During the holidays, we are republishing some selection feature from the past 12 months. Compilation of arguments, interviews, opinions and more from NL staff and collaborators, you’ll find our usual blend of thoughtfulness, expertise, vanity, classic nostalgia, and — of course — enthusiasm for all things Nintendo. Happy holidays!
The Switch is now officially 5 years old, and makes us think back half a decade before our first interactions with the small possible console. Whether we’re lucky enough to get a review unit early, or head over to our local video game store to pick up a pre-order, or give it some wings if unfortunately we find one. one on a department store shelf, nothing like the thrill of new hardwareAre?
Still, five years is a long time for a console, and the OG Switch has seen two (well, two and a half) new hardware versions hit shelves since launch. The premium version is now the Switch OLED and Switch Lite models that offer ever more portable gaming for those who don’t like playing on their phones.
In honor of this important milestone in the Switch’s journey, Team NL got together to relive exactly how we got our hands on our early Switch models and recount how our consoles have reacted. deal with the harshness of lots of games in the past five years…
Gavin Lane, editor
For some reason, I was confident I could walk into the local department store on launch day morning and just pick up a Switch on the shelf… and that’s exactly what I did! I don’t remember being Day One on any Nintendo console before, so it was especially thrilling to be ‘part of the conversation’ at a one-time launch. Incidentally, I was lucky enough to be able to travel long distances every weekend in March 2017 – which certainly played a part in my Day One Switch purchase’ – and trips return lasted 8 hours in a rather exceptionally comfortable coach.
That OG Switch is now in the hands of another family member after I upgraded to it scornful better battery life version (I then justified the further upgrade to the sweet OLED Model because I needed it for work? That’s what I told myself anyway). I was told that the original is in good shape, and it still charges well.
However, my Joy-Con doesn’t work well; they’ve changed their clubs over and over again, and I’m currently at a point where I wouldn’t use them if I could avoid them. I have a Hori Split pad for portable play and a Pro Controller for docking. Joy-Con is a last resort.
Damien McFerran, editorial director
My ‘launch console’ is in fact evaluation unit We were sent back by Nintendo back in 2017 and it’s still going strong – even though it’s not in completely Good condition like 5 years ago.
As I reported a while agoI was one of the unlucky ones who discovered that, despite treating her with the tenderness one would normally expect to show with a tiny kitten, my Switch was starting to show signs of tired very early in its lifespan.
Since then, I’ve upgraded my Switch twice and I’m rocking now OLED model. However, my original Switch is still in use because I gave it to my son. Its literally dropped – the rear panel is cracked, the plastic on the vents is long gone, and there’s even a screw missing on the top of the case (I don’t know). I also noticed that one of the Joy-Con’s rails no longer holds the Joy-Con in place and the slightest touch causes the controller to slide upwards.
So yes, my original Switch still exists. Just.
Kate Gray, editor
We all know what happened to my first Switch. I took it everywhere for two years when I traveled, and it carried the scars of war: a drifting Joy-Con, scratches on the screen, a cat bite, and a bunch of chipped plastic cases. and lost not knowing where. It was a sad sight, but it was out of love and not out of neglect, although I wish I had a case.
I upgraded to the new Switch last year, and I haven’t used a Joy-Con in a while — I have a Hori Split Pad that comes with a boost button to speed through text boxes — so so far it still works pretty well. Also, I don’t travel much anymore, so it no longer rattles in my pocket.
My original switch, poor thing, is now in a drawer. But I think it might be worth something as an OG Switch, so maybe I can send it to someone who will appreciate it more than me!
Ollie Reynolds, editor
I was one of those people who immediately pre-ordered the Switch as soon as it became available – Damn Wii U performance! I just got a feel for Nintendo’s hybrid console and luckily it turned out to be an absolute diamond. However, I remember that my excitement quickly turned to frustration because I couldn’t connect to my Wi-Fi. I finally got it fixed, but it took a lot of tinkering to get it to work.
Since then, I’ve bought the Switch Lite and more recently the OLED Switch. The Lite and OG models have largely been left to collect dust since OLED came into my life, and although the Lite is still in pretty pristine condition, OG has sure see some better days. The Joy-Con no longer clicks the machine, and both tend to drift pretty horribly. The screen is still pretty good, but now I can barely look at it after experiencing the OLED – first world trouble!
It’s still usable though, and I’ll probably give both the OG and Lite to my nephews at some point. If they’re good, that is.
Alana Hagues, editor
I really wasn’t going to buy a Switch on day one. I did it with the Wii U and we know what happened to that console (RIP really, Wii U). So I feel a bit wary of picking things up at launch for a while. But on launch day, I was irresistibly tempted by an ad about a Switch bundle and some minor launch title; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For a long time, I couldn’t get my Switch to connect to my Wi-Fi at home, so I could only play handheld if I didn’t want to play online. And god forbid if I want to buy something on the eShop. I finally hard-wired it in, but the problem was with an old router. It’s a strange problem to explain to people.
I still have the same Switch today. The Joy-Con’s clumsy hands and drift have been companions, though, and I’m on my third pair of Joy-Cons, despite mostly playing on the TV and using Splatoon 2 Professional controller. And me yes To have colorful Joy-Cons anyway, so the yellow ones are dominating at the moment. Luckily, it’s still intact, with Gengar stickers and lots of love and wear and tear fed into the machine. I don’t feel drawn to the Lite and I have an OLED, but I want to be as loyal as I used to be with my GameCube and keep the first device I bought.
Thomas Whitehead, deputy editor
My original switch was a review unit, received at an event that also started our review of Breath of the Wild. It was quite interesting (even though the deadline was tight, only a week!), but also attractive when flying back to Scotland from London. When I had to put it in a tray at airport security, a crowd of Heathrow employees surrounded me, asking me how I got it. For me, it’s an early sign of how popular this little device will become.
It worked fine for almost four years—a tablet, not a Joy-Con controller—but then its fan started making unsettling noises. I moved into another family member’s apartment when that happened (they bought the special edition of Animal Crossing) and now I have an OLED screen. I still have the original though, because it’s retired making a lot of money – unless something goes wrong with the OLED, of course.
As for my original Joy-Con, they’re in the last place in shame. The little controls are fun and have a nice touch, but those analog joysticks are still disgusting; I’ve been through a few sets.
That’s us, but after five long years of fun, intense use, how is your Switch performing? Let us know in the poll below, and remember to leave your first Switch purchase memories in the comments.
