Do you consider the Switch as more of a handheld or a home console?

[Crowing]

Of course, it's designed to be both, but one could argue it fits the purpose of one side better than the other. If you absolutely had to classify the Switch as one or the other, which would you say it fits better as?

I'd say handheld. Some of the limitations, plus how many mobile-esque games now appear to be on the Switch, would fit handheld better. Although some of these games are borderline unplayable due to the notorious Joy-Con drift... nonetheless, handheld would still seem to fit better, and it always seems to get marketed as handheld, even going so far as to have an exclusively handheld model (Nintendo Switch Lite).

How about you? Would you consider it primarily a handheld or home console?

 

[phofufury]

I consider it mostly as handheld, as I think of the home console as a bonus. You can take it on the go, and play it with your friend at their house. That's pretty cool. However, I have the Switch Lite, so that is solely handheld.

 

[Mizunil]

I genuinely think of it as equal in both. I use the handheld features just as much as the home console features.

If I had to pick one or the other, objectively I would say handheld. As you said its marketed mainly as a handheld, and it literally has a handheld only counterpart that can run everything essentially just as well as the home console version.

I think of the home console as a bonus.

I agree with this and like the way this is phrased. It's a powerful handheld, that just happens to be able to use HDMI for your tv

 

[Crowing]

If possible, it would be a nice little bonus if future handhelds could plug into the TV as well. I don't believe it would be difficult to implement and I'm sure there are many emulators that can put Gameboy/DS games on the TV - I believe someone at school easily managed to get Kirby up once with an emulator of that kind. As for more recent consoles such as the PS Vita and 3DS, those would be entirely doable as well.

It's only a bonus. Nintendo managed to market it with the Switch since it hadn't been done before. However, every other piece of technology I've owned has had a way to connect to the TV, including both my laptops and my old portable DVD player if I recall correctly. All a console would need is a HDMI port, right? There's essentially no drawback to giving consoles such as the 3DS the ability to "dock" other than perhaps a little extra money to add in the port.

Then again, Nintendo are getting greedy. Maybe they wouldn't do it again if it wasn't seen as innovative and wouldn't get them so much money the second time around.

 

[Artisan]

I find it to be more of a handheld console. It reminds me of the layout of a GBA but with better buttons and a bigger screen. If it wanted to feel like a console more the flimsy kickstand that hardly works would need to be better at doing its job and I find it as a design flaw they could've fixed. You can't really play with friends on the go as well either making me think it's more of a single player, personal "handheld" experience with the docked mode more for people playing online.

 

[Crowing]

I've seen all those moderately cheesy commercials that portray Switch on the go as a sociable experience but, especially with NSO being introduced, I doubt that's something they really care about anymore.

Maybe now they've begin to focus more and more on NSO, they'll stop trying to portray multiplayer handheld altogether, maybe they already have - I haven't seen any commercials in a while. Doubt they'd try to market something that would actually make them lose money if they can make their consumers pay for online play instead.

 

[Artisan]

I've seen all those moderately cheesy commercials that portray Switch on the go as a sociable experience but, especially with NSO being introduced, I doubt that's something they really care about anymore.

Maybe now they've begin to focus more and more on NSO, they'll stop trying to portray multiplayer handheld altogether, maybe they already have - I haven't seen any commercials in a while. Doubt they'd try to market something that would actually make them lose money if they can make their consumers pay for online play instead.

Even then people can and will compare it to Slippi and call Nintendo lazy because it doesn't charge users, and from what I believe and hear, way better. Maybe they should go back to telling us how great the DS/Wii/3DS/Wii U era was and then I might believe them.

 

[Duffy]

Wow lots of handheld answers here which surprised me. I think of it more as a home console, which can go into handheld mode. Which is surprising because I hardly get the chance to play outside of handheld mode.

 

[Deepak]

I think of it as a handheld console too. That's why I bought a switch lite.

 

[ariamisu]

i use switch more in handheld mode but i accept it as both in the minddset of that it is a gaming product advertised as both.
i have used it in both modes as i use the switch that can dock and connect to the tv to play game on the tv.
since 3ds is retired and now the switch is the only active nintendo hamdheld that also happen to be a console.
there is switch that is mobile mode only and there is romors “likely to be reality by the time after shining pearl and brilliant diamond pokemon games are out” a new switch console is to come out sometime around christmas 2021.
i was thinking the new switch would be announced next year for christmas time 2022 but my expectations for the new switch and disgaea 6 release timeframes was beyond expections and much sooner than i imagined.
i hope to get the new revision of switch to be used over my launch switch sometime after it comes out.
i skip switch lite as i would like to keep the ability to dock to playbon tv as well as have handheld mode.

 

[Eric Cartman]

I feel this depends on the person that plays in which mode the most. I play it in handheld mode 99% of the time cause i don't have a tv on me as of rn. So i find it as more of a handheld console. Though it has very stunning home console style games which is dope. Playing splatoon in bed without needing a tv is one of my favorite things about the switch ngl.