I don’t understand the Nintendo Switch. How many do I need for a family of gamers?

They are a personal device like a gameboy.
There is a TV version for party games.
The games may or may not be shareable, even with the physical games.
Assume the ideal usage is during screen time on a weekend.

I have been avoiding buying one as I don’t understand them. Thinking of getting them soon.

I assume one OLED for the family and then a portable per person, then one copy of each game per device.

How is this affordable?

  • @chronicledmonocle
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    3 days ago

    There is no “TV version”. The switch docks to a docking station to make it output to a TV. You just need a docking station and controllers to make a single Switch into a shared screen experience in the living room. Anyone’s Switch can use the dock.

    Physical games are sharable, but only one device can use that game at a time, because they’re physical cartridges.

    Personally, I’d go with a Steam Deck over a Switch, unless your family specifically is looking to play Switch games that are exclusive to it (which technically with emulation the Steam Deck can also play, but that’s not legal unless you own a switch and the game). The nice thing about Steam games is that Steam’s Families feature lets you share the entire game library digitally to 5 family members, so unless they want to play the same game at once, you only buy games once and they can all play them. There are also some games that let you own one copy and let multiple people play multiplayer at once on it, too.

    Plus, games on Steam are cheaper than Switch games and the Steam Deck is only a bit more money upfront than a Switch is, especially on sale, which I expect it to be on sale for Black Friday coming up.

    Finally, Steam games also can be played on a PC. Any PC. The Steam Deck is just an easy to use, skinned UI PC. As such, when the Steam Deck becomes obsolete, you don’t have a bunch of games that are now locked to an obsolete platform. There are PC games that are decades old that still play on PCs today (although sometimes a bit of fiddling is required for REALLY old ones).

    Edit:

    FYI the regular switch and OLED can dock. The switch lite cannot.

    • @frankgrimeszz
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      84 days ago

      It’s a nice concept. But emulated Switch games may not be able to do online multiplayer and kids may not be able to work the emulator that well.

      • @chronicledmonocle
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        13 days ago

        OP doesn’t say how old their kids are. Could be teens with plenty of aptitude, but if they’re younger…the switch may be the better option.

        As for emulation, I was more just was saying it’s possible. For single player games it’s fine, if done legally.

    • Viirax
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      64 days ago

      Slight correction: The Switch Lite cannot connect to a Switch Dock for TV output, they are strictly handheld unless you’re into modding.