
The truth is digital video game downloads are better than physical games
I feel like all the benefits of digital gaming are increasingly dismissed, without acknowledgement that it's getting to the point where this insistence that it's solely limited to 'getting up to change discs' feels like some sort of deliberate and reductive propaganda.
I'm not a champion of digital by any means. The fact that my digital game collection is now far bigger than my physical one went almost unnoticed by me at first. But I think if you want to understand a market, you need to acknowledge the facts and the nuances of the situation instead of relying on emotion driven instinct.
Digital stores feel much more present and accessible than physical ones, whether through dedicated apps, comms channels or the console dashboard giving full exposure. The near constant and extremely generous sales means we're more likely to become aware of good deals and to make spontaneous purchases than if we had to browse separate websites or walk into a shop at our own discretion.
It can't stop with visibility and advertising, though. Digital game sharing is a major feature on all platforms, not only as some sort of loophole but something officially publicised in detail by all the platform holders. If I buy a game digitally, my sharing partner gets it (immediately and permanently) for free and vice versa. If we're organised, every full priced game we both want is half price on day one. This, and the constant sales have led to a huge inflation of each of our digital backlogs with very little (if any) noticeable impact on our spending.
Where does a wider trend like that lead? An onus on platform holders to make backwards compatibility a universal standard. In hindsight it's almost absurd to think the previous PlayStations and Xboxes had no backwards compatibility, or even that there was much doubt that the Switch 2 would offer it.
And yet now we all have big backlogs because we're buying more games without necessarily spending more, and various aspects of digital creep have contributed to that. In earlier generational transitions I doubt most of us would have cared at all if we could keep access to whatever we were leaving behind but now a failure to offer backwards compatibility would be a huge source of controversy.
Ultimately, people who insist they're 'priced out of gaming', because of digital distribution or anything other than escalating hardware costs, are either sorely mistaken or they're deliberately inaccurate. At worst what they really mean is they're priced out of buying AAA games on the day of their release, on the basis that they now have to commit to that spending.
I appreciate the argument that if everyone waits for sales of digital games because they don't want to pay full price for something they can't sell on – or even if half as many people buy games on day one because of game sharing – that could be problematic for the commercial performance of new games.
But constant on-selling would equate to much less new money being injected into the market anyway. I don't see it being any better if a customer can quickly consume three or four (or 10) games on day one for just £60-£80, that was paid months or years ago, compared to if they bought that many games at that cost in total a while after release.
Hype and fear of missing out will continue to fuel day one spending on a lot of AAA games but those phenomena on their own don't entitle us to all games ASAP without us contributing much to the market. More Trending
I'm not going to claim there's no downside to the physical market being phased out. Aside from the ability for us to recoup some spending, I can imagine how sharply brick and mortar stores have had to pivot in order to survive. But, bottom line, digital gaming wouldn't have been so successful if the businesses responsible weren't offering clear benefits. So the idea that it's just about appealing to our laziness is itself a lazy (not to mention reductive and disingenuous) take.
By reader Panda
The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Games Inbox: Why I sold my Xbox Series X to get a Switch 2
The Tuesday letters page wishes someone would form a new publisher to rival EA and Ubisoft, as one reader asks when the next Nintendo Direct is. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Jumping out The news that a former creator of Xbox thinks that Microsoft has given up, willingly or not, on making hardware came only a day after I sold my Xbox Series X in order to fund a Nintendo Switch 2. I didn't do it primarily because of the Switch 2 though, that was kind of just the excuse. I've had an Xbox console since the 360 and, like Phil Spencer said, I'm stuck in the 'ecosystem'. But I've had enough of it. I'm not going to get another next gen system that's going to be playing runner-up all generation, especially when I know it won't have any exclusives. I don't like anything Microsoft is doing at the moment, including the focus on AI and the upcoming job cuts. They bought Activision and then they just became Activision. The company that I used to like in the Xbox 360 era is gone now and it's not coming back. The Switch 2 is just an aside though. I can afford it now but what I'll look for now is getting a PlayStation 6 when It comes out. It'll be my first Sony console since the PlayStation 2 but I'm looking forward to it. 84Colbat Almost there I know Microsoft has announced their next gen plans already but I don't think there's anyone optimistic enough to think that it's anything more than a token effort. That exec has been working on Xbox since the beginning, and I'm sure knows lots of people that are still there, so if she thinks Xbox hardware is 'dead' I'm not going to call her wrong. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Whether it matters or not I'm not sure, from Microsoft's business point of view, but I don't really care. There's no way I'm going to buy an Xbox console again, not after the last two generations, and clearly I can play anything I want on PlayStation 5. Plus, if I was that desperate for Game Pass or any future exclusives they might make, I'd just play it on PC. As I understand, designing and manufacturing a console is expensive so given how things are going not making them anymore may actually save Microsoft money, but either way I'd say in terms of gaming they are at least 90% software only already. Tamos Hardcore audience What I don't get about the Xbox hardware plans is who do they think is going to buy their new consoles, given how badly the Xbox Series X/S is doing? I wouldn't say they'd be able to count on hardcore fans at all. In fact, I'd assume they're the least likely to give them another chance, given how the last two generations have gone. And I don't see them attracting new fans either, because that means more casual gamers who certainly aren't going to pay £500+ for a PC handheld. I don't imagine they're likely to pay around that for a new home console either, unless there's something very special about it. There's no sign that Microsoft is pivoting to casual friendly games, so I'm not sure what options are left. What I could understand is if the next gen Xbox was basically a PC in a box, but they specifically said it wasn't that, so I guess I just don't get it. Hammeriron Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Evil evolves The interesting thing to me about Resident Evil Requiem not being open world is just how tightly focused it feels. Village wasn't exactly open world, but it did have a lot of areas you could go back and forwards from. Requiem seems to be mostly set in a spooky hotel and a bombed out Raccoon City, and apparently Raccoon City isn't in it much anyway. Maybe there's more, I'm sure there is, but I like the vibe so far. There's almost a Silent Hill feel to some of it so far and that means Resident Evil is yet again evolving. I think that's great, whether I even like the changes or not. Constant change is why Resi is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and other franchises could learn a lot from that. Grando Direct information I see that Elden Ring on Switch 2 seems to be getting ready for release, since it has an age rating now, but would that just be released without warning or would they do it in a Nintendo Direct? I know it was briefly in the April one but with a game that big I wouldn't have thought it would just slip out. Surely it's time for Nintendo to do a post-launch Direct that can give us a clearer picture of what the second half of the year is going to look like. We know about games like Elden Ring, and Hyrule Warriors 3, but they have no date or much information about them. I like my Switch 2, but I want to know what's next. Probst GC: We'd be shocked if Nintendo didn't have multiple Directs this year. Although there is a possibility that all or most of them will be focused on a single game, like the recent Donkey Kong Bananza one. New players I don't know what the chances are of EA Sports FC 26 being a flop, or even just not selling as well as EA hoped, but personally I hope it doesn't. Not because I have any love for the series or EA but we cannot afford to let any other big publishers go under. It's very unlikely EA will go bust any time soon but the second they start doing badly they become prey for the likes of Microsoft and Sony, and then that's another independent publisher gone. It's the same with Ubisoft. They might not be anyone's favourite publisher, but we do not need any less choice in gaming. Or even more well-known companies to be owned by the same giant corporation. What I'd really like to see is new publishers being created but I think the only real attempt like that was Embracer Group, which took the usual dumb venture capitalist approach of trying to buy up other smaller companies and then getting impatient when they didn't immediately start making money. I think CD Projekt may eventually grow into a large publisher, that publishes more than their own stuff, but not any time soon. If I had the money, I'd set one up and sign up a bunch of AA indie games – ones like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that look almost like AAA games – and take it from there. You don't have to own the developer, just publish them and take your cut and help nurture new studios. That sort of long term thought just doesn't seem to happen anymore though. Pinky Horrific soundtrack I've just had the best evening going about domestic mundanities but with the chip music of World Of Horror playing in the background (courtesy of a streaming site). Can't believe how good this is. I've promptly moved the game from saved for later to buy now. It's so good. I've no idea how the game will sit with me but when the music is this good then I don't think I can go wrong. Classic chiptune goodness. D Dubya Movie tie-in So, what are people's guesses as to what the next big Nintendo game to be announced will be? We've had Mario Kart and that's really it in terms of mainline entries, unless you count Donkey Kong as a 3D Super Mario. That's a whole question in itself and I have no idea of the answer, except I assume that there's going to be some kind of actual Mario game out around the time of the movie sequel next April. Whether that'd be 2D or 3D though I don't think there's any way of telling. So I guess that might be the next one, but I'd be surprised if Animal Crossing wasn't also announced within the next eight months or so. We all know how weird it was that they stopped supporting the old one, so surely that means work on the Switch 2 game must've started a long time ago? Unfortunately, most speculation for Nintendo is along the lines of not understanding why they haven't done it already. A spin-off instead of Splatoon 4 is weird, no Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe at launch is weird, and Hyrule Warriors 3 instead of a remake or better spin-off is also quite the choice. The Mario Bros. movie coming out next year is really the only thing you can base a prediction on but even then, it's nothing you can take to the bank. After all, Nintendo did exactly nothing for the first one. Badgerman Inbox also-rans I'm willing to bet that whoever used the term 'liquid metal' did it specifically to make a Terminator 2 reference. If you heat it up all metal is liquid and I'm pretty sure there's not a load of mercury, or whatever, sloshing about in my PlayStation 5. Whistler RE: EA Sports FC 26 vs. Rematch. I would rather play a game where thousands of real players are in it and tons of leagues and teams agree to be in the game than Rematch. Especially on how you can build your team and how fun it is when Team of the Season and Beyond starts. Anon More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Is EA Sports FC 26 going to be a flop? MORE: Games Inbox: Is AI going to ruin video games? MORE: Games Inbox: Has the Nintendo Switch 2 been a disappointment?


Metro
26-06-2025
- Metro
Games Inbox: Has the Nintendo Switch 2 been a disappointment?
The Thursday letters page thinks that the power of a console has become irrelevant, as one middle-aged reader loses their enthusiasm for gaming. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Post-launch verdict After having a few weeks to think about it, I'm afraid to say that I'm pretty disappointed with the Switch 2. Or rather, I am impressed by the console itself, and have no complaints about that, but everything else connected to it seems so low effort. Mario Kart World is a good game, but the free roam stuff is pretty bad and whether Nintendo has more planned for it or not, they haven't said anything so that's hardly an excuse. The real problem is there's literally nothing else going on with the console, except for Donkey Kong next month. The only exciting game after that is Metroid Prime 4, which is a Switch 1 game that was going to come out this year whether the Switch 2 was out or not. We know nothing of their future plans for any of their big franchise (even the Splatoon game was just a spin-off) and incredibly there's no sign of a new Mario game or any hope for more Zelda this decade. Given how time and goodwill was on Nintendo's side with this, they really have fumbled the ball. Focus Do it yourself I agree with readers complaining that the games industry is in a very dark place at the moment, with constant layoffs and another new round looming at Xbox. The only positive I can hope for from this is if it pushes more developers towards setting up their own indie studios and kissing goodbye to the traditional publisher system. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. You often hear about ultra low budget indie games selling in the multiple millions and yet AAA games, that must've cost 100 times more to make, still only sell around the same amount. Admittedly, indie games are almost always cheaper but even so, the profits on them must be enormous. Sure, you won't be working with state of the art graphics anymore, but surely that's a small price to pay for owning everything yourself, getting all the money, and getting to make whatever you want. Frampton Faux-Zero I'm not a massive WipEout fan but I thought I'd give Fast Fusion a go on Switch 2, as it was only £15, and I've been amazed by it. It looks fantastic and plays great, with some great track design. In fact, I think it looks better that a lot of games on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. There's an update this week as well, that's going to add more tracks and features. Only thing missing is online play, but the four player splitscreen is great. Also, there is a GameShare option that allows my daughter to play on her original Switch with me and I can't believe how good it works, seeing the game run on her Switch is like magic. More games need to add this feature. So, for £15 this is a steal, I look forward to what the devs do next. Rob Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Games before merch I see the new Donkey Kong and Pauline amiibo is in stock to pre-order on Nintendo Store UK for £16.99. I am tempted to buy it but I was planning to buy a new gaming PC in August and a deluxe edition of Metal Gear Solid Delta for PlayStation 5, so will have to put it on my wishlist. Andrew J. PS: I have just heard about this game, but I don't remember GameCentral reviewing it, it is called BZZZT. It's a platformer from 2023 and it looks amazing and has got a very positive rating on Steam. What is GameCentral's opinion of it? GC: We've never heard of it before, but it looks a lot like Super Meat Boy. Death stranded I'm not sure how big a franchise Death Stranding is but I notice no one around here has been talking about it and that seems to follow for everywhere else I see online. Maybe the algorithm knows I don't like it, but it looks like a really expensive game, especially with all those Hollywood actors in it, but I'm really not sure how it's making its money back. Like you say, I admire Hideo Kojma's ability to talk people into funding him, and then making whatever he wants, but at some point aren't these same people going to want a return on their investment? If a sequel to Death Stranding was meant to be a surefire hit I think there's going to be some disappointment… Lambo Unlimited power I think the concept of the power of a console (or a PC GPU for that matter) has shifted massively since the release of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. PlayStation recognised this with PS5 Pro and dipped their toe in the water with AI upscaling, but being tied to AMD meant they had to (co-?) develop their own hardware-accelerated algorithm in PSSR, which inevitably led to some teething issues. Now that FSR 4 is available (and may even be implemented on PS5 Pro in future) I expect this to be a key feature of both the PlayStation 6 and the Windows NeXtbox One. While AMD still lag behind Nvidia in this regard, FSR 4 is a huge step-up in image quality compared to what's available on PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X, and should have a similar impact to DLSS 3/4 on Switch 2: achieving much better image quality over the current generation consoles even if the GPU and CPU upgrades seem fairly modest on paper. Throw in hardware-accelerated ray tracing support and maybe even frame generation and we'll get some very capable consoles which hopefully won't break the bank. But probably will. Magnumstache PS: Quite interested in Tempest Rising – PC only at the moment but looks like a fun throwback real-time strategy, released back in April. Infinite Pass I was receiving Game Pass for free once upon a time, I think I concluded that it was an ex-girlfriend who liked her choice games and so created her own profile on my Xbox. When we separated a good while later she got her own Xbox and Game Pass, so I assumed it was still tied to the account she had on my Xbone. I only realised when my subscription ran out, but I kept receiving it! Out of guilt I had to resubscribe and strangely it didn't work on the Xbox Series X, but for all I know it could still be running on the Xbone. big boy bent Gaming midlife crisis I wrote in a few weeks back about how good the Sony State of Play amazed me. I'm a VVVVV long time reader, since before you became Digitiser (there was something else before that.) I'm 50 and have been gaming since I got an Atari 2600 for Xmas in 1980. You wouldn't believe how games have progressed since Adventure, Pac-Man, and Asteroids. Graphics and worlds are so amazing you couldn't wish for anything else but I now find myself in a bit of a gaming rut, in that everything that is made has a sword or gun or whatever else is the best method of killing something or someone, with super duper million pound graphics. What has happened to the creative ingenuity of our past time? Why is it that everything that's released I have to slaughter something? Fetch this, get that, and hope I don't get killed? I know Nintendo do cutsey have-fun games but where has this all gone on the other consoles? I've looked and looked at indie games but nothing takes my fancy; Concrete Genie, walking simulators?! (I'll go for a walk myself!). The amazing ideas that were around during the Amiga/Atari ST time have been sidelined for blow anything up or footy or racing, that's it. This drive for fab graphics and a myriad of different ways of making something die or drive here and do this is all a bit too much. I know profit margins and risk aversion is at play, but come on, stop releasing the same sort of stuff all the time and let's have a bit of imagination (even though it don't sell). Rant over, just after 40 odd years of making games we only now get the same four or five genres?! Sad times from what we all imagined as kids. Indiegaz (PSN ID) GC: Concrete Genie was six years ago and walking sim is a derogatory term for games with no action elements, they're not literally about walking. Based on your comments, we'd recommend indie games such as the excellent Blue Prince or Citizen Sleeper 2. Inbox also-ransSo happy to see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 do well. It really is the feel good success story of the year and well deserved too. Benson Time Crisis? Now there's a name I haven't heard in a very long time. If they can make it work on modern TVs though I'm interested. Just do Gunblade NY afterwards! Maxo More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Will the PS6 be the most powerful console ever? MORE: Games Inbox: Do video game exclusives still matter? MORE: Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World better than Mario Kart 8?


NBC News
25-06-2025
- NBC News
I've been playing the Nintendo Switch 2 for two weeks. Is it worth the hype?
The Nintendo Switch 2 has a lot to live up to. It's the successor to the wildly popular Nintendo Switch, which has sold over 152 million units, dwarfing the popularity of nearly every other home gaming console in history. The only two exceptions are the PlayStation 2, which sold about 160 million units and the Nintendo DS, which sold around 154 million units. It's been eight years since the Switch launched, and the gaming industry has changed. Handheld gaming consoles are popular among gamers, with competitors like the Steam Deck OLED offering a robust experience with a massive library of PC games. Economic uncertainty has also changed the gaming market, with brands and products across all industries fluctuating in price due to potential tariffs. I'm the tech reporter at NBC Select, and I've been a gamer my entire life. I've owned Nintendo consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, for most of that time. And I've been playing with the Switch 2 since launch day. My take? It's tame by Nintendo's standards (and history), but it's a worthwhile update to a successful formula. What is the Nintendo Switch 2? The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to the original Nintendo Switch, and when you initially look at the console it works much the same way. It's still a handheld gaming console with removable controllers that attach to the side of the screen. It still has a docking station that, when plugged in, connects the console to your TV screen. And it can still play Nintendo Switch games, in addition to brand new Switch 2 titles like Mario Kart World. You can even use Nintendo Switch controllers wirelessly with the Nintendo Switch 2. Dive a little deeper though, and you'll notice that the Nintendo Switch 2 is very different from the original. It's bigger in nearly every way: the screen is larger (7.9-inches, up from 6.2), the controllers are larger, the kickstand is larger and even the TV dock is larger. The biggest changes are internal. In handheld mode, the screen can display a more detailed, vivid, and smoother image thanks to 1080p resolution (up from 720p), 120Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz), and support for high dynamic range (HDR) — all these improvements help games look more detailed and feel more smooth while playing. The console also comes with 256GB of internal storage, up from 32GB in the original. My experience with the Nintendo Switch 2 The Nintendo Switch 2 is a relatively tame sequel to the original. This is normal for every other game company, but for Nintendo, who has a history of releasing very different gaming consoles each generation (remember the Wii and the Wii U), it's surprising how similar the Nintendo Switch 2 is to the original. I think that's a good thing. I (along with millions of others), loved the original Nintendo Switch, and am pleased the Switch 2 upgrades and refines a winning formula. It's some of the most fun I've had playing games in years, and is a convenient package for anyone who values portability and flexibility. What I like Bigger, better screen When I played handheld mode on the original Switch, I always felt like I was missing out on the 'true experience' of playing the game. Games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and even Mario Kart 8 Deluxe felt cramped and underwhelming on the original's Switch's 6.2-inch, 720p screen. Maybe I'm just spoiled from playing PC games on big screens, but I couldn't imagine playing games like Elden Ring handheld on Switch. I do not feel this way with the Switch 2: I've played a handful of games on its larger, more detailed screen, and didn't ever feel like I was getting a watered-down experience. Games across all genres look and feel better to play compared to the original. Better hardware design Bigger is in fact better this time around. The larger Switch 2 Joy-Con 2s are more comfortable to hold, both together in the Joy-Con 2 Grip and split in half for multiplayer games. The larger kickstand actually works, and is perfect for tabletop gaming. I cannot overstate how much better the kickstand is on the Switch 2 compared to the too small, too wobbly original Switch kickstand. I also love that there are charging ports on the bottom and top of the console now — the top port makes it much easier to charge the console while playing it. All this, put together, makes the Switch 2 feel more polished to use compared to the original. Improved performance everywhere The new internals of the Switch 2 are vastly more powerful than the original Switch, and you can feel it everywhere. Nearly everything on the Switch 2 feels smoother and more responsive than the original. Switch 1 games like Pokemon Violet feel completely different on the Switch 2. The game loads faster, plays smoother and never lags or hiccups during intense action. For games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you can buy a $10 Upgrade Pack that boosts the resolution and frame rate, but even without this, the improvements are noticeable. Even little things, like flipping through the home menu and Nintendo eShop feel more responsive. It brings people together When I say the Switch 2 brings people together, I'm not talking about the new GameChat feature, although GameChat is a vast improvement over Nintendo's previous online communication tools. Nintendo games have a tendency to bring people together in a way others just don't (Think Mario Party, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Pokemon Go). The Nintendo Switch 2 continues that tradition. Everyone I know wanted to try out the new console, play games together and just hang out, whether they played their original Switch yesterday or haven't touched a video game in years. Playing Mario Kart World at the NBC Select office was some of the most fun I've had at work, and I know I am not alone in that opinion. Sure, it may not be as practical as something like a smartwatch or pair of over-ear headphones, but video games are supposed to be fun, and Nintendo delivers. Potential drawbacks to keep in mind There aren't a lot of new games (yet) There aren't very many new games exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 at the time of writing: it's mainly Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Nearly every other game available for the Switch 2 is also available on another gaming console like PC, PlayStation 5 or the original Switch. This isn't surprising to me — a lack of new games is typical for any new gaming console launch. If you want a ton of brand new games to play, you might want to wait a year or two before buying the Switch 2. Worse battery life The original Switch had a battery life that lasted between 4.5 and 9 hours. The Switch 2's battery life is rated between two and 6.5 hours. That's a significant difference compared to the original, but it doesn't surprise me, given the much larger screen and increased performance. Competitors like the Steam Deck OLED get between three and 12 hours of battery life, so, depending on the games you're playing, it's not much better. You should get a case I bought a case for my original Nintendo Switch immediately, but I know a few people who didn't. The console wasn't too big, and could slide into a bag or backpack without much hassle. Because the Switch 2 and its screen is so much larger, I would hesitate to throw it in a backpack without a case — there's a good chance things in your bag could potentially scratch the screen. The Switch 2 comes out of the box with a screen protector built-in, but I promptly started using the thin and simple Belkin Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2 with mine. It's out of stock everywhere Unsurprisingly, the Nintendo Switch 2 is out of stock online at most retailers. If you want the new console as soon as possible, your best bet is going to a store in-person. I would expect more online availability in a year or two, along with more new games to play. Should you get a Nintendo Switch 2? The Switch 2 is a worthwhile upgrade to the original, and games like Mario Kart World are a ton of fun to play with friends. If you already have the original Nintendo Switch, I don't see any reason to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 right now — I would wait a year or two for more exclusive games to launch. That said, I would not buy the original Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch OLED at this time — your money will go a lot further in the long run putting it towards the Nintendo Switch 2, which will be relevant for years to come. Why trust NBC Select? I am a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology and fitness including recent stories on point-and-shoot cameras, smartwatches, running shoes and more. I've covered the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 since launch, and have been using the new console for the past few weeks. For this piece, I compared it to the original and tested its features and games by myself and with friends.