The Nintendo Switch 2 will release on June 5, marking an end to the (at times) agonizing wait for a sequel to one of the best-selling handheld game consoles of all time (second only to the Nintendo DS).
Could the Switch 2 top its predecessor's success? It certainly ups the ante. It offers up to 4K visuals at 120fps (Frames per second), ten times the GPU power of the original Switch, ray-traced lighting, and Nvidia's performance-boosting DLSS upscaling tech.
Unfortunately, the Switch 2 doesn't stop there when it comes to boosting numbers over its forebear, usurping its release price from $299 to $449. And no matter how much of an improvement Nintendo's next-gen handheld affords, that's simply a bridge too far for me.
Consoles are no longer the affordable gaming gateways they once were, especially when factoring in mid-cycle refreshes with the escalating cost of games and online subscriptions.
When the PlayStation 5 released and hardware shortages ran amok, I decided to step out of the console world and bide my time, anticipating a PS5 Pro to follow and be the moment I got back on the wagon.
Bless my crystal ball, I was entirely correct. However, by the time it saw release, I'd already decided — console gaming wasn't worth it anymore.
The Nintendo Switch 2 doesn't change that fact, either.
Game prices are nuts (horse nuts, in fact)
If not initially thwarted by the cost of the console itself, it would appear that the Switch 2's games will also receive a considerable boost in price.
Launch title Mario Kart World will retail at $79.99, the kind of price that makes Ubisoft and Activision executives rapidly wag their red pointy tails in excitement while clopping their hooves together. You can't even bank on that price coming down over time, either.
On the digital front especially, Switch games have notoriously stuck close to their release price, and decent discounts on popular titles happen about as frequently as mainline Elder Scrolls releases (remasters don't count).
Turfing out around a fifth of the price of the Switch 2 itself just to own one game isn't all that appealing to me — and sadly, that's something expected to happen across the gaming spectrum, especially on consoles.
GTA 6 is another upcoming game expected to throw down an almighty gauntlet of a hefty price tag, with current rumors suggesting the game could cost upwards of $100 or more.
This news spurred on both fierce opposition and dogmatic defense of developer Rockstar Games, with many highlighting the increasing cost of making games more realistic through graphics, animation, and world-building.
Looking at the rich world of Red Dead Redemption 2 only showcases Rockstar Games' unique flair for this sort of thing. Though I won't lie. I'm more than willing to sacrifice the testicular physics of a stallion in motion if it means keeping games closer to the mid-double-digit area.
I applaud the attention to detail, but nobody ever got through one of the game's incredible set pieces and thought to themselves, "Boy... Those horse nuts really sell the experience for me."
Perhaps games don't actually cost more to make if you spend your money wisely in the first place. Sorry if you're the unfortunate designer left out of work by consequence.
Meanwhile, in the PC gaming utopia...
Meanwhile — on the isles I retreated to after turning my back on console gaming's escalating prices and all-too-frequent hardware cycles — PC gaming is practically popping off like a puffer fish filled with Diet Coke and Mentos.
They're practically giving games away on PC. In fact, there's no "practically" about it. Between the monthly Prime Gaming freebies you'll land with your Amazon Prime membership and the weekly or frequent giveaways from platforms like Epic Games Store and Good Old Games, I've amassed more games than a New Mexico landfill without parting with a single red cent.
And that's without the constant barrage of deals, sales, and Humble Bundle bonanzas from these storefronts, offering discounts that make their console counterparts look like impractical fronts for criminal enterprises.
If I dedicated my life and lineage right now to completing the contents of my Steam library in its entirety, there's only a slight chance that my great-grandson would be able to wrap up the task before he starts cashing in his pension.
The idea of paying $79.99 for the standard edition of any PC game is about as alien of a concept to me as the Vulcan mating cycle, especially when you can almost always guarantee yourself a bargain on new titles from sites like CDKeys or Fanatical.
I can even get my handheld fix from far cheaper handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally, each capable of tapping into an enormous library of PC games, including previous blockbuster console exclusives from both Microsoft and Sony, without sacrificing the ability to mod, emulate, or otherwise tamper and tweak with things as I please.
Switching off
Like my original Nintendo Switch is currently doing, the bundle of excitement I once held for owning a Switch 2 is now gathering dust.
That's not to say that Nintendo's handheld isn't an impressive feat, nor does it lack any compelling games. However, while I'd love to dive into those exclusive Switch 2 titles, spending over $500 cumulatively to occasionally hear Mario yell "Wahoo!" makes about as much economic sense as investing in Bored Ape NFTs and gamer girl bathwater.
I just can't justify returning to console prices and expensive, limited game libraries. Call me no fun, call me cheap, but one thing you can't call me is a financial masochist. Something I feel I'd need to become to justify the total spends required to enjoy a rich Switch 2 experience.
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