Is The Nintendo Switch Still Worth Buying In 2023?
It's been six years since the Nintendo Switch released, and the console has quickly risen to becoming one of the biggest consoles of all time. Switch sales surpassed the PS4 and nabbed the title of the third best-selling console of all time, only behind the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS.
This is a mighty impressive feat, considering how goofy and unproven the console was when the very first announcement video came out. Focused on the clicking sound the Joy-Con does when you connect it to the console, Nintendo succeeded in pushing an affordable, modular, hybrid gaming console to the masses.
The Nintendo Switch has outlasted the life cycle of the Wii and the Wii U, and the time between the Wii U and the release of the Switch. If you somehow have spent all that time and still haven't bought a Nintendo Switch, then it is worth asking whether it is still worth buying a Nintendo Switch in 2023. The short answer is yes, and here's why.
Play one of the greatest games of all time
Let's get something out of the way first. Yes, even six years later, the Nintendo Switch's ability to be played handheld and on the go continues to be a technological marvel. However, with things like the Steam Deck out there, the question becomes about what makes the Switch stand out — and it starts and ends with the games on Switch.
First up, buying a Nintendo Switch is the only way to play one of the greatest games of all time; the acclaimed "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," a game that our review said has "an almost alarmingly robust open world to get lost in." Not only is this a phenomenal game and a best-seller like its "Breath of the Wild" predecessor, but most impressively is just how well "Tears of the Kingdom" plays on the Switch. Not to discount other excellent Nintendo games like "Super Mario Odyssey" or "Metroid Dread," but "Tears of the Kingdom" is a standout hit.
Granted, even if there are some big AAA games available on the Nintendo Switch, not all of them play that well. "Tears of the Kingdom," however, feels (and is) as big and vast as "Elden Ring" or "Death Stranding," while performing surprisingly great on the Switch. The vast world, the little details in textures, are all visually impressive on the Switch OLED — while still performing just as well on the six-year-old standard Switch.
All the legacy titles
So you can play "Tears of the Kingdom" on the Switch, so what? What happens after you eventually finish that game, even after many dozens of hours? That is where the biggest reason to actually get a Nintendo Switch comes in — the legacy titles.
Sure, the new "Mario Kart" and the new "Mario Party" games for the Switch are great, but even better is the ability to play the very first "Super Mario Kart," or "Kirby Super Star" from the SNES. Now that Nintendo 64 games are also available through Nintendo Switch Online, you can keep the "Zelda" binge going with classics like "Ocarina of Time" and "Majora's Mask," two of the most iconic games of all time. If that wasn't enough, "GoldenEye 007" is without a doubt the best movie tie-in game, and a hugely influential game on the FPS genre, which is available to play on Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console, and even after six years, it is very much worth it to buy one. If this is your first Switch, it might be worth getting the OLED version, which performs better and has a beautiful display for games like "Tears of the Kingdom," but if you already have a Switch and are only thinking of upgrading, then maybe don't rush to the store.
The reason not to buy a Nintendo Switch in 2023
That said, there are a few reasons why you may not want to buy a Nintendo Switch, at least not in 2023. The main reason is that we're further removed from the release of the Switch than that console was from its predecessor. It stands to reason that Nintendo has a new or updated version of the Switch in development, never mind a full-on next-generation console.
Nintendo has confirmed they will definitely not release any new Switch console in this fiscal year — meaning until at least March 2024. Unless Nintendo surprise drops a new console on short notice, we likely won't see a new console for a while, so you're still safe buying a Switch this year.
However, there is another reason not to buy a new Switch, even after an eventual Nintendo Switch 2 is announced. Back in 2017, the Switch and its handheld mode were novel — but in 2023 we have the Steam Deck, other portable PC competitors, and even PlayStation is getting a handheld console. These allow gamers access to the latest AAA games portably, and in the case of consoles like Steam Deck, you also have access to countless emulators to play classic games.
Buying a Nintendo Switch in 2023 really depends on whether you are looking to play Nintendo games or not. If "Zelda" and Elephant Mario are higher priorities to you, then there's no doubt the Switch is a console worth buying.