Just Got A Switch. Anything I Should Know?

[Magmavision2000]

Got a Switch for my birthday and I was wondering if there's anything I need to know about caring for the system.

 

[Tanooki]

Other than don't drop it or use anything that can scratch up the non-glass lens over the face of it, not really.

[Cobra Strike Down]

It's a great system, but I'd warn you, it's not made of "Nintendonium". It actually just isn't a good portable, afaic.

 

I ended up consolizing mine, and have been loving it in that form. Get yourself an 8 bitdo sn 30 pro plus, and thank me later. Build quality makes Nintendo's pro controller blush.

 

The reason I'm kinda hard on it, is it seems like so much is made cheaply. Screen scratches very easily, dock can easily scratch the screen, system can warp if left in the dock playing too long, joycon and system plastics are made of a low grade abs and have "keyboard shine" after a very short time where the plastic wears away and looks buff and smooth and shiny (not made of pbt like old hardware), joycons have all sorts of issues from drifting to the rails becoming loose with time. A good test (if you bought one used) to see if the joycons are making a good connection is to put it in airplane mode. The joycon will no longer work wirelessly at this point. Therefor, if the rails give too much because it's loose, it'll lose connection with the joycon. If this happens, you've got a defective switch. The rails are made of plastic, so they're not too durable. 

 

The new switch lite looks like a much better portable, but ya know.. no tv out, so no buy. And even as a secondary console, transferring saves seems to be less than convenient. 

 

Again, it's a wonderful system, in fact the library is the best I've experienced through Nintendo for many MANY years. It's literally because of this, I overlook a lot of hardware issues (past the ones I can't change with my mods). 

 

Enjoy it. Not trying to burst your bubble or anything. 

[digdugnate]

the main things you're going to hear the most are to 1) get a case and 2) if you do a lot of couch gaming docked, get a good controller.  Personally I prefer the Nintendo Pro controller.

[dj_convoy]

Yes, get a pro or the new 8bitdo controller. I've also got a little Hori stick for shmups, arcade games and fighting games. Not imperative, but good for my likes. Don't know how you get them at this point, but if you play a lot of arcade games with vertical orientation, you might want to look into getting a Flip Grip, which lets you use the handheld mode with the Joycons in a vertical style.  

[Punisher5.0]

I would get an amFilm glass screen protector asap. They fit and feel great

[King_Salamon]

Tempered glass screen protector is a must.  Even though I am notoriously protective of my goodies, I still picked up the glass as you get two of them for about $10.

 

I've had my system for almost a year and it has yet to get docked to play on a TV... I guess I would have been part of the market for the Switch Lite. Regardless, there are tons of games to enjoy... I think there are over 2,000 on the eShop.

 

Most of all... enjoy your Switch!

[Tanooki]

I've never got a screen protector for mine and not a mark, not sure what you all are doing to scratch your stuff as I use it far more as a handheld than a console.

 

I would agree if you're not feeling it with the defaults, get a Pro controller, second hand if you feel the price sucks as it gets notably less then.  8bitdo though, that's up to you, I've had sync issues and sucky battery life with those when trying to use it on a switch (or other.)

 

 

I'd get yourself setup with their $20/yr plan so you get an instant cloud save/back up service but also a hefty supply of NES and SNES games to play for free they add to over time.

[roots.genoa]

I've got a lot of (very) small scratches, mostly around the screen but some of them are on the screen, at the bottom. They can only be seen from an angle and when the Switch is off though, so I don't really care.

[Unbeliever]

I personally love my Switch. It has the glass protector on the front, and I picked up a BotW case for it (since I'm a huge Zelda fan). I disagree about the portability function...works well for me personally (not for everyone though), as I was looking for something versatile that could go from the dock to being carried around and played whenever I want. I also recommend a $20 online membership, granting you access to the NES and SNES games I personally love. Many of the games I loved on the 3DS look stunning on the Switch, and I just picked up Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and have been playing Octopath Traveler and a ton of Breath of the Wild. 

[Agamon]

17 hours ago, King_Salamon said:

I've had my system for almost a year and it has yet to get docked to play on a TV... I guess I would have been part of the market for the Switch Lite. Regardless, there are tons of games to enjoy... I think there are over 2,000 on the eShop.

Pretty cool how this system can conform to different gamer styles.  I have yet to undock mine since setup.

[King_Salamon]

7 minutes ago, Agamon said:

Pretty cool how this system can conform to different gamer styles.  I have yet to undock mine since setup.

I am working on making a small arcade cabinet with a small LCD tv I have kicking around and would like to place the dock inside the cabinet and have an arcade stick and then start playing some of the Nintendo Arcade Classics in vertical mode.

 

Hmm is there a wall mount that will rotate from horizontal to vertical?  I have a 15 inch lcd that would go on such a mount... time to look at amazon.

 

I think that's the overall appeal of the Switch... people who want a portable are happy and people who want a tv console are happy and there is a market of consumer who like the idea of both... I like the idea of having both options and do plan on docking it in the future.

 

Hmm... the Switch is the modern day Game Boy with a Super NES and a Super Game Boy all in one package.  lol

[Magmavision2000]

Just got the $20 a year switch online membership. Looking for a SN30Pro controller now (the joycons are growing on me, but you can use the SN30 as a blutooth controller so im still going to look for one). 

[Mike_2000]

4 Controller related pieces of advice.

1. I second the 8BitDo SN30 Pro recommendation. The Switch Pro Controller is a more "modern" design and it has a few exclusive features, but the D-Pad is trash so you won't have much fun if you like 2D Platformers or whatever. 8BitDo makes great D-Pads, so if you want to play Mario Maker 2 or Tropical Freeze or any precise 2D Game, get an 8BitDo.
2. The Gamecube to USB Adapter from the Wii U also works on the Switch, and you can play almost any Switch game with a Gamecube Controller (as long as the game doesn't require the ZL or Select buttons, anyway). The official NES and SNES online controllers also work outside of their original app, but they don't have analog sticks so most 3D games don't support them. The retro controllers are overpriced and they don't work with many games, but I love the retro yet modern feeling I get from playing Mario Kart 8 with a GameCube Controller, or Mario Maker 2 with a SNES Controller, or Tetris 99 with a NES controller...
3. If you're playing in handheld mode a lot, I recommend the "Hori Split Pad Pro." It's on Amazon for $50, which is cheaper than new Joycons or a Pro Controller. The Split Pad Pro are a set of third party joycons that are really big and ergonomic and have a real D-Pad, so they feel like a pro Controller when you're in handheld mode. The only issue is that it ONLY works in handheld mode, so you'll still need joycons or a Pro Controller if you want to play in TV mode.
4. As someone said earlier, check out the Flip Grip! It's just a piece of plastic, but it allows you to hold your Switch vertically while in handheld mode. Atari, SNK, Nintendo, Konami, Namco, and probably some others I'm forgetting have released old arcade games on the Switch with Flip Grip compatibility. If you like retro Arcade Games (I assume you do if you're on the Atariage forums), try out the Flip Grip.

On 10/1/2019 at 11:07 AM, Agamon said:

Pretty cool how this system can conform to different gamer styles.  I have yet to undock mine since setup.

Oh definitely. Unlike both of you, I really love the "switching" aspect... When I'm doing multiplayer games with friends, I like it on a big flatscreen TV so that we can see everything. I also spend a lot of time in airports and on airplanes, so handheld mode is super useful for keeping the boredom away. The Switch is so versatile and I love that I can do so much with it.

[digdugnate]

im necrobumping this thread because i couldn't find (well, easily) a controller-specific thread. 

 

has anyone used these joycons?  https://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Switch-Machina-Ergonomic-Controller-Handheld/dp/B07T5QKKVP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=hori+joycon&qid=1589105646&sr=8-1

 

if we've talked about them and my memory is dumb i apologize in advance. lol