Steam gift cards at those gift card kiosks with Nintendo and other gaming-related cards. I have no clue if my mom knows anything about Steam beyond "it's the not-Nintendo game console" (and... She might not even know that it's Steam, just that it's not Nintendo... Probably??).
I've been wanting a switch for my partner, I literally avoided buying one over the holidays due to the switch 2 coming soon. I haven't owned a Nintendo console since I was a kid, so I'm not like a...
I've been wanting a switch for my partner, I literally avoided buying one over the holidays due to the switch 2 coming soon. I haven't owned a Nintendo console since I was a kid, so I'm not like a huge fanboy but I'll be buying the switch 2.
That and very little draw in terms of games. No Mario or Zelda flagship title means they will have a lot less sales. None of the other titles they talked about sounded interesting and any third...
That and very little draw in terms of games. No Mario or Zelda flagship title means they will have a lot less sales. None of the other titles they talked about sounded interesting and any third party stuff I'd rather play on my PC like 99% of games.
Basically the only reason I have to get a Switch is one of those two major franchises and we have neither, I don't think I'm alone in that either.
Considering Mario Kart 8 deluxe on switch had more sales than Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild combined, this perspective seems a little narrow sighted. A new Mario Kart that could breathe new...
Considering Mario Kart 8 deluxe on switch had more sales than Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild combined, this perspective seems a little narrow sighted. A new Mario Kart that could breathe new life into the series after 8 deluxe + dlc seemed like a final form should move systems. That alone is a better launch lineup than Wii U. With Metroid Prime 4 following this year that’s a really strong first 6 months.
I can't speak for everyone. I know a lot of people like MarioKart, but it's just not really my thing. I played 8 a couple times on other people's switches but never got it myself. This one doesn't...
I can't speak for everyone. I know a lot of people like MarioKart, but it's just not really my thing. I played 8 a couple times on other people's switches but never got it myself. This one doesn't seem interesting to me either.
I bought MK8 for the Wii U, and my husband later bought the Switch version. I can’t exactly tell you why, but the switch one feels worse to play. I thought at first that it was because the...
I bought MK8 for the Wii U, and my husband later bought the Switch version. I can’t exactly tell you why, but the switch one feels worse to play. I thought at first that it was because the joysticks on the joycons are comparatively terrible, but even when playing with the Pro controller it doesn’t feel quite as good.
You may not be alone in requiring a mainline Mario and Zelda to buy the console, but I do not think that is the popular position anymore. Mario Kart 8 is the fifth highest selling video game of...
You may not be alone in requiring a mainline Mario and Zelda to buy the console, but I do not think that is the popular position anymore. Mario Kart 8 is the fifth highest selling video game of all time. Higher than either of the mainlines, along with any Pokémon, PUBG, World of Warcraft, any Call of Duty, and Red Dead Redemption 2. From Nintendo's perspective, they are giving the people what they want.
I'm pretty excited! I don't understand why people on Tildes seem to consider this overpriced; I expected the console to cost fairly more. Games-wise we've only seen a couple of huge first-party...
I'm pretty excited! I don't understand why people on Tildes seem to consider this overpriced; I expected the console to cost fairly more. Games-wise we've only seen a couple of huge first-party titles that even then, while predictably more than the previous generation, are significantly less than the equivalent would have been 20-30yrs ago. The gimmicks look really fun and non-intrusive, like how the first Switch pulled things off to great success but more so with room for innovation without wastage if developers ignore. Stick drift, meh, I don't think that other consoles to my knowledge use Hall Effect either and even then I can think of worse problems than a controller having a low chance after a long time of use of needing a very simple and quick repair.
If we're voting with our wallets then I'm personally thrilled with the announcements we've had and will definitely will be voting for this soon!
The thing about a game costing CA$110 in 2025 is that there is no way I am buying a game for CA$110 in 2025. Even if it's equivalent or less to the dollar cost for an N64 game in the 90s, it's not...
The thing about a game costing CA$110 in 2025 is that there is no way I am buying a game for CA$110 in 2025. Even if it's equivalent or less to the dollar cost for an N64 game in the 90s, it's not like I'm earning the equivalent of what someone in my field made in the 90s, nor is it like the general cost of living is as proportional to my income like it was in the 90s. CA$110 for a single game is too much of the proportion of my annual net income.
This would probably be a different situation if I was the type of person to buy a whole console for just one or two games total but I'm not. If I buy a Nintendo system, I want almost every Nintendo game. Considering their prices historically, that is an astronomical amount of money.
That’s fine. Everyone has their own situation and their own thresholds for a purchase. Personally, like I said elsewhere, last year I paid $560 USD to play one game, and I don’t regret it...
That’s fine. Everyone has their own situation and their own thresholds for a purchase. Personally, like I said elsewhere, last year I paid $560 USD to play one game, and I don’t regret it whatsoever.
I think people are universalizing their own preference to everyone.
I'm specifically arguing against the notion of "It's less than it would have cost in the 90s when you factor in inflation". It's not as solid of an argument as it seems on the tin. Affordability...
I'm specifically arguing against the notion of "It's less than it would have cost in the 90s when you factor in inflation". It's not as solid of an argument as it seems on the tin.
Affordability is the big issue here, not the raw prices. My point is that, in this economy, there's going to be a lot more individuals finding the price tag too steep than there would have been 20-30 years ago.
Sounds like an Apple product if they were to cheapen their hardware. That requires you to install an emulator right? An increasing number of people are not tech savvy enough to handle such things...
Overpriced console.
Overpriced accessories.
Overpriced games.
Gimmicks no one will cares about.
And now, potentially issues with stick drift again.
Sounds like an Apple product if they were to cheapen their hardware.
There’s always Steam.
That requires you to install an emulator right? An increasing number of people are not tech savvy enough to handle such things or would rather pay more to avoid it. The fact that the emulator isn't an official Nintendo product will drop more off the list as some people think it's not legal or see 3rd parties as sketchy.
Remember, Nintendo's primary markets are people looking for family friendly games and casual gamers. Neither of which will want to put in the effort to bypass Nintendo. It's probably why they also don't upgrade the joysticks, their primary audience won't wear them out nearly as fast as a gamer would and it helps convince them to upgrade when it does wear out. It all feels like planned obsolescence to me.
The bit about tech savviness is a key factor that I think deserves more attention. You can get a lot of the Switch 2's features on a Steam Deck, but it requires a degree of knowledge not everyone...
The bit about tech savviness is a key factor that I think deserves more attention. You can get a lot of the Switch 2's features on a Steam Deck, but it requires a degree of knowledge not everyone has and/or some extra accessories. I have a Steam Deck, but have yet to buy anything I'd need to play it on my TV. Meanwhile the Switch comes with a dock and detachable joycons.
Then you can use Discord with Steam Deck, but it requires some degree of setup that I haven't bothered with beyond downloading it via Desktop mode. (Related: the second time I booted to desktop mode, I had to look up how to open the keyboard because I forgot the button combination.) The Switch 2 won't require any of that setup or any external accounts, so it's immediately more convenient even if it's not as versatile.
Hell, just playing games on Steam Deck can require some finagling. I don't even mean special setup for compatibility. I've had to look up how to play two games that are listed as playable just to get past the start screen because the controls didn't respond at all. Then you get into special setup steps to get some games working (or just in a launchable state). Never have to worry about that with Switch: if the game is made and published for Switch, it will work. Quality isn't guaranteed, but at minimum it will launch.
Like you said, Nintendo appeals to families and casual gamers. The biggest benefit of Nintendo over Steam Deck for them is convenience and accessibility: it's not as versatile, but you need minimal knowledge and equipment to set it up and get the most out of it.
lol Nintendo kinda is the Apple of gaming. They like to lock you inside their sweet sweet ecosystem. No no. I meant getting an actual PC or Steam Deck to play Steam games on, rather than getting a...
Sounds like an Apple product if they were to cheapen their hardware.
lol Nintendo kinda is the Apple of gaming. They like to lock you inside their sweet sweet ecosystem.
That requires you to install an emulator right?
No no. I meant getting an actual PC or Steam Deck to play Steam games on, rather than getting a Switch. Better value overall.
What gimmicks? The hardware changes are practical and meaningful additions. They didn't add anything like the Wii U gamepad that is hard to find practical uses for, or anything like the 3DS's 3D...
Gimmicks no one will cares about.
What gimmicks? The hardware changes are practical and meaningful additions. They didn't add anything like the Wii U gamepad that is hard to find practical uses for, or anything like the 3DS's 3D effect that is chasing some fad. The mouse controls is honestly a really good idea and makes perfect sense for many games like FPS games or anything that previously played well with pointer controls like Pikmin. That type of feature is more like the extra input methods added to Steam Deck; they supplement the experience of "normal" games, rather than support glorified tech demos like Wii Play or the AR cards on 3DS. All the other changes are purely graphical improvements or quality of life features like a chat menu hotkey.
The only real problem with the system is that there's no news on the next mainline 3D Mario (it's reasonable there's no mainline 3D Zelda so soon since TotK) and the price.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I thought that Game Chat was underwhelming and not at all something that a lot of people are interested in at the moment. I’m also concerned that Mouse Mode will be the HD...
Maybe I’m wrong, but I thought that Game Chat was underwhelming and not at all something that a lot of people are interested in at the moment. I’m also concerned that Mouse Mode will be the HD Rumble of this generation, and barely used, because it requires people so sit on a desk to make use of it. It might even turn into Joy-con drift 2.0, but of a different kind, when kids all over the world damage the fragile controller while rubbing it across abrasive surfaces. I also read reports that it’s very uncomfortable to wield (because unlike an actual mouse, it’s too thin to comfortably hold sideways). This is what I was talking about. But time will tell.
I think this is going to be a wholly new situation for Nintendo. They've never been considered the most expensive option on the market before. The WiiU's issues can basically be tracked down to...
I think this is going to be a wholly new situation for Nintendo. They've never been considered the most expensive option on the market before.
The WiiU's issues can basically be tracked down to marketing and identity problems, and fumbled communication with the general public meaning they did not understand what the WiiU actually was. I'm actually amazed Nintendo is calling it "Switch 2" but it indicates to me that they really do not want to make the same mistake they did with the WiiU again.
But now it's not that people don't know what it is, it's that they're balking at the prices. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo finally starts putting their games on a significant sale this generation to mitigate this impending situation.
Well, that’s the thing. I gathered from a lot of comments post-Direct that Nintendo failed to clearly communicate to the customers why they should fork over almost $500 for a console with...
The WiiU's issues can basically be tracked down to marketing and identity problems, and fumbled communication with the general public meaning they did not understand what the WiiU actually was.
Well, that’s the thing. I gathered from a lot of comments post-Direct that Nintendo failed to clearly communicate to the customers why they should fork over almost $500 for a console with overpriced games. But we will see.
I think I've written it here before (or maybe it was elsewhere) but I have a whole thesis on how what Nintendo failed to communicate was that the WiiU was a new console entirely to the vast...
I think I've written it here before (or maybe it was elsewhere) but I have a whole thesis on how what Nintendo failed to communicate was that the WiiU was a new console entirely to the vast majority of people. What they accidentally communicated to many that the WiiU tablet controller was the WiiU, and therefore the WiiU was just a new accessory for the Wii.
Which means I'll probably hold off on these for a year or so until it's clear that stick drift isn't a problem. I wasted a lot of money buying replacement joycons for my wife's Switch, and we...
Which means I'll probably hold off on these for a year or so until it's clear that stick drift isn't a problem. I wasted a lot of money buying replacement joycons for my wife's Switch, and we recently got 3 switch lites (for myself and the kids) that are likely going to run into the problem eventually.
Although between the pricing and the tariffs (which will jack the price up even more), I have enough reasons to wait anyway. I'll just throw this on the pile.
I suggest this as a die-hard Nintendo fan: Why not give up on Nintendo altogether? It seems that in the near future there might be more Steam handhelds coming to the market, as well as perhaps a...
I suggest this as a die-hard Nintendo fan: Why not give up on Nintendo altogether? It seems that in the near future there might be more Steam handhelds coming to the market, as well as perhaps a new Steam machine. There are endless other great handhelds being released all the time. Those are all cheaper options, and the money goes to companies that respect their customers more. Again, I say this as a die-hard Nintendo fan: There are other great platforms out there with family-friendly games. Nintendo would like to think that they can exploit our nostalgia and FOMO, and we can prove them wrong by voting with out wallets.
I mean that's kind of the plan unless things (price, controller quality, etc.) change. It's difficult though. My son and I just finished a play through of Mario Odyssey and it's honestly one of...
I mean that's kind of the plan unless things (price, controller quality, etc.) change. It's difficult though. My son and I just finished a play through of Mario Odyssey and it's honestly one of the best games I've ever played. Easily the best 3D Mario game I've ever played. I'm genuinely excited to see what the next gen Mario game(s) look like.
Likewise, I enjoy the direction that Zelda went on the WiiU/Switch and I'm genuinely excited to see where that goes on a more powerful system. And Pokemon...well my only gripes with the most recent games boil down to system limitations and performance. I love the open world approach to Pokemon and I'd like to see what that looks like on better hardware.
Yeah, a lot of it is FOMO and nostalgia, but it's not like they're churning out slop and I'm just gobbling it up because of the "Nintendo" logo on it. They genuinely do crank out fantastic video games (although, yes, Pokemon has had a rocky few years).
That being said, I'm not above emulation by any means and if it comes to that, I'll do it.
If you're willing to wait a couple years for the emulation to get there, Nintendo systems always have fantastic emulators. The few switch games I still play are on my pc running with fps delimiter...
If you're willing to wait a couple years for the emulation to get there, Nintendo systems always have fantastic emulators. The few switch games I still play are on my pc running with fps delimiter mods. They look and run fantastic.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like Nintendo has been successful at putting a huge dent into this community in the past few years. I wouldn't be surprised if their litigious success deters...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like Nintendo has been successful at putting a huge dent into this community in the past few years. I wouldn't be surprised if their litigious success deters emulator developers in the future.
You're pretty much right. People like to talk about hydras, but the reality is that making emulators for modern systems is incredibly hard work. Almost all modern (and that's using a generous...
You're pretty much right. People like to talk about hydras, but the reality is that making emulators for modern systems is incredibly hard work. Almost all modern (and that's using a generous definition of "modern" - PS3 and above, essentially) emulators are based around paid developers, and paid developers can be taken down. Nintendo decapitated the two Switch emulator's developers, and the "community" has mainly flailed around making forks with minor visual changes since.
I do think it's dumb* for emulator developers to expect payment or donations. They're already walking a very thin line, and that just adds to the games publishers' narrative of "they're stealing...
I do think it's dumb* for emulator developers to expect payment or donations. They're already walking a very thin line, and that just adds to the games publishers' narrative of "they're stealing our income."
*It's dumb to try/do this. But it isn't necessarily right. I know that the work they do takes time and effort, with a lot of specialized knowledge, which would be heavily compensated if it was a more "marketable" skill.
And you’re right. I think that the Switch emulation scene will take a couple decades to recover, when the dust has settled and Nintendo has moved on. I think that’s what keeping their previous...
And you’re right. I think that the Switch emulation scene will take a couple decades to recover, when the dust has settled and Nintendo has moved on. I think that’s what keeping their previous consoles going so well, with the exception of the N64 which somehow has stagnated.
Switch emulation is still alive and well. I personally don't emulate it, as there's nothing I want to play on Switch, but those new forks are in development and work well on PC, as well as...
Switch emulation is still alive and well.
I personally don't emulate it, as there's nothing I want to play on Switch, but those new forks are in development and work well on PC, as well as Android. Many people are currently emulating Switch on stuff like Retroid handhelds and having zero issues.
Should you run into stick drift problems in the future: Guilkit makes replacement hall effect joystick for the Switch. They are like $20, some of the kits come with the tools you need, and they...
Should you run into stick drift problems in the future: Guilkit makes replacement hall effect joystick for the Switch. They are like $20, some of the kits come with the tools you need, and they are pretty easy to install. Much cheaper and more permanent than buying more joycon!
My non-tinkery wife and I were able to replace the shells on her joycons in about an hour the first time through shell replacement gets you 80% of the way to replacing a joystick. She replaced one...
My non-tinkery wife and I were able to replace the shells on her joycons in about an hour the first time through shell replacement gets you 80% of the way to replacing a joystick. She replaced one and I replaced the other and it took us a similar amount of time. I later replaced my joy sticks with the Guilkit hall effect joysticks also in about an hour on my own since I had a rough idea of the teardown. I would rate it a medium difficulty project for someone who's never done something like it before. It requires good lighting, a bit of finesse, and some patience, but everything is basically plug and play. I have relatively small hands and even then did have to struggle a bit getting a few pieces slipped back into place right, but I was also being very gentle with the ribbon cables.
I firmly believe anyone could do the project with YouTube video and a couple hours of time to just go slow if they need it. However I think people should be aware of what they're jumping into first. That said, I do like the new joysticks so far. The input feels different, but no issues so far!
I say all this as someone comfortable tinkering with things and that has practice working with small electronics. Your mileage may vary.
My one word of warning: the screws that come with joycons strip VERY easily. I've replaced two joysticks, and my dad had to help me with the first one when a screw got worn down for me to handle....
My one word of warning: the screws that come with joycons strip VERY easily. I've replaced two joysticks, and my dad had to help me with the first one when a screw got worn down for me to handle. We then had to take the second joy-con to a cell phone repair store to use a specialized tool to remove one screw because it was just too stripped.
On that note, those joycons now have three screws instead of four because I deemed several screws too stripped to risk reusing, and the kit I got had a limited number of screws. I think the original screws are made of a super-soft material compared to most. Also the magnetic screwdriver that came with the kit didn't react to them.
Other than that, replacing them was easier than I expected as someone with zero experience with this sort of thing. It might be tricky if you have bad eyes and/or big hands though? I remember thinking big hands would've made it harder for me for some reason, and also being glad my eyes are really good given how small the components are.
I recommend looking up how-to videos from multiple sources if only because they can show different angles. I think I switched between a couple videos for different parts of the process. Also, if you're struggling to reattach something, just pause and step back for a bit rather than let the frustration build.
Did you happen to use a teeny Phillips screwdriver on them initially? I've not taken apart (or even touched a Switch before) but I've taken apart lots of other Japanese electronics and they almost...
Did you happen to use a teeny Phillips screwdriver on them initially? I've not taken apart (or even touched a Switch before) but I've taken apart lots of other Japanese electronics and they almost always use JIS screws which look like Phillips but are ever so slightly different and very easily stripped out by a non-JIS driver. Even if the kit came with a JIS driver, I wouldn't trust it personally.
Actually, the shells use triwing screws. Very tiny triwing screws. We didn't have a tiny triwing screwdriver until I ordered the kit which came with two sizes of triwing screwdrivers, 1.5x3.0mm...
Actually, the shells use triwing screws. Very tiny triwing screws. We didn't have a tiny triwing screwdriver until I ordered the kit which came with two sizes of triwing screwdrivers, 1.5x3.0mm and 2.0x3.0mm. The interior uses more "traditional" +-shaped screws, which posed absolutely no problems for me.
Though your comment made me check my 3DS because I used the kit's +-shaped screwdriver (literally how it's labeled and described in the manual—yeah, it's not the most top-of-the-line kit) to unscrew the shell. And I can see some minor stripping/wear, so I'm guessing those use JIS screws and the screwdriver is, in fact, a teeny Phillips one. Yet only the triwing screws caused a problem...
Oh man yeah I should have assumed it was the tri-wing screws since it's a Nintendo product... Those are even more finicky than the JIS ones. There's some higher end drivers out there (German and...
Oh man yeah I should have assumed it was the tri-wing screws since it's a Nintendo product... Those are even more finicky than the JIS ones.
There's some higher end drivers out there (German and Japanese manufacturers are pretty solid on these), though I suppose you might not be doing this repair again so a bit of a moot point. But yeah those kit screwdrivers are always cheaply made :/
FWIW replacing the joysticks on the Lite isn't hellish but it is about a full hour job at least. I fixed my partner's Lite many moons ago and recently (once the fixed ones failed) upgraded it to...
FWIW replacing the joysticks on the Lite isn't hellish but it is about a full hour job at least. I fixed my partner's Lite many moons ago and recently (once the fixed ones failed) upgraded it to Hall sticks so I'll hopefully never have to open it again...
Unless they convince me to reshell it or something....
I think the pricing and the tariffs are great reasons to wait, and I’ll probably hold off on the Switch 2 unless I can somehow source one from outside the US. Controller-wise, you could always...
I think the pricing and the tariffs are great reasons to wait, and I’ll probably hold off on the Switch 2 unless I can somehow source one from outside the US.
Controller-wise, you could always look into third party controllers. I haven’t bought a first-party Nintendo controller since the Joycon drift shenanigans, and I don’t plan to. There are plenty of companies making Switch-compatible controllers that are miles ahead of the Switch in terms of build quality and consistency.
Notably, nobody else uses hall effect sticks either. The PS5 and Xbox controllers both use conventional setups. Yes, there are advantages to using that mechanism, but its absence is not the reason...
Notably, nobody else uses hall effect sticks either. The PS5 and Xbox controllers both use conventional setups.
Yes, there are advantages to using that mechanism, but its absence is not the reason for the drift problems and the continued absence is not an indicator that there will be similar failure levels. Nintendo surely lost a significant amount of money on their replacement program, so it's in their best interests to design something more durable.
I can't speak for the Playstation controllers myself but the Xbox Series X controllers do have drift problems. I've lost two expensive controllers to the problem and, unlike Nintendo, they won't...
I can't speak for the Playstation controllers myself but the Xbox Series X controllers do have drift problems. I've lost two expensive controllers to the problem and, unlike Nintendo, they won't repair them for free.
Tempting as it may be to blame Alps for the PS5’s drifting issues, they probably aren’t the villain of this story—because, brand name notwithstanding, this joystick module looks extremely familiar. You may already recognize it from the prior-gen PlayStation’s controller, the DualShock 4. Or from the Xbox One controllers. Maybe the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. Or, somewhat confusingly, the $180 Xbox One Elite controller. Underneath that plastic cap, the dirty secret is that they all use the same joystick hardware.
I replaced two DualSense controllers after several years of use caused some tracking issues, so it's not like they're immune to problems...but I also just don't think it's a big deal? Mechanical...
I replaced two DualSense controllers after several years of use caused some tracking issues, so it's not like they're immune to problems...but I also just don't think it's a big deal? Mechanical things wear out eventually.
What I'm getting at is it's the norm more or less, and I'm not going to hold Nintendo to a higher standard for an even cheaper device. Hall effect controls are, presently, a luxury/niche thing that's not yet widely adopted by the major industry players.
As long as they bring the failure rate down in line with their peers, it's reasonable.
This is probably me just getting older with familial, career, and domestic responsibilities talking, but ain't nobody got time (or money) for that. One of the better (best?) deals in gaming for me...
This is probably me just getting older with familial, career, and domestic responsibilities talking, but ain't nobody got time (or money) for that.
One of the better (best?) deals in gaming for me has come from playing Apple Arcade games on a beater iPad we've had laying around. Subscribing annually to Apple Arcade works out to about $4.17/mo. Sure, the catalog's not as robust as what one would find on Steam and the touch controls are often subpar to controller support, but for some games it's been a great experience: Fantasian, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, Creaks, Balatro, etc. There's a lot of great titles to enjoy if you're not a "hardcore" gamer.
To me, it's the opposite. The older I've gotten, the more time is what is at the premium. And that means that experiences are less fungible than ever. If I want to play something, I want to play...
To me, it's the opposite. The older I've gotten, the more time is what is at the premium. And that means that experiences are less fungible than ever. If I want to play something, I want to play it, not something that someone finds equivalent. The actual price of the game has become less and less relevant.
As an extreme example, I effectively paid $560 just to play FF7: Rebirth when it came out, since I bought a PS5 for it and have not done anything else with it. I don't regret it one bit. I could've bought 100 games for that amount of money on Steam, but these just aren't fungible things.
I can relate to this. Unfortunately, my level of income has not allowed me to invest any significant money into gaming in the last few years (my last two Nintendo consoles were the NDS and the...
As an extreme example, I effectively paid $560 just to play FF7: Rebirth when it came out, since I bought a PS5 for it and have not done anything else with it. I don't regret it one bit. I could've bought 100 games for that amount of money on Steam, but these just aren't fungible things.
I can relate to this. Unfortunately, my level of income has not allowed me to invest any significant money into gaming in the last few years (my last two Nintendo consoles were the NDS and the Wii, and I unfortunately missed out on everything else since). I tried the Apple Arcade approach. I tried buying lots of (very popular) games on Steam. It just isn’t the same experience. The games that I actually want to play are on the platforms that I can’t afford. It’s a bummer. I have resigned myself to playing the games that I never had a chance to but always wanted to try out via emulation. That has scratched the itch far better than all the money that I’ve wasted on Steam sales or on the App Store.
Unrelated, but today was the day I realized the president of NoA is Doug Bowser. BOWSER! Incredible. Related, hopefully rebuilding them from the ground up, as they say, is going to fix the issue....
Unrelated, but today was the day I realized the president of NoA is Doug Bowser. BOWSER! Incredible.
Related, hopefully rebuilding them from the ground up, as they say, is going to fix the issue. I'm definitely on the wait a couple years train, but I only got a Switch in 2023 (sort of). I'm still catching up on titles from the 2010s!
I'm probably sitting this round of the Switch out. I could probably swallow the price of the console, but they're just not addressing the things that they should be addressing. Stick drift on the...
I'm probably sitting this round of the Switch out. I could probably swallow the price of the console, but they're just not addressing the things that they should be addressing. Stick drift on the Switch is a big deal; the games were already overpriced, and now they're increasing the price; the e-shop is a shovelware wasteland that's impossible to navigate and discover anything worthwhile on; and I'm highly skeptical that their overcomplicated digital game card thing will improve the game sharing situation in a way that isn't incredibly restrictive and annoying to use. Pile onto all of that their grossly anticompetitive and anti-consumer attitude in general and I'm just no longer interested in supporting them, even if it means missing out on first party titles (at least until the emulators eventually catch up).
Before the switch 2 direct, I was arguing with my wife on how this will be my first console preorder ever, and that Nintendo did right by its fans so far and I wanted to support them. Well, long...
Before the switch 2 direct, I was arguing with my wife on how this will be my first console preorder ever, and that Nintendo did right by its fans so far and I wanted to support them.
Well, long story short, I’m sitting this one out. It’s not about budget, I’m lucky enough that I can afford the console and the games. It’s about principles. There’s only so much shit I can take, and this is over the limit.
Nintendo had a great run with the Switch. It was totally another Wii. But it seems that for the next few years, they’ll have a bit of a WiiU to deal with. It won’t be as bad, I think, but it won’t be great. They already had a bit of a false start:
Time to vote with our wallets folks. There’s always Steam.
I think it’ll do fine. The only hitch is the tariffs, but they apply broadly to everything and I suspect Nintendo will eat much of the cost to their margin to ensure they hit target price points.
To be frank, literally all of these were complaints levied against the original switch.
the first switch wasnt competing against a steamdeck thats cheaper and already has your entire library tho. the only target audience that i can see here is grandparents in ten months and people who are already deeply walled into nintendo. that feels like stagnation at best.
The steam deck isn’t meaningful competition. You can see just by the sales numbers. It wasn’t affecting switch sales and it’s not affecting switch 2 sales.
I’m planning on buying one[Switch 2] and I played so few switch games last year my Nintendo year in review page refused to load for lack of data.
lol well of course theres a difference in sales numbers. one of them have been released for eight years already, and is a flagship console from a 40year long console making king. the other is an online marketplace that copied them because theyve been disappointing consumers.
i mean that the pendulum is swinging, not that the demo crew is done with their job.
The Switch 2 is only "competing" against the Steam Deck for a small percentage of users. I love my Deck but IIRC they've sold fewer units than the Wii U. It's very much a niche platform.
The Switch 2 will boost Steam Deck sales. The price increases on all fronts will make more people evaluate cheaper alternatives.
Yeah, probably, but overall a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers the Switch 2 will move. Wouldn't be shocked to see it outsell the Deck's lifetime sales by EOY.
More like the Steam Deck isn't even meaningful competition against the Switch, an older and much less powerful device. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that the Steam Deck will scratch the sales of Switch 2.
The Switch has sold over 150 million units, while the Steam Deck hasn't even scratched half of the Wii U's 13.5 million units.
Back when the Switch launched, it had the same sort of comments, which had "no wireless, less space than a Nomad" energy then and still do this time.
The steamdeck is not a meaningful competitor at the moment.
I love my steamdeck, I think it's a great concept, I love linux, and I think most people should consider it over other options like the switch 2... I can't see it causing issues for Nintendo.
There are a few issues with the steamdeck. Nobody knows it exists, it's not in physical stores so you need a steam account just to buy it, and non tech people are confused as to what it is.
Regarding your argument about using your existing library; many of Nintendo's customers probably don't even know what Steam is. A surprising amount of people don't even have computers at home.
Yeah. I have both and for all their similarities (some of which are very deliberate by Valve), something about them feels different and I'm not sure they're as comparable as everyone thinks.
Best way I can think to describe it, the Steam Deck was made for Steam users and serious gamers first, with Switch players as a bonus demographic. It feels like it's not really directly trying to compete with the Switch the way that consoles compete with each other, but it does capitalize on the Switch to try to get some Nintendo players to try it. Case in point, there's a system-wide setting to swap the ABXY buttons to match the Switch configuration.
Nintendo meanwhile just... Doesn't care about competition, really. They found their own, solid niche in the gaming sphere and they won't topple anytime soon. A lot of parents and grandparents still call all consoles "Nintendo", and they're the one where you can buy physical games as gifts for your kids and grandkids. They have some of the most iconic gaming IPs of all as exclusives, and a reputation for solid first-party games (which means a lot given how iffy game performance has become these days), guaranteeing a degree of loyalty.
Heck, if they were released at the same time, I still would've gotten the Switch first. I had a minimal Steam library and zero games for the Switch since it had no backwards compatibility, but I am an eternal fan of Pokémon and Animal Crossing. Just those two IPs made the Switch a safe bet because I knew I'd play those, and once I had the console I'd naturally grow the library with other games made for it.
In comparison, the Steam Deck was a gamble for me. I initially worried it was a frivolous purchase because I barely touched it for the first few months due to my severely limited Steam library. Nowadays it's even odds on which I'll take on vacations, and I definitely get more Steam games than Switch thanks to Fanatical bundles. But it's also easier to ask for Switch games over Steam gift cards when my mom asks for Christmas or birthday gifts.
Also, your point about store availability is relevant here: my parents got me my Switch as a surprise when I got my wisdom teeth pulled. Steam has basically no physical presence in comparison, I don't think I even consistently see Steam gift cards at those gift card kiosks with Nintendo and other gaming-related cards. I have no clue if my mom knows anything about Steam beyond "it's the not-Nintendo game console" (and... She might not even know that it's Steam, just that it's not Nintendo... Probably??).
I've been wanting a switch for my partner, I literally avoided buying one over the holidays due to the switch 2 coming soon. I haven't owned a Nintendo console since I was a kid, so I'm not like a huge fanboy but I'll be buying the switch 2.
That and very little draw in terms of games. No Mario or Zelda flagship title means they will have a lot less sales. None of the other titles they talked about sounded interesting and any third party stuff I'd rather play on my PC like 99% of games.
Basically the only reason I have to get a Switch is one of those two major franchises and we have neither, I don't think I'm alone in that either.
Considering Mario Kart 8 deluxe on switch had more sales than Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild combined, this perspective seems a little narrow sighted. A new Mario Kart that could breathe new life into the series after 8 deluxe + dlc seemed like a final form should move systems. That alone is a better launch lineup than Wii U. With Metroid Prime 4 following this year that’s a really strong first 6 months.
I can't speak for everyone. I know a lot of people like MarioKart, but it's just not really my thing. I played 8 a couple times on other people's switches but never got it myself. This one doesn't seem interesting to me either.
I bought MK8 for the Wii U, and my husband later bought the Switch version. I can’t exactly tell you why, but the switch one feels worse to play. I thought at first that it was because the joysticks on the joycons are comparatively terrible, but even when playing with the Pro controller it doesn’t feel quite as good.
Not even the new Mario Kart and Donkey Kong? I’m skeptical about the former, but extremely excited for the latter.
Never been big on Mario Kart or Donkey Kong. I can see why people are interested in them but it's not for me
You may not be alone in requiring a mainline Mario and Zelda to buy the console, but I do not think that is the popular position anymore. Mario Kart 8 is the fifth highest selling video game of all time. Higher than either of the mainlines, along with any Pokémon, PUBG, World of Warcraft, any Call of Duty, and Red Dead Redemption 2. From Nintendo's perspective, they are giving the people what they want.
I'm pretty excited! I don't understand why people on Tildes seem to consider this overpriced; I expected the console to cost fairly more. Games-wise we've only seen a couple of huge first-party titles that even then, while predictably more than the previous generation, are significantly less than the equivalent would have been 20-30yrs ago. The gimmicks look really fun and non-intrusive, like how the first Switch pulled things off to great success but more so with room for innovation without wastage if developers ignore. Stick drift, meh, I don't think that other consoles to my knowledge use Hall Effect either and even then I can think of worse problems than a controller having a low chance after a long time of use of needing a very simple and quick repair.
If we're voting with our wallets then I'm personally thrilled with the announcements we've had and will definitely will be voting for this soon!
The thing about a game costing CA$110 in 2025 is that there is no way I am buying a game for CA$110 in 2025. Even if it's equivalent or less to the dollar cost for an N64 game in the 90s, it's not like I'm earning the equivalent of what someone in my field made in the 90s, nor is it like the general cost of living is as proportional to my income like it was in the 90s. CA$110 for a single game is too much of the proportion of my annual net income.
This would probably be a different situation if I was the type of person to buy a whole console for just one or two games total but I'm not. If I buy a Nintendo system, I want almost every Nintendo game. Considering their prices historically, that is an astronomical amount of money.
That’s fine. Everyone has their own situation and their own thresholds for a purchase. Personally, like I said elsewhere, last year I paid $560 USD to play one game, and I don’t regret it whatsoever.
I think people are universalizing their own preference to everyone.
I'm specifically arguing against the notion of "It's less than it would have cost in the 90s when you factor in inflation". It's not as solid of an argument as it seems on the tin.
Affordability is the big issue here, not the raw prices. My point is that, in this economy, there's going to be a lot more individuals finding the price tag too steep than there would have been 20-30 years ago.
Sounds like an Apple product if they were to cheapen their hardware.
That requires you to install an emulator right? An increasing number of people are not tech savvy enough to handle such things or would rather pay more to avoid it. The fact that the emulator isn't an official Nintendo product will drop more off the list as some people think it's not legal or see 3rd parties as sketchy.
Remember, Nintendo's primary markets are people looking for family friendly games and casual gamers. Neither of which will want to put in the effort to bypass Nintendo. It's probably why they also don't upgrade the joysticks, their primary audience won't wear them out nearly as fast as a gamer would and it helps convince them to upgrade when it does wear out. It all feels like planned obsolescence to me.
The bit about tech savviness is a key factor that I think deserves more attention. You can get a lot of the Switch 2's features on a Steam Deck, but it requires a degree of knowledge not everyone has and/or some extra accessories. I have a Steam Deck, but have yet to buy anything I'd need to play it on my TV. Meanwhile the Switch comes with a dock and detachable joycons.
Then you can use Discord with Steam Deck, but it requires some degree of setup that I haven't bothered with beyond downloading it via Desktop mode. (Related: the second time I booted to desktop mode, I had to look up how to open the keyboard because I forgot the button combination.) The Switch 2 won't require any of that setup or any external accounts, so it's immediately more convenient even if it's not as versatile.
Hell, just playing games on Steam Deck can require some finagling. I don't even mean special setup for compatibility. I've had to look up how to play two games that are listed as playable just to get past the start screen because the controls didn't respond at all. Then you get into special setup steps to get some games working (or just in a launchable state). Never have to worry about that with Switch: if the game is made and published for Switch, it will work. Quality isn't guaranteed, but at minimum it will launch.
Like you said, Nintendo appeals to families and casual gamers. The biggest benefit of Nintendo over Steam Deck for them is convenience and accessibility: it's not as versatile, but you need minimal knowledge and equipment to set it up and get the most out of it.
lol Nintendo kinda is the Apple of gaming. They like to lock you inside their sweet sweet ecosystem.
No no. I meant getting an actual PC or Steam Deck to play Steam games on, rather than getting a Switch. Better value overall.
What gimmicks? The hardware changes are practical and meaningful additions. They didn't add anything like the Wii U gamepad that is hard to find practical uses for, or anything like the 3DS's 3D effect that is chasing some fad. The mouse controls is honestly a really good idea and makes perfect sense for many games like FPS games or anything that previously played well with pointer controls like Pikmin. That type of feature is more like the extra input methods added to Steam Deck; they supplement the experience of "normal" games, rather than support glorified tech demos like Wii Play or the AR cards on 3DS. All the other changes are purely graphical improvements or quality of life features like a chat menu hotkey.
The only real problem with the system is that there's no news on the next mainline 3D Mario (it's reasonable there's no mainline 3D Zelda so soon since TotK) and the price.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I thought that Game Chat was underwhelming and not at all something that a lot of people are interested in at the moment. I’m also concerned that Mouse Mode will be the HD Rumble of this generation, and barely used, because it requires people so sit on a desk to make use of it. It might even turn into Joy-con drift 2.0, but of a different kind, when kids all over the world damage the fragile controller while rubbing it across abrasive surfaces. I also read reports that it’s very uncomfortable to wield (because unlike an actual mouse, it’s too thin to comfortably hold sideways). This is what I was talking about. But time will tell.
I think this is going to be a wholly new situation for Nintendo. They've never been considered the most expensive option on the market before.
The WiiU's issues can basically be tracked down to marketing and identity problems, and fumbled communication with the general public meaning they did not understand what the WiiU actually was. I'm actually amazed Nintendo is calling it "Switch 2" but it indicates to me that they really do not want to make the same mistake they did with the WiiU again.
But now it's not that people don't know what it is, it's that they're balking at the prices. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo finally starts putting their games on a significant sale this generation to mitigate this impending situation.
Well, that’s the thing. I gathered from a lot of comments post-Direct that Nintendo failed to clearly communicate to the customers why they should fork over almost $500 for a console with overpriced games. But we will see.
I think I've written it here before (or maybe it was elsewhere) but I have a whole thesis on how what Nintendo failed to communicate was that the WiiU was a new console entirely to the vast majority of people. What they accidentally communicated to many that the WiiU tablet controller was the WiiU, and therefore the WiiU was just a new accessory for the Wii.
Which means I'll probably hold off on these for a year or so until it's clear that stick drift isn't a problem. I wasted a lot of money buying replacement joycons for my wife's Switch, and we recently got 3 switch lites (for myself and the kids) that are likely going to run into the problem eventually.
Although between the pricing and the tariffs (which will jack the price up even more), I have enough reasons to wait anyway. I'll just throw this on the pile.
I suggest this as a die-hard Nintendo fan: Why not give up on Nintendo altogether? It seems that in the near future there might be more Steam handhelds coming to the market, as well as perhaps a new Steam machine. There are endless other great handhelds being released all the time. Those are all cheaper options, and the money goes to companies that respect their customers more. Again, I say this as a die-hard Nintendo fan: There are other great platforms out there with family-friendly games. Nintendo would like to think that they can exploit our nostalgia and FOMO, and we can prove them wrong by voting with out wallets.
I mean that's kind of the plan unless things (price, controller quality, etc.) change. It's difficult though. My son and I just finished a play through of Mario Odyssey and it's honestly one of the best games I've ever played. Easily the best 3D Mario game I've ever played. I'm genuinely excited to see what the next gen Mario game(s) look like.
Likewise, I enjoy the direction that Zelda went on the WiiU/Switch and I'm genuinely excited to see where that goes on a more powerful system. And Pokemon...well my only gripes with the most recent games boil down to system limitations and performance. I love the open world approach to Pokemon and I'd like to see what that looks like on better hardware.
Yeah, a lot of it is FOMO and nostalgia, but it's not like they're churning out slop and I'm just gobbling it up because of the "Nintendo" logo on it. They genuinely do crank out fantastic video games (although, yes, Pokemon has had a rocky few years).
That being said, I'm not above emulation by any means and if it comes to that, I'll do it.
If you're willing to wait a couple years for the emulation to get there, Nintendo systems always have fantastic emulators. The few switch games I still play are on my pc running with fps delimiter mods. They look and run fantastic.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like Nintendo has been successful at putting a huge dent into this community in the past few years. I wouldn't be surprised if their litigious success deters emulator developers in the future.
You're pretty much right. People like to talk about hydras, but the reality is that making emulators for modern systems is incredibly hard work. Almost all modern (and that's using a generous definition of "modern" - PS3 and above, essentially) emulators are based around paid developers, and paid developers can be taken down. Nintendo decapitated the two Switch emulator's developers, and the "community" has mainly flailed around making forks with minor visual changes since.
I do think it's dumb* for emulator developers to expect payment or donations. They're already walking a very thin line, and that just adds to the games publishers' narrative of "they're stealing our income."
*It's dumb to try/do this. But it isn't necessarily right. I know that the work they do takes time and effort, with a lot of specialized knowledge, which would be heavily compensated if it was a more "marketable" skill.
And you’re right. I think that the Switch emulation scene will take a couple decades to recover, when the dust has settled and Nintendo has moved on. I think that’s what keeping their previous consoles going so well, with the exception of the N64 which somehow has stagnated.
Switch emulation is still alive and well.
I personally don't emulate it, as there's nothing I want to play on Switch, but those new forks are in development and work well on PC, as well as Android. Many people are currently emulating Switch on stuff like Retroid handhelds and having zero issues.
Because Pikmin. I don't want to buy any more of their stuff but if they come out with Pikmin 5, I may not be able to resist.
Should you run into stick drift problems in the future: Guilkit makes replacement hall effect joystick for the Switch. They are like $20, some of the kits come with the tools you need, and they are pretty easy to install. Much cheaper and more permanent than buying more joycon!
My non-tinkery wife and I were able to replace the shells on her joycons in about an hour the first time through shell replacement gets you 80% of the way to replacing a joystick. She replaced one and I replaced the other and it took us a similar amount of time. I later replaced my joy sticks with the Guilkit hall effect joysticks also in about an hour on my own since I had a rough idea of the teardown. I would rate it a medium difficulty project for someone who's never done something like it before. It requires good lighting, a bit of finesse, and some patience, but everything is basically plug and play. I have relatively small hands and even then did have to struggle a bit getting a few pieces slipped back into place right, but I was also being very gentle with the ribbon cables.
I firmly believe anyone could do the project with YouTube video and a couple hours of time to just go slow if they need it. However I think people should be aware of what they're jumping into first. That said, I do like the new joysticks so far. The input feels different, but no issues so far!
I say all this as someone comfortable tinkering with things and that has practice working with small electronics. Your mileage may vary.
My one word of warning: the screws that come with joycons strip VERY easily. I've replaced two joysticks, and my dad had to help me with the first one when a screw got worn down for me to handle. We then had to take the second joy-con to a cell phone repair store to use a specialized tool to remove one screw because it was just too stripped.
On that note, those joycons now have three screws instead of four because I deemed several screws too stripped to risk reusing, and the kit I got had a limited number of screws. I think the original screws are made of a super-soft material compared to most. Also the magnetic screwdriver that came with the kit didn't react to them.
Other than that, replacing them was easier than I expected as someone with zero experience with this sort of thing. It might be tricky if you have bad eyes and/or big hands though? I remember thinking big hands would've made it harder for me for some reason, and also being glad my eyes are really good given how small the components are.
I recommend looking up how-to videos from multiple sources if only because they can show different angles. I think I switched between a couple videos for different parts of the process. Also, if you're struggling to reattach something, just pause and step back for a bit rather than let the frustration build.
Did you happen to use a teeny Phillips screwdriver on them initially? I've not taken apart (or even touched a Switch before) but I've taken apart lots of other Japanese electronics and they almost always use JIS screws which look like Phillips but are ever so slightly different and very easily stripped out by a non-JIS driver. Even if the kit came with a JIS driver, I wouldn't trust it personally.
Actually, the shells use triwing screws. Very tiny triwing screws. We didn't have a tiny triwing screwdriver until I ordered the kit which came with two sizes of triwing screwdrivers, 1.5x3.0mm and 2.0x3.0mm. The interior uses more "traditional" +-shaped screws, which posed absolutely no problems for me.
Though your comment made me check my 3DS because I used the kit's +-shaped screwdriver (literally how it's labeled and described in the manual—yeah, it's not the most top-of-the-line kit) to unscrew the shell. And I can see some minor stripping/wear, so I'm guessing those use JIS screws and the screwdriver is, in fact, a teeny Phillips one. Yet only the triwing screws caused a problem...
Oh man yeah I should have assumed it was the tri-wing screws since it's a Nintendo product... Those are even more finicky than the JIS ones.
There's some higher end drivers out there (German and Japanese manufacturers are pretty solid on these), though I suppose you might not be doing this repair again so a bit of a moot point. But yeah those kit screwdrivers are always cheaply made :/
FWIW replacing the joysticks on the Lite isn't hellish but it is about a full hour job at least. I fixed my partner's Lite many moons ago and recently (once the fixed ones failed) upgraded it to Hall sticks so I'll hopefully never have to open it again...
Unless they convince me to reshell it or something....
I think the pricing and the tariffs are great reasons to wait, and I’ll probably hold off on the Switch 2 unless I can somehow source one from outside the US.
Controller-wise, you could always look into third party controllers. I haven’t bought a first-party Nintendo controller since the Joycon drift shenanigans, and I don’t plan to. There are plenty of companies making Switch-compatible controllers that are miles ahead of the Switch in terms of build quality and consistency.
Notably, nobody else uses hall effect sticks either. The PS5 and Xbox controllers both use conventional setups.
Yes, there are advantages to using that mechanism, but its absence is not the reason for the drift problems and the continued absence is not an indicator that there will be similar failure levels. Nintendo surely lost a significant amount of money on their replacement program, so it's in their best interests to design something more durable.
I can't speak for the Playstation controllers myself but the Xbox Series X controllers do have drift problems. I've lost two expensive controllers to the problem and, unlike Nintendo, they won't repair them for free.
According to ifixit Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all use the same dodgy joystick hardware (RKJXV):
I replaced two DualSense controllers after several years of use caused some tracking issues, so it's not like they're immune to problems...but I also just don't think it's a big deal? Mechanical things wear out eventually.
What I'm getting at is it's the norm more or less, and I'm not going to hold Nintendo to a higher standard for an even cheaper device. Hall effect controls are, presently, a luxury/niche thing that's not yet widely adopted by the major industry players.
As long as they bring the failure rate down in line with their peers, it's reasonable.
Rest in peace, my chonky Dreamcast controllers that are one of the few stock controllers I know of that came with hall effect sensors :(
This is probably me just getting older with familial, career, and domestic responsibilities talking, but ain't nobody got time (or money) for that.
One of the better (best?) deals in gaming for me has come from playing Apple Arcade games on a beater iPad we've had laying around. Subscribing annually to Apple Arcade works out to about $4.17/mo. Sure, the catalog's not as robust as what one would find on Steam and the touch controls are often subpar to controller support, but for some games it's been a great experience: Fantasian, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, Creaks, Balatro, etc. There's a lot of great titles to enjoy if you're not a "hardcore" gamer.
To me, it's the opposite. The older I've gotten, the more time is what is at the premium. And that means that experiences are less fungible than ever. If I want to play something, I want to play it, not something that someone finds equivalent. The actual price of the game has become less and less relevant.
As an extreme example, I effectively paid $560 just to play FF7: Rebirth when it came out, since I bought a PS5 for it and have not done anything else with it. I don't regret it one bit. I could've bought 100 games for that amount of money on Steam, but these just aren't fungible things.
I can relate to this. Unfortunately, my level of income has not allowed me to invest any significant money into gaming in the last few years (my last two Nintendo consoles were the NDS and the Wii, and I unfortunately missed out on everything else since). I tried the Apple Arcade approach. I tried buying lots of (very popular) games on Steam. It just isn’t the same experience. The games that I actually want to play are on the platforms that I can’t afford. It’s a bummer. I have resigned myself to playing the games that I never had a chance to but always wanted to try out via emulation. That has scratched the itch far better than all the money that I’ve wasted on Steam sales or on the App Store.
Unrelated, but today was the day I realized the president of NoA is Doug Bowser. BOWSER! Incredible.
Related, hopefully rebuilding them from the ground up, as they say, is going to fix the issue. I'm definitely on the wait a couple years train, but I only got a Switch in 2023 (sort of). I'm still catching up on titles from the 2010s!
They also sued the pants off of Gary Bowser
So I wasn’t confused. I thought I remembered suing someone named Bowser, but I started thinking I mixed up names. Bowser v Bowser - wild stuff!
I'm probably sitting this round of the Switch out. I could probably swallow the price of the console, but they're just not addressing the things that they should be addressing. Stick drift on the Switch is a big deal; the games were already overpriced, and now they're increasing the price; the e-shop is a shovelware wasteland that's impossible to navigate and discover anything worthwhile on; and I'm highly skeptical that their overcomplicated digital game card thing will improve the game sharing situation in a way that isn't incredibly restrictive and annoying to use. Pile onto all of that their grossly anticompetitive and anti-consumer attitude in general and I'm just no longer interested in supporting them, even if it means missing out on first party titles (at least until the emulators eventually catch up).
Before the switch 2 direct, I was arguing with my wife on how this will be my first console preorder ever, and that Nintendo did right by its fans so far and I wanted to support them.
Well, long story short, I’m sitting this one out. It’s not about budget, I’m lucky enough that I can afford the console and the games. It’s about principles. There’s only so much shit I can take, and this is over the limit.