Is it a bad idea long-term to buy third party titles on the Switch 2?

[u/Horror-Will-813]

I plan to buy a switch 2 within a year or so, primarily to play Nintendo games, but I'm also tempted to use it for third party titles. Most huge AAA games outside of FF don't interest me all that much (namely Sony exclusives) so I'm mainly talking about indie games or stylized high-budget games like Persona 5 or Monster Hunter.

A few companies however, like Square and Sega, made the asspull decision to not provide a cheap upgrade path for NS1 games getting NS2 editions, with Sonic x Shadow Generations being one example. Is it likely they'll do the same thing when a Switch 3 inevitably comes out?

The alternative I'm looking towards is buying a new desktop PC exclusively for Steam games so I wouldn't have to worry about this, but that would cost a lot of extra money and I already have my laptop (which I struggle to play games on due to my mind associating the device with working). I intend to use Big Picture mode and use it like a console in that sense.

Sorry if this question doesn't fit the sub. I'm just not sure where else it would belong.

[u/ineedtobemyselfff]

If you're only gonna be mostly playing on a big screen and not handheld, then yes the PC makes much more sense.

[u/CookiesOfDoom]

PC>all consoles, especially if you're into indie games because there are a ton for PC that either never make it to console or take years to do so.

[u/adub4040]

Do what makes you happy

[u/kuueon]

This really just boils down to how many Nintendo-only IPs you intend on playing, because 3rd party support on Nintendo consoles has been questionable since the Wii (for the most part). 

A desktop is going to cost you more up front, but you can get games a lot cheaper on Steam alone, and you're not going to have to deal with the duplicate purchase shenanigans (unless the devs make a secondary version with all the extra DLC, I'm looking at you, Koei and all your Atelier DX rereleases).

If you're looking at the Switch 2 as a handheld, and you're open to second hand hardware, take a look at used ROG Ally Z1E's if you're intending on lighter games. They're cheaper than a Switch 2, and if you're used to Windows, you're ahead of most people that go into them blind. 

[u/SwarleySwarlos → u/kuueon]

Third party support for the switch 2 has been pretty great, this is kind outdated advice

[u/diego1493]

When planning in the long term, a PC is always a better option than a console. You won't have to worry about upgrades to a new version cause you'll always have the better one

[u/SwarleySwarlos]

I really don't think this is something to worry about. IF there will be a switch 3 there is no chance in hell 95% of third party games will be getting an upgrade anyway. Most indie games run and play the exact same as on other platforms already and games like AC shafows will be forgotten about when the switch 3 potentially releases 10 years from now.

[u/frostyflakes1]

Keep in mind that, although a lot of third-party titles will never get a Switch 2 edition, they can still get a performance boost thanks to Handheld Mode Boost, which can run Switch 1 games in portable mode at the same higher resolution and frame rate as docked mode.

Is visual fidelity and frame rate important enough to you to justify dropping over a thousand dollars on a new PC? Or is the benefit of being able to play your games portable worth the decreased performance?

[u/skeptic11]

A few companies however, like Square and Sega, made the asspull decision to not provide a cheap upgrade path for NS1 games getting NS2 editions, with Sonic x Shadow Generations being one example. Is it likely they'll do the same thing when a Switch 3 inevitably comes out?

Assume they'll do the same again.

I'd assume that how a game looks / plays on Switch 2 is as good as it's going to look / play in future.

The Switch 1 was a bit underpowered. The Switch 2 isn't. There may not be a push to enhance Switch 2 games for the Switch 3. Also with current hardware trends Nintendo may keep the Switch 2 as its flagship for a LONG time.

The alternative I'm looking towards is buying a new desktop PC exclusively for Steam games so I wouldn't have to worry about this

If you like how your games look on a Switch 2 then I wouldn't bother.

If you want to play games that are not on Switch or want to mod games, then a PC starts making more sense.

I already have my laptop (which I struggle to play games on due to my mind associating the device with working)

Not a bad association. Having clear work / play distinctions is good.

[u/ExpectoAstartes]

I am always going to recommend getting a PC over a console any day of the week. Regardless of what the PC market looks like for current pricing. A lot can change over the next several years if you aren't planning on getting a Switch 2 now. Thought with the current market your best bet would be to purchase a pre-built system.

There are some key benefits for getting a PC over a Switch 2. By the way, this is also coming from someone who has been a PC gamer pretty exclusively for the last several decades. Though I did get a OG Switch and more recently picked up a Switch 2 last week.

The key benefits for PC are:

• Much, MUCH cheaper games - can easily get upcoming and newly released games for 25%+ off. They also tend to go on sale much quicker to their Switch counterparts.
• Many more use cases besides gaming.
• Much higher graphic fidelity, customization, etc.
• Can emulate console games essentially for free

The key negatives for PC are:

• Higher upfront cost
• Not exactly plug-and-play
• No portability unless you get a Steam Deck

The key benefits to Switch 2 are:

• Portability
• Plug-and-play
• Nintendo Exclusives
• Physical games means true "ownership".

The key negatives to Switch 2 are:

• Very high game prices
• The nature of the Nintendo eShop leaves a lot to be desired with their sale prices
• Physical games take up physical space.
• Physical games also come at a premium being $10 more than digital in some cases.
• Physical games especially for third party games can be hard to find or completely out of print, driving up the prices for used copies of games (Metroid Dread is $100+ right now)

To answer your question "Is it a bad idea long-term to buy third party titles on the Switch 2?" I don't think so. If you are worried about backwards compatibility, I don't think that is going to be an issue for the next several console generations at a minimum. This will probably never be an issue for you if you are purchasing games 100% digitally however.

[u/enternius]

You just kind of have to accept that if you want to get into the Switch ecosystem, Nintendo are going to do as much as they can to fleece you for as much money as possible. Their shop format means they almost never put games on sale, and when they do the sale prices are very conservative. They charge the highest possible amount they can for new games, effectively $100 USD for Bananza with the removed-from-the-game-to-sell-as-DLC content. They charge you for the privilege of playing their tech demos, they make you have to buy two copies of the same game to be able to get everything in that game. They make you pay extra on top of a subscription fee just to play MMOs.

I see no reason to believe they would stop this kind of practice for whatever their next console would be. You have to treat it like the console version of Apple, where they know they have a captive audience who will pay anything they charge regardless of the quality.

[u/MightyOakVGRepair]

I used to do that because it allowed me to play those games on the go and stop at a moments notice by putting it in standby. I eventually got the steam deck, and now I wish I had some of those games on steam instead. Some games I've purchased again because of this. Any AAA game I just stream from my PC to the steam deck so that I still get good performance.