Last week, I made a big switch with my Switch. Because it can totally do that! No longer do I dock it for console mode; I've gone handheld. Also "tabletop." This switch up is possible because Nintendo nailed the design years ago. Basically, the company shouldn't switch its winning strategy. Just spec bump it.

I switched it up

I've been a console gamer since I was a kid. Though I've owned a few handhelds, I didn't prefer the smaller cramped controls and display. With the Switch, I don't need to worry about that because it can go both ways. I can switch whenever! On some level, the novelty of that isn't lost to me. That said, I've liked docking to my big external display to more fully immerse into 3D open-world games, like Tears of the Kingdom.

But I've been seeking to simplify things in my life. The simplest (maybe purest) form of Switch gameplay is in handheld mode; it's just a tablet with buttons. My previous setup was more complex. I had a 2.1 sound system, which included a tangled web of wires. I added an external display (more wires). I added a wired controller (the GameCube one). I needed a desk and a chair too. And the Switch was in its dock, weaving extra wires. All of that had to live in one place, a bit of in-home office space. It all added up.

Now the display and sound system are packed in a closet. The wires are stowed away. It's just my Switch, mostly. It is far more simple.

I didn't know, though, if I could live with this setup. I enjoy the 7" OLED screen, but it's vastly smaller than the huge external display I was using. How could I see enough detail and be immersed in Hyrule's giant open world? Some games excel in handheld mode, like Animal Crossing, Link's Awakening, or Metroid Dread. But could I play Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC on the little Switch screen?

My first real try at gaming Zelda in handheld mode didn't go well. I ended up fighting a new boss. It clobbered me three times in a row. That was partly because I was adjusting to the small graphics. I was also adjusting to the little joy-con buttons and layout. Overall, I was just tired at the time. So I set it aside.

A week later, I picked it back up in a better frame of mind. And I played in tabletop mode. So now the display itself was stationary, like an external monitor. And the joy-cons were attached to the plastic handlebars supplied in the Switch's box, making them more like a regular controller. It worked great! I beat the boss nearly on the first go then quickly killed it on the second try. And it was fun!

So I think I'm a convert, having switched from a console gamer to a handheld one. Now it should be easy for me to play anywhere.

Nintendo shouldn't switch it up

The Switch is a commercial success. But now it's old in tech years. It even debuted with graphics that were a bit behind the times for modern games back in 2017. It could use more power so that current Switch games run at 30 to 60fps without dropping frames. Extra power would also allow the Switch to handle more modern game ports from technically superior consoles.

Rumors are growing that the Switch will get a successor in 2024. On one hand, great! I've been excited by the prospect. But on the other hand, I've become a little concerned. I love the Switch the way it is now. Its basic design is great. But what if Nintendo gets inventive and does a hard left turn back to motion controls or even VR? Does a Virtual Boy 2 sound compelling?

Nintendo should simply do like Apple does with the iPhone. Don't fundamentally change anything. Just add a better processor. Maybe tweak the hardware like the OLED model. Refine things. Make what works now work nicer. Don't add a second screen and a folding hinge. Don't make the Switch game library disappear either.

The next Switch should still switch. It should remain as both a console and a handheld.

That's the kind of upgrade to the Switch that Nintendo should do. Yet I'm still reluctant. I'm happy with my Switch OLED and have several great games backlogged for it. I'm not ready to switch to a whole new Switch generation yet. I think that instead of rushing out to buy a fancy new Switch, I'll hold off until I've finished some of my backlogged games. Then, once the next Switch has a larger new library of games to choose from, I'll pick the best of the best to play.

I'm always pressed for time in my adult life. Instead of more Switch models and games, I'd rather just have more time to play the Switch games I already own.

But if Nintendo says the new Switch model eliminates joy-con drift, take my money. If Nintendo says the new Switch is required to play the new Animal Crossing, here's my wallet. Or if Nintendo says Metroid Prime 4 is only on Switch 2, here's my credit card number.

Summary

Don't switch it if it isn't broken. My complex Switch console setup felt kind of broken with tangled wires dangling everywhere. So I fixed it. Now I'm playing with handheld power. And Nintendo shouldn't switch any of that up with its next gen gaming device. Iterate, don't innovate, what works well. The current Switch strategy is a winning one; keep up the good work.