Nintendo Switch 2 Has Record-Breaking Launch, Selling Over 3 Million Units (barrons.com) 44
TweakTown writes that the Switch 2 "has reportedly beaten the record for the most-sold console within 24 hours and is on track to shatter the two-month record," selling over 3 million units and tripling the PlayStation 4's previous launch day sales.
So Nintendo's first console in 8 years becomes "one of the most successful hardware releases of all time," writes Barron's, raising hopes for the future: [2017's original Switch] ultimately sold more than 152 million units... Switch 2's big advantage is its backward compatibility, allowing it to play current-generation Switch games and giving gamers solace that their large investments in software are intact... Many older Switch games also play better on the Switch 2, taking advantage of the extra horsepower.
Bloomberg writes that its bigger screen and faster chip "live up to the hype: Despite the hype and a $150 increase over the launch price for the original, the second-generation system manages to impress with faster performance, improved graphics, more comfortable ergonomics and enough tweaks throughout to make this feel like a distinctly new machine... This time, it's capable of outputting 4K resolution and more impactful HDR video to your TV screen... It's a bigger, faster, more polished version of a wildly successful gadget.
The "buzzy launch drew long lines" at retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Gamestop, according to the article. (See the photos from AOL.com and USA Today.) "The era of spending hours waiting in line for the latest iPhone is long gone, but the debut of a new video game console is still a rare enough event that Nintendo fans didn't think twice about driving to retailers in the middle of the night to secure a Switch 2."
The Verge also opines that "the Switch 2's eShop is much better," calling it "way faster... with much less lag browsing through sections and loading up game pages."
Or, as Barron's puts it, "Ultimately, Nintendo is winning because it has a different strategy than its competition, the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox. Instead of trying to appeal to tech snobs like me, who are obsessed with graphics resolution and hardware statistics like teraflops, Nintendo focuses on joy and fun."
So Nintendo's first console in 8 years becomes "one of the most successful hardware releases of all time," writes Barron's, raising hopes for the future: [2017's original Switch] ultimately sold more than 152 million units... Switch 2's big advantage is its backward compatibility, allowing it to play current-generation Switch games and giving gamers solace that their large investments in software are intact... Many older Switch games also play better on the Switch 2, taking advantage of the extra horsepower.
Bloomberg writes that its bigger screen and faster chip "live up to the hype: Despite the hype and a $150 increase over the launch price for the original, the second-generation system manages to impress with faster performance, improved graphics, more comfortable ergonomics and enough tweaks throughout to make this feel like a distinctly new machine... This time, it's capable of outputting 4K resolution and more impactful HDR video to your TV screen... It's a bigger, faster, more polished version of a wildly successful gadget.
The "buzzy launch drew long lines" at retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Gamestop, according to the article. (See the photos from AOL.com and USA Today.) "The era of spending hours waiting in line for the latest iPhone is long gone, but the debut of a new video game console is still a rare enough event that Nintendo fans didn't think twice about driving to retailers in the middle of the night to secure a Switch 2."
The Verge also opines that "the Switch 2's eShop is much better," calling it "way faster... with much less lag browsing through sections and loading up game pages."
Or, as Barron's puts it, "Ultimately, Nintendo is winning because it has a different strategy than its competition, the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox. Instead of trying to appeal to tech snobs like me, who are obsessed with graphics resolution and hardware statistics like teraflops, Nintendo focuses on joy and fun."
well yeah (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
I drove past a Best Buy the day before the launch and there were people lined up on camp chairs and such.
I went into the Best Buy the afternoon of the next day, and they had already received another shipment of 80 units that day, and still had a few left.
As it turns out, when you actually manufacture enough units to satisfy the initial demand, you don't have to camp out if you don't want to. Score one for Nintendo's manufacturing and logistics for either doing it right, or telling marketing to fuck off wit
Dammit (Score:1)
Aw, dammit! I forgot to buy one!
I guess I'll wait for the Switch 3.
Who needs a Switch 2 (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
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We bought a house recently are are in the process of remodeling it before moving in.
Yesterday, I noticed a phone jack on the kitchen wall. I thought, "how quaint".
Re: Who needs a Switch 2 (Score:2)
Oh free power during power outages.
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The MSRP for the Switch 2 is the same today as when the thing was announced: https://www.tomsguide.com/gami... [tomsguide.com]
However, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser told The Verge that planned or reciprocal tariffs did not affect the price.
Because Taco chickened out (Score:2)
I'm actually surprised the sales were that good it's ridiculously expensive. Kind of frustrating because thanks to this they have said a new base price for games.
And when the tariffs do kick in the consul is likely to sell for seven or $800. At that point that might be too much but who knows. It's going to be like Australia but without the free health care.
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I'm actually surprised the sales were that good it's ridiculously expensive. Kind of frustrating because thanks to this they have said a new base price for games.
I feel like complaints about the price haven't really been thinking too much about the price increases in electronics generally. Since the original switch release phones have probably doubled in price, same for GPUs, PS5/Xbox started expensive and have actually gone up in price.
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The price is inline with inflation. compare to the past. The primary change is that incomes are nearly flat while inflation has not been. Nintendo did price it and move manufacturing in anticipation to Trump; it's also an off season and they plan for a profit instead of a huge loss like other consoles. If necessary, they can lower their reasonable profits and even sell at a bit of a loss; especially when the console ages. If demand ever goes down enough.
Ridiculous expensive are the most other consoles; even
Re: Thanks TRUMP (Score:2)
It should be noted that the Nintendo Switch 2 consoles currently in the United States were reportedly made in Vietnam, a move that was allegedly done to avoid current tariffs against China and ones expected to come from the Trump administration.
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I read just fine. I was responding to a comment that blamed the $150 price difference from the Switch to the Switch 2 on Trump. That comment wasn't taking about some alternative timeline where Nintendo did something it hasn't or tariffs that don't apply did.
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True or False: Was the Switch 2 made in Vietnam?
True of False: Was it well known the orangeutan was going to sink the economy by imposing tariffs, specifically on China
True or False: Entrope is a liar. He is misleading and lying about tariffs on Nintendo products.
All are true.
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Bought a Steam Deck instead... (Score:5, Interesting)
Posting AC to avoid the astroturfers.
Nintendo's games are good, but their DRM isn't, so I went with a Steam Deck. More games, less DRM, and it can play Doom. I'm surprised that there isn't more hype around the Steam Deck which is an awesome console, rather than something that was said to have cartridges with serial numbers.
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
Only an idiot buys a gaming platform just for the tech behind it.
You buy a gaming platform for the platform exclusives. The tech backing it is a legit but secondary factor when considering multi platform games.
There is nothing wrong with the steam deck as a platform. However, it does not offer anything that you cannot find elsewhere. And that is why there is not any significant hype behind it.
END COMMUNICATION
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
but their DRM isn't, so I went with a Steam Deck
So you don't like Nintendo DRM and go to Steam DRM instead? There's no less DRM on Steam. DRM is decided by the people who create the games. The fact that Proton supports running Denuvo protected games actually means the Steam Deck has some of the *worst DRM titles in existence*.
Buying a console for altruism is stupid. It's a device to provide fleeting entertainment. You buy it for the games you like to play. If you want to say you don't want to play games and instead want to hack on a portable Linux machin
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
The reality is no one interested in gaming chooses their platform based on DRM.
This is false, you're projecting. Some people do indeed have principles. I also care about DRM, which is why I did buy a Switch 2 and why I don't use Steam. I don't mind offline hardware DRM (and I'm confused about what the parent could be referring too), and will I not accept software activation.
Of course, I got burned by this when I discovered that the Switch 2 won't play Switch 1 games without a firmware update. So that was a mistake on my part, I had thought that Nintendo was the only remaining conso
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Some people do indeed have principles.
Indeed, but principles are for principles, and gaming is for gaming. If you want to have principles, then do so. The parent's post conflates the concept of gaming and standing on principles and comes across as silly. If you wanted to play the best games and admit that Nintendo games are good, and yet go out of the way to choose something else, the you aren't a gamer interested in games.
You're making your purchasing decision on something else. Come out and say that. Don't pretend the games factor into purcha
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Virtually all gamers don't give a shit about this.
Oh yeah. Steam has like 70% market share. Steam users have their own idiosyncratic justifications for this as well, condemning all DRM except for, conveniently, Steam DRM.
why? (Score:3)
It's only slightly upgraded from the Switch. Nintendo stopped innovating because its fans are stupid and not demanding.
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Innovation costs money.
Why bother innovating if you can make lots of money without it?
We'll see (Score:1)
It remains to be seen how sales will go in the long term. Nowadays there are a lot of portable gaming devices like Steam Deck and other handled PCs which offer more games and can run non-gaming software too if needed. I doubt that the Switch 3 can repeat the sales the Switch 2 had, because of the increased competition.
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ooops I got the numbers mixed up LOL - I meant switch 2 vs switch 1, not switch 3 vs switch 2 ahahah
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I really don't think that Steam Decks compete with the Switch 2. They are fundamentally different market. Mostly because Nintendo games only play on Nintendo systems. And there are enough good Nintendo (or exclusive) games to justify the purchase for most Nintendo buyers.
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Of course Nintendo has the best original games catalogue, no doubt about that. This is also the reason why I bought my original Switch (I wanted to play Zelda, Mario, Animal Crossing etc). But some folks, unlike me, purchased the first Switch because of the mobile gaming aspect. Those people might be going for a handheld PC like the Steam this time around. I'm not part of that demographic (my Switch has left the dock only a couple of times in the last few years LOL) but I know there are people who want to
Re: We'll see (Score:1)
With switch2 Nintendo target also pc games for people that want to play both on a handset and docked. So exactly what Steam Deck does...people will probably buy switch2 at some point for the exclusive Nintendo games but not sure what will happen for rest of market. Especially as switch2 hardware will stay for years while competition will move on and the game pricing model is quite different
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Nowadays there are a lot of portable gaming devices like Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is not a Nintendo device. There's a big difference between buying something to play cross platform games (leaving aside a few platform exclusives) and buying a Nintendo device. There's a reason many people have *both* a Steam Deck and a Switch.
For me, soon to be two Switches since the Switch 2 came out. I'll look good next to my Steam Deck which has very fundamentally different games on it.
Terrible battery life, corporate device (Score:4, Interesting)
It gets 90 minutes playing cyberpunk. Nintendo cheaped out by using a smartphone sized battery and Samsung’s leaky 8 nm node. It’s heavy and way too big to use in public without looking like a fool. Nintendo used an old hdmi spec port that can’t even output VRR to external monitors, just to save a few pennies per unit. This device lacks creativity or passion and was clearly created solely to make money for increasingly greedy executives. And regardless of inflation, I think there’s a lot of backlash to the new game prices.
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I wonder if they're still using those crappy potentiometer-based thumb sticks.
It still blows my mind that Nintendo pioneered the use of Hall-effect analog sticks and made them for decades quite profitably, but mysteriously, it's impossible to use that tech anymore, so they just sell garbage.
Last Nintendo system I bought was the Gamecube. You could toss that thing off a 10-story building and it would survive. Then the Wii came out, and Nintendo totally gave up on quality.
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Nintendo pioneered the use of Hall-effect analog sticks
It was Sega, at least in the mainstream, and I'm not familiar with any first party controller for Nintendo consoles which have used hall effect analogue sticks. Including the Gamecube's controller.
Yes the Switch 2 controllers' sticks are potentiometer-based. The explanation given is that the magnets in the controllers interfere too much with hall sensors.
Anecdotally, I have never experienced stick drift with any controller I've ever had. Maybe I've just been lucky.
Nintendo focuses on joy and fun. (Score:2)
> Nintendo focuses on joy and fun.
And lawsuits. Lots of lawsuits.
Neither for me. (Score:2)
I barely have time to to play games these days. :(